Discussion»Statements»Rosie's Corner» The US is lobbied up the kazoo with greedy selfish lobbyists who throw money at pols so they can screw us. Do all countries have lobbyists?
I believe we would find that the alternative to lobbyists is outright bribery.
Lobbyists are necessary for our government. It is the only way that the majority of individuals can petition their representatives.
Who has time to travel to Washington DC and try to arrange a meeting with their Senator/Representative? Hardly anybody.
How often do Senators/Representatives visit their home districts, other than election years? Hardly ever. (Likely because they don't want to get asked hard questions about their "service".)
How often do Senators/Representatives actually read communications from individual constituents? They have people to do that. You're lucky if you get more than a canned response from their office.
So, yeah. Lobbyists, who can represent many people and meet representatives face-to-face, are necessary if we want our government to know our thoughts on issues. Sure, it's not a perfect system. But the system is too large for individual meetings. Take the NRA as an example, because "everybody" hates it (except it's members). At the end of 2018, they had 5 million members. If each member went to meet with Congress for 15 minutes, that would require over 142 years of meetings 24/7.
24 hours x 365 days/year = 8,760 hours/year x 4 (15 minute) meetings = 35,040 meetings/year 5,000,000 members / 35,040 meetings/year = 142.7 years
So instead, we allow lobbyists to represent us to our government - and government officials can see multiple lobbyists, representing multiple points of view of multiple people, in a single day.
Are you a lobbyist Walt? At the very least you are a lobbyist sympathizer. You say the ALTERNATIVE to lobbying is outright bribery! Isn't that exactly what lobbyists do? BRIBE pols to pass legislation favorable to the companies they lobby for? Political "contributions" aren't made for lofty motives. They are bribes outright in my opinion. I'm not sure why your take on this is so far afield from mine but it is what it is. Thank you for your "lobbying" me to understand your point of view. No money has exchanged hands so this importuning is not a BRIBE. Thank you for your point of view as always and Happy Friday. Petitioning their government to hear their views? Lobbyists? I think that is quite a stretch m'dear. Now if NO MONEY were involved then it would be ADVOCATING your views. But when money is involved or wining and dining or providing "comfort" girls to pols who are looking for any kind of "handout" I say it is not advocacy but bribery. :)
This post was edited by RosieG at March 6, 2020 8:32 AM MST
If we look at jurisdictions where they don't have lobbyists, there is far more graft/bribery than in the US. And it is generally accepted as a cost of doing business.
The only governments that don't have either lobbyists or high graft, are small ones - where the people have easy, direct access to their representatives.
As I said, it is a flawed system - but we don't have a better one, yet.
I would propose automatic audits of government officials, by the IRS and FBI, to reduce the chance of corruption. But that would violate the Constitution, as much as outlawing lobbying.
Today ANYTHING GOES Walt. Under the aegis of dumb don and fake AGliddlebillybarr whatever dumb don wants to say/do is LEGAL. Corruption crime treason lying bribery intimidating strong arming bullying dismembering figuratively and threatening is a way of life. Jump in the water's fine if and only if you suck up sufficiently to the fat a** of the dumb of don and get his blessing and keep on a**kissing. So you are telling me that people are so congenitally CORRUPT vile venal evil that where you don't have bribery via lobbying you have worse corruption? Really? That does not say much for your belief in the goodness of most human beings. Now are you wrong? How would I know? You might be right on the money but I will never believe your either/or scenario of EVIL and even EVILER EVIL is the only way to fly. I am not wired like that. Thank you for your reply. We go our separate ways on many things. This is one of them! It matters not. We roll on right?
As far as I know ... the only governments without lobbyists are dictatorships and tyrannical governments, where the people don't have a voice in their government. (and yes, that includes nations like Saudi Arabia)
And those nations are fit examples of the saying: Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Walt O'Reagun 