Lobbyists and Lawyers, Barnacles and Leeches, Selfishness and Corporatism

Washington for Sale

It makes no difference whether you are Republican or Democrat, Libertarian or Independent. We have big problems in this country, and yet again it appears that nobody is willing to step up and get our problems resolved. Blame it on the other political party, career politicians without term limits, the toxic environment in Washington, or maybe just the weather. Why is our government paralyzed? Why don’t our representatives have the courage to make the hard decisions? We all know that something has to give; we cannot continue along our current trajectory. So why does it appear that nothing substantive get accomplished?

We can probably agree that the problem is money, but not necessarily the lack thereof (although that is clearly an issue that could be the demise of our nation). Instead, the real problem is the amount of money that is used in exchange for favors or influence.

Lobbyists

We don’t really have a democracy anymore, and you can’t accurately define it as socialism or even a plutocracy. What we have is better defined as CORPORATISM = Corporate-Run Politics. This is a fitting definition for our current state of affairs…especially in a nation where roughly 95% of the wealth is controlled by 1% of the population. Just forget the fact that collectively, we elect our representatives and members of congress. But just because we vote them into power doesn’t mean that they will vote with their conscience or even on behalf of their constituents. In addition, if the flow of information is controlled by the wealthiest among us, what side of any argument will we experience in the news? Let’s face it…we are too busy to babysit our government…trying to take care of ourselves and our families, working too hard to put food on the table and pay our own bills.

Individually we lack the money and the time or cohesion to affect change in this country. We also tend to look at the government as if it were some type of collective group to rally against, but that is simply not the case. Legislation and comprehensive change is ignored not because of the collective but due to the pettiness and mediocrity of the few. Let’s look at a couple of the issues that our government ignores, or perhaps should ignore:

BAN ON ASSAULT WEAPONS
Can anyone really argue against a ban on the sale of assault weapons? We don’t use assault weapons to protect ourselves…they are predominantly used by gangs, criminals and drug dealers. Don’t we owe it to our police force to enact legislation to protect them?

• The Federal Assault Weapons Ban (AWB) (or Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act) was a subtitle of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, a federal law in the United States that included a prohibition on the sale to civilians of certain semi-automatic firearms, so called “assault weapons.”

We aren’t talking about restricting the right to keep and bear arms…we are simply referring to a law to keep assault weapons out of the hands of those who have the highest propensity to do harm. The ban on assault weapons (like AK-47’s) expired in 2004 and our representatives don’t have the courage to renew it.

LEGALIZING MARIJUANA

Big Pharma

Is there really any substantive argument against legalizing marijuana? Let’s compare it to Alcohol for just a moment. If you are 21, you can legally purchase alcohol almost anywhere – even though that doesn’t stop our youth from almost unfettered access to Alcohol. How many deaths do you know of that are caused by Marijuana? Sources show that alcohol is directly attributed to over 100,000 deaths each year! You don’t hear anyone trying to make alcohol illegal (we tried that remember). According to the NHTSA web site, in the US there were 43,443 alcohol related traffic fatalities in 2005. As a comparison, AIDS claimed 18,000 lives in 2003.

How can alcohol be blamed for 100,000 deaths each year?
* 5% of all deaths from diseases of the circulatory system are attributed to alcohol.
* 15% of all deaths from diseases of the respiratory system are attributed to alcohol.
* 30% of all deaths from accidents caused by fire and flames are attributed to alcohol.
* 30% of all accidental drownings are attributed to alcohol.
* 30% of all suicides are attributed to alcohol.
* 40% of all deaths due to accidental falls are attributed to alcohol.
* 45% of all deaths in automobile accidents are attributed to alcohol.
* 60% of all homicides are attributed to alcohol.

(Sources: NIDA Report, the Scientific American and Addiction Research Foundation of Ontario.)

Paying off Congress

Can you imagine – 100,000 people are dying every year and nobody wants to talk about it? You would be hard pressed to find more than a smattering of deaths directly related to marijuana, and the ones you could find are predominantly the result of the illegal drug trade, which would be practically eliminated if it were legalized. I am not a smoker of marijuana, but I am a firm believer in legalizing marijuana for 101 reasons that I will not go into here, not the least of which are regulation and tax revenue.

DON’T ASK DON’T TELL
Some among us adamantly object to removing the don’t ask don’t tell policy in the military – as if we really want to prevent those who serve our country with pride, dedication and honor, the right to risk their lives for our freedom. I propose a simple rule to fix this – if you believe gays should be removed from the military, then you need to take their place. Either get up and serve your country, or support those who do.

HEALTH INSURANCE
The real issue is that instead of fixing REAL problems, our elected officials pander to the money. Do we really want to fix health care? We all know the answer: we decrease the cost of health insurance by increasing competition, thereby making it more affordable for everyone.

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
Other than abortion, same-sex marriage is about as divisive an issue as any. We obsess about it, as if the sanctity of marriage was really so secure to being with (with more than 50% of marriages ending in divorce). Does same-sex marriage really affect our national security, does it add to our deficit, or does it put people in harm’s way?

