Morality of Politicians Buying Votes
This morning’s Washington Post informs us that “Its Back. I suspect it never really went away but the article “Earmark Spending Makes a Comeback informs us that what
Congress Pledged in 2007 is already making a robust comeback.
“More than a year after Congress pledged to curb pork barrel funding known as earmarks; lawmakers are gearing up for another spending binge, directing billions toward organizations and companies in their home districts.
Lawmakers had promised to cut back on earmarks and mandated better disclosure of them after steady criticism that they were funding programs with little debate or oversight. The promises led to an initial decline in earmarks last year that was trumpeted on Capitol Hill. But the new data show that they are surging again, at least in the proposed Pentagon authorization budget, which sets out priorities to be funded in a later appropriations bill.
We do have a few laws mandating criminal punishment for both politicians and voters when a voter buys a politician but as far as I know we have no such laws when a politician buys a voter.
A politician buying a voter appears to be perfectly legal; but what is the morality of the situation?
I would say that if there is any moral corruption in such a case that most of that moral corruption rests on the shoulