this post was submitted on 15 Dec 2023
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politics

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[–] [email protected] 48 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Genuinely how is this not considered illegal in the US?
If you tried this in most parts of Europe you'd be charged for committing bribery

[–] Supervisor194 48 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

The Supreme Court of the United States has decided that corporations are people and money is free speech.

We have become what Benjamin Franklin feared we would become. He could see the future:

“In these sentiments, Sir, I agree to this Constitution, with all its faults, if they are such; because I think a General Government necessary for us, and there is no form of government, but what may be a blessing to the people if well administered; and believe further, that this is likely to be well administered for a course of years, and can only end in despotism, as other forms have done before it, when the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic government.”

[–] banneryear1868 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The founders feared political factions forming above all and basically designed the government around not allowing factions to take absolute power, like separating the presidential office from the executive branch etc. and not even making the position clear. Presidents have basically pushed on the limits and defined the office over the years and political factions formed around economic interests of the people because of course they would. At first you basically needed a minimum amount of worked land to even vote in most states, men's suffrage happened long before women's. America was basically designed as a free real estate project and sort of still is.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Pretty sure the founders kind of assumed we'd have a couple of revolutions by now

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

when the people shall have become so corrupted as to need a despotic government.

See that’s interesting. Franklin’s talking about society getting fucked up and naturally spawning a bad government above itself as a necessary part of its own structure.

It’s not just that people get corrupt and form a despotic government, it’s that the world getting fucked up means despots are more likely to be liked and desired by people seeking safety from the corruption around them.