EDUCATION
We increase our military spending while cutting our education budgets? Really? Our spending on education is sub-par to begin with and now we want to cut again? Our children are our future – do we really want to cut back their education?

Insurance Lobby

In the end, I believe that it all boils down to one word – LOBBYISTS – those loyal compatriots who claim to look after the interests of small businesses and the independent, when in fact we all know that this couldn’t be further from the truth. In 2009, $3.47 BILLION was spent on Lobbying, more than twice what was spent just ten years earlier (http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/). Let’s not live in the illusion that they provide some kind of public service – instead perhaps we need to get clear on the terminology. I would prefer a term that is more direct… BRIBERY with clever marketing.

Princeton University defines the word BRIBE: “to make illegal payments in exchange for favors or influence.” A lobbyist is someone who tried to illicitly influence legislation on behalf of a special interest. The only real difference between Bribing and Lobbying is the word “illegal” and what I would consider the word “illicit”. Why don’t we take a stab at a NEW definition for the term LOBBYIST:

LOBBYIST – lob•by•ist [lob-ee-ist] – someone who tries unscrupulously and often unethically to use money in exchange for favors or to influence legislation, selfishly often with pure disregard for human interests or the common good.

The problem is – lobbyists have no right to vote on legislation – we didn’t vote for them. So instead, they vote by proxy, manipulating and influencing our poor, helpless, defenseless senators and representatives who are forced to vote for legislation they don’t believe in and entirely against their will. Ah….well…not exactly. In fact, it is entirely within their will, and more accurately – they vote for job security over their truth, choosing money over what they believe and know to be true in their heart. Yes, they are often duplicit and hypocritical – pandering to their base for election and then voting with their bank account.

Do we really have any control? Of course we have the right and privilege to elect members of government and we simply hope that they will stay true to their campaign promises and stand up for us – but that is rarely the case as we all know. When their re-election campaigns are financed primarily by big business and large donors, make no mistake – they vote with their wallet.

“The wealthiest corporations and special interest groups usually pepper politicians with overwhelming amounts of money in hope of influencing the political process.” (opensecrets.org)

The various health industries have also steadily increased their lobbying efforts, from $448.1 million in 2007 to $484.4 million in 2008. So far this year, the sector has paid lobbyists $126.8 million to do its bidding on Capitol Hill. (Opensecrets.org)

“Whenever the government delves into some part of the private sector, by necessity it triggers the interest of any private entity involved in that area,” said Michael Franc, vice president of government relations at the Heritage Foundation

Here is my little message to our senators and representatives – vote with your conscience! You are leaving behind a legacy for your grandchildren and your great-grandchildren. This isn’t about your re-election campaign; it’s about the future of our country. It’s about real human lives – over 350 million of them. The lives you save today are the leaders of tomorrow. You have been elected to serve our country – now if you wouldn’t mind, would you please start acting like it.

This message has been paid for by the council to elect someone, anyone, who has the courage to lead with their intelligence, their conscience, and their heart.

1 Website Comment

• 
  Jim Laughead June 15, 2010 at 11:54 pm

  What we have here is 4 Industrial complexes. Medical, Miltary, Energy, & Financial.
  The Medical Complex doesn’t want to cure anything, just Drug you to death, and it is a 8 trillion dollar worldwide racket, with over 6000 Lobbyist.

  The Military Complex, certainly doesn’t want Peace, only war, and 58% of your taxes, goes to this racket! They instigate and cause war! There are over 3000 Military Industrial Complex Corporations. President Eisenhower warned America, back in 1960, to watch out for the Military Industrial Complex. America has been at war ever since 1941, thanks to these War mongers!

  The Energy Industrial Complex, Is destroying the Earth, with, now Oil spills and fighting, going green, they want to burn more coal, and more smoke stack industries. They denounce Global Warming, even as the poles melt, putting more and more CO2 in the air, which is already 28% and on Venus in the air its 92% and it’s surface is 600 degrees. The rate we are going the earth will not be livable in 50 years. So are you going to move to Mars?

  The Medical Industrial Complex, has no interest in curing anything, all they want to do is Drug you to death. It is a 8 Trillion dollar world wide Racket. There are simple cures for the Flu and cold. http://www.popsci.com/node/22953. They rather Vaccine you to death. Doctor you to Death, Bankrupt you to death! They Brainwash you to death with their constant TV commercials, which was never allowed, till they Bought the Congress!

  America’s First Depression in the 21st Century, you can thank for the Financial Industrial Complex, and we are now in. Big Banks are no longer really Banks, They are investment centers for the Rich! They now manipulate the Stock market, buying and selling each others stock to each other, making money weather the market goes up or down, all by trading put and call options. They can make more money by doing this, than loaning the money to you or me, what a Sham!

  In the Cycle of Constitutions, what follows Democracy, is Anarchy! (mob rule) then Monarchy(Dictatorship). This happen in America in 1929!

  So maybe are next President needs to be a Dictator, to rid up of so called Lobby-ism, and breakup these Industrial Complexes, and Clean out Congress!