Corruption

Discussion in 'Political Opinions & Beliefs' started by wgabrie, Oct 27, 2022.

  1. wgabrie

    wgabrie Well-Known Member Donor

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    Corruption. We don't seem to see it mentioned a lot, but I was wondering if our system is less corrupt because of our fair and open vote for a representative government and whistleblower protection policies allow our system to cut down on corruption in government?

    Let's step back in time and look at the Soviet system. That was before I was born so I don't know the common sentiment about it, but it looked like they had a government led by a group of people. More like a parliament than a dictatorship. But it's commonly believed that they suffered from massive corruption and inefficiency from their communist system which left them falling far behind the West where freedom and free market economy boomed.

    Even today, when Russia has pretended to be a free election and market economy, they still suffer from massive corruption and the Russian people are very poor. And that was the case even before Putin invaded Ukraine and suffered massive Western sanctions.

    So, back to corruption, is our system better at weeding out the corruption element, or do we face inefficiencies even today because of corruption in our system of government? We don't hear much about corruption in the news, at least I haven't heard much about it from my news feeds.

    What do you think?
     
  2. JohnHamilton

    JohnHamilton Well-Known Member

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    The Soviet Union failed because the communist system is inherently top heavy and unworkable. Without market forces to guide it, the planned economy must make that right number of goods at the right time and them to the right places. All of that is incredibly complex ultimately impossible.

    From this system where shortages and a lack of consumer goods almost assured corruption will follow. Corruption is a product and a result of the communist system.

    It’s why none of the far leftists, with any brains, talk about reviving the old communist system. Now they advocate the fascist system which is run by a giant government that gives out favors to corporations and other capitalists who do its bidding.

    In the old days, our freedoms did root out a lot, but far from all of the corruption. It worked well enough to keep the system essentially honest.

    Today, with Democrats like Hillary Clinton and the Biden Crime Family selling favors and getting a lot of cover from law enforcement, the system is breaking down. All Americans should be concerned about what Hunter Biden was doing for the family, but if you are Democrat, you have no interest and want to cover up all of the scandals.
     
  3. Doofenshmirtz

    Doofenshmirtz Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    That representative needs money to get elected. That money comes from those he/she will end up representing. Big pharma wields tremendous political power. In Russia, government regulates the pharmaceutical industry. Here, its the other way around!
     
  4. RodB

    RodB Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Yes and yes.
     
  5. PPark66

    PPark66 Well-Known Member

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    Yes and yes. With the caveat that we’re dealing with man I believe we could mitigate the corruption within the system by truly embracing the notion of one person, one vote. That would take restructuring our campaign finance system,reimagining districting and disclosure.
     
  6. Seth Bullock

    Seth Bullock Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    We probably are less corrupt than the Soviets or present day Russians.

    But what the political class in our country does is simply legalize its corruption. Campaign contributions, gifts, free travel and junkets, spouses and children being given high paying board positions in private industry, gigantic fees for speaking, trading in the stock market while voting on legislation that effects your stocks ….

    Ugh … We do have a bit of a cesspool that needs to be cleaned out.

    Almost no one in the political class - and that includes the media - ever talks about it.
     
    Last edited: Oct 27, 2022
  7. popscott

    popscott Well-Known Member Donor

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    I think you are overlooking our obvious corruption involving our own Biden and Obama... all documented but never investigated or acted on...

    example
    http://www.politicalforum.com/index...cefc-joe-bidens-cell-number-9-21-2017.603992/
     

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