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Originally Posted by BillyTheAdult  I see what you're saying, I guess to me that the two (actual lobbying vs. corporate "bribery" lobbying) are hard if not impossible to distinguish anymore) |
The distinction is philosophical in my mind: the definition of (and in that the intention of and benefits from) lobbying vs. the corrupt practices entwined in modern lobbying.
Grassroots email and letter writing campaigns are lobbying. Calling and writing your representative individually is lobbying. Petitions are lobbying. Unfortunately, that doesn't tend to make as much of a mark a limos and strip clubs.
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I think the answer is straightforward and simple. Cut off all ability of corporations to spend the kind of massive money they do on politics in one swoop. In short "get the money out." The part that isn't practical is that no one will ever do that.
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I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "spend on politics": campaign contributions, hiring lobbyists, independent ads? Under these laws would anyone be able to hire lobbyists?
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I am sure many impracticalities could be brought up, but the trick is not to get so caught up in the minutiae of detail. To me this is just like spirituality or personal development. You can keep paying attention to the details and problems and they will never stop coming because the process then becomes about the problems and the details themselves and no longer about eliminating the problem, or you can make the commitment first and let the details work themselves out as part of the process of fulfilling the commitment which is the primary concern.
It's like earlier this year, I made a thread about getting sick pack abs. I didn't know how I was going to do it, but I made the decision and the declaration, and the how worked itself out on the way.
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The thing about details though is that they're key to action. You can't make good legislation if you can't define your solution. We -know- how to clean up elections and election funding, and I've heard of no such solution for corruption in lobbying yet. I'm all ears though.
And I do agree that the ability to buy and common practice of buying influence is the biggest problem with American politics.