Money In Politics

[Toddsterpatriot]

"If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their Fathers conquered.... I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.... The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs." Thomas Jefferson

That is one of my FAVORITE fake quotes.

 

[dblack]

No. That's not the purpose of government.

Who you always include some random picture and link in your posts, even when they're entirely irrelevant? Just curious. It's not required, you know.

In the mid-1960s a majority of American voters made it clear Jim Crow laws would no longer be tolerated in southern states. Was the federal government wrong to force the racist crackers to comply?

They weren't forcing crackers to comply with anything. They were enforcing Constitutional constraints on government power. The opposite of what you're advocating.

 

[georgephillip]

unscrupulous politicians who use their power to attract bribes (lobbyists). And you think we should give them more power to attract more bribes. That makes no sense.

Not exactly.
Replace corrupt politicians with less venal representatives who won't prioritize the interests of the investor class over a majority of citizens. Your solution to diminish the power of government because rich parasites currently control its levers only increases economic inequality in the long run.

Visualizing Income Percentiles in the United States - Four Pillar Freedom

 

[dblack]

unscrupulous politicians who use their power to attract bribes (lobbyists). And you think we should give them more power to attract more bribes. That makes no sense.

Not exactly.
Replace corrupt politicians with less venal representatives who won't prioritize the interests of the investor class over a majority of citizens.

Ok. Once we've replaced venal representatives, and figured how to make sure they don't get elected again, we can talk about increasing the power of government.

Your solution to diminish the power of government ...

I don't want to diminish the power of government, I want to diminish its scope. Government should have all the power it needs to attend to its legitimate responsibilities. Getting in bed with corporations via the regulatory regime isn't one of those legitimate responsibilities.

... more irrelevent graphics ...

This is sort of a compulsion with you, isn't it?

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

Replace corrupt politicians with less venal representatives

Sounds good.
But what will we do with the Democrat reps once they're replaced?
Compost?

 

[georgephillip]

You do realize, I hope, that a corporation starts as 1 person with an idea- that has the gumption to pursue it-
Likely has nothing to do with anything.

Wall Street has a great deal to do with everything.
In fact, some would argue the US economy is centrally planned by corrupt investment bankers. Uber might be a good recent example of one person having an idea, but only Wall Street can provide the money to bring the idea to life.

Uber files for massive Wall Street debut - 'the Godzilla of IPOs'

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

but only Wall Street can provide the money to bring the idea to life.

It is awesome that way.

 

[georgephillip]

I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.... The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs." Thomas Jefferson

Jefferson seemed concern about private bankers taking control of the currency; he didn't seem to have a similar problem with public banks?

Bank of North Dakota - Wikipedia

 

[Tom Paine 1949]

"If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their Fathers conquered.... I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.... The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs." Thomas Jefferson

That is one of my FAVORITE fake quotes.

Yes. This is a FAKE QUOTE. Like so many others...

Of course Jefferson did originally fear and dislike the idea of a central bank and European-style colonial trading corporations, but eventually he realized a national chartered U.S. Bank was a useful necessity, especially when it helped him borrow money to make the Louisiana Purchase. The FAKE quality of this quotation should have been obvious by the confused reference to “corporations,” which were neither mentioned in our Constitution nor significant U.S. economic phenomena in Jefferson’s time:

Private Banks (Spurious Quotation)

www.monticello.org

 

[blackhawk]

Both sides bitch about money politics but I doubt either has ever turned down any donation from any person or group. If they do they are few and far between.

 

[georgephillip]

No. Our gov't requirements are pointed out in the constitution.

What did the Constitution say about forcing an unwilling minority of Americans to accept Civil Rights legislation in 1965?

 

[Sun Devil 92]

For my entire life liberals have been whining about the amount of money in politics.

At the same time, for my entire life liberals have been whining for bigger and bigger government.

Liberals cannot see that the more control government has over our lives, the more money will be spent trying to gain that control.

If you want less money in politics, then you clearly and plainly need less government.

Think about this, too: No amount of legislation and no amount of Supreme Court rulings have stopped money pouring into politics. Money always finds a way.

As government has grown, so has the amount of money spent on lobbying and campaign donations. Figure it out, people!

Fantastic post !!!!

This is the guy I used to know.

 

[Sun Devil 92]

Let's say I have the power to give your business a giant tax deduction worth millions of dollars. How much would you be willing to spend on my campaign? How many lobbyists would you hire to petition me?

Let's say I don't have the power to give your business a giant tax deduction. How much would spend on my campaign now? How many lobbyists would you hire to petition me?


See how that works?

The more power we give to government, the more money will be spent on politics. There is no getting around it, folks.

That one is still sailing. It left the park a long time ago.

Nice one !!!!!

 

[Sun Devil 92]

We hear complaints from the Right all the time about how much regulations cost business and what a bad thing that is.

But the deep dark secret is that the old sclerotic businesses who own Capitol Hill want to be heavily regulated.

So they can snuff out any competition. Yes.

Oddball, give g5000 back his account and stop hacking him.

He’s always for smaller government, the problem is republicans are not. Tariffs are another problem...

Yeah, trade wars were always a left wing thing. Trump has always been a far left Democrat. I can't recall how many times I warned this forum in 2016 about that.

Trillion dollar deficits, trade wars, morally corrupt, craven. Figure it out, people!

I'm voting for Jo Jorgensen.

I don't agree with you totally...but I I do like that you point out how things have played out.

 

[Tom Paine 1949]

Corporate and big money contributions to candidate campaigns or PACs, special interest lobbyists writing laws, extension of political and “personhood” rights to corporations, corporate “capture” of regulatory agencies — each has its own evolution.

Growth of government has a different history, and has been encouraged not just by the development of national economy and interstate commerce and transportation, but also by WAR. Rights of individuals, suffrage extension and democratization of society and culture, commodification and debasement of that culture, all are separate but related historical developments.

Lumping everything together, concluding that — since “government” and “money in government” have historically grown up simultaneously — the only way to reduce the influence of corporate or private billionaire money on government is to weaken the scope or role of government itself is idiotic and reactionary. Good laws can redress many of the problems we suffer, but that requires a popular movement fighting free from the ideology of “rule by capitalism” and in favor of “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

 

[georgephillip]

They weren't forcing crackers to comply with anything. They were enforcing Constitutional constraints on government power. The opposite of what you're advocating.

It was government authority that ended Jim Crow rule in the south, right?

 

[dblack]

They weren't forcing crackers to comply with anything. They were enforcing Constitutional constraints on government power. The opposite of what you're advocating.

It was government authority that ended Jim Crow rule in the south, right?

No. It was Constitution limits on government power. Jim Crow laws were "the democratic will of the people". The Court denied them.

 

[georgephillip]

The Fed makes short term loans, the Fed buys bonds and the Fed is owned by the US government.

It’s Our Money latest podcast “Wall Street Owns the Country” – Public Banking Institute

 

[georgephillip]

How are their earnings split up?

Maybe Wall Street on Parade can help you out?

Good thinking.

"These same Wall Street banks also participate in various advisory groups with the New York Fed where they hash out 'best practices' for their industry.

" Those 'best practices' were not sufficient to prevent JPMorgan Chase from becoming a three-count felon, Citigroup a one-count felon, and four of the banks (all but Bank of New York Mellon) from actively engaging in creating and selling subprime investments that blew up the U.S. financial system, the nation’s economy and a good swath of Wall Street in 2008."

These Are the Banks that Own the New York Fed and Its Money Button

 

[georgephillip]

Ok. Once we've replaced venal representatives, and figured how to make sure they don't get elected again, we can talk about increasing the power of government.

Explain how we improve the quality of politicians by diminishing the power of government?