marharth Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 How are you supposed to ban lobbyists? The people who would make the law to ban them are bought by them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myrmaad Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 Lobbying is protected by the first amendment to the Constitution. Free Enterprise is a Capitalist first tenet and what Thomas Jefferson phrased a "pillar of prosperity". So if I want to pay you to petition the government for a redress of my grievances in my stead, in the US, no one can stop me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeyYou Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 How are you supposed to ban lobbyists? The people who would make the law to ban them are bought by them. Precisely my point.  Lobbying is protected by the first amendment to the Constitution. Free Enterprise is a Capitalist first tenet and what Thomas Jefferson phrased a "pillar of prosperity". So if I want to pay you to petition the government for a redress of my grievances in my stead, in the US, no one can stop me. Lobbying is protected.... not being a PAID lobbyist. I don't have a problem with lobbyists, in and of themselves, what I DO have a problem with is, lobbyists spending millions of dollars to influence congress to get the policies of whatever special interest they represent put forward even though they are probably NOT in the best interests of the majority of the population. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthmoor Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Lobbyists don't conjure those millions out of thin air either. If they did, I'd be one just so I could conjure me up some millions of my own. That money coming into lobbying organizations is being sent there from people who want that position pushed for. myrmaad is entirely correct that it's protected activity (speech) and also capitalistic at the same time. Whether it's morally right or not is a separate issue, though I personally don't see a big problem with it. I only see people whining when lobbyists are pursuing positions they don't agree with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marharth Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 So you are okay with politicians being bribed to pursue the interests of huge corporations instead of the interests of majority of the USA? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myrmaad Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 So you are okay with politicians being bribed to pursue the interests of huge corporations instead of the interests of majority of the USA? Bribery is illegal. You are not allowed to bribe congress to do your bidding.  This is why we have such issues with our campaign finance system, it is tantamount to bribery, I think that's a bigger problem than lobbying. Lobbying, like many businesses, is regulated (and it should be), perhaps we could take a closer look at the rules for lobbyists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeyYou Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Both issues need to be addressed if we want the politicians to act in the best interests of the country, instead of just the select few. I don't have a problem with lobbyists in general, its PAID lobbyists I have trouble with. Considering that some of the highest paid lobbyists are ex-senators, and congresspeople, it looks a lot like influence peddling to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grannywils Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 @HeyYou Oddly enough, my name is Brian........ :DI think it would absolutely hilarious to be a fly on the wall when the results were announced..... "No one won the election this cycle, so, they all get to go home.".... I suspect you would be able to hear jaws hitting the floor for miles around. Also, Politicians may Start Out as smart people, most of them are lawyers after all, gotta have some smarts to get thru school.... but, when elected to public office? I believe their IQ drops 50%, and if re-elected, it drops yet another 50...... (points.....) Brian for President as a write in candidate! :DYay, HeyYou, :dance: you have finally accepted my nomination!!! I knew I could convince you. And may I remind everyone that each of us only has one brain apiece, regardless of intelligence level. None of us has brains or "brians" for that matter, just a single brain. Unfortunately, as pointed out by our candidate, HY, politicians forget how to use it immediately upon achieving the office for which they strive. As far as lobbyists are concerned, although Myrmaad is correct insofar as the 1st Amendment issue is concerned, my gripe is with the paid lobbyists whose interests seemingly have nothing to do with the interests of the people of this country or with making this a better country. It would appear that the special interests that they represent continue to line their pockets and those of the lobbyists, while the needs of the old US of A go unheard by speakers with less moola. :blush:   Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthmoor Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 So you are okay with politicians being bribed to pursue the interests of huge corporations instead of the interests of majority of the USA?Nope. I'm not ok with bribery. So it's a good thing I distinctly recall saying I'm ok with lobbying and with lobbyists being paid for their time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marharth Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 So you don't consider it bribery for people to offer huge cash sums to politicians to change their opinion on a subject? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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