Long thread/11
* 72% of Americans want to limit campaign contributions (75% D/71% R);
* 58% of Americans believe it is possible to get money out of politics.
So on the one hand, this is all pretty dismal. It also makes the trend towards electing anti-democratic politicians who want to abolish elections a lot easier to understand.
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Long thread/11
@pluralistic@mamot.fr Boy, if only voters got to set policy instead of corporations. What a difference that would make!
But when your choices are Corporate Controlled GOP vs. Corporate Controlled Dems, shrug
@alan@mindly.social @pluralistic@mamot.fr I don't get how you can look at what is happening in the US right now and say "both sides are basically the same"
@madeingermany@mas.to @pluralistic@mamot.fr That's good, because that's not what I said.
@alan@mindly.social @pluralistic@mamot.fr it's good to have more direct democracy, but it would equally be very susceptible to populism without a politically educated population.
How are you not saying gop and Dems are the same when you shrug at the choice between them?
I don't disagree that both are way too beholden to corporate money, but again, what the Republican administration is doing/allowing to happen is madness.
@madeingermany@mas.to @pluralistic@mamot.fr All I was referring to in that post is that neither of the parties reflect the will of voters. I was not commenting on the madness of the Trump Regime, although I certainly have and will continue to.
I'm commenting on the flaws in the system that have set up the conditions for this to happen. The disproportionate influence of lobbyists and corporate donations mean that policymakers answer to them, not their constituents.
And yeah, the state of education, political and otherwise is a big factor, but I would assert that the erosion in education also comes from undue corporate influence. All corporations want is a compliant workforce of consumers, and that's what they got.
All of these things have set the foundation for the rise of a fascist state, and now we're seeing it play out in real time.
@alan@mindly.social @pluralistic@mamot.fr gotcha, I agree with that.
Mostly it's the money: Fundraising (other countries limit spending and give every candidate the same amount) and the worst is citizens United.
@madeingermany@mas.to @pluralistic@mamot.fr Yep, the erroneous Citizens United decision set the framework for the collapse of the American Empire and greased the rails to boot.
Congress could have passed laws to address the problem, but that would have ended their political careers, so nothing happened.
I just wish we weren't so damn close. there's going to be collateral damage.
Cory Doctorow
Alan Langford ๐จ๐ฆ
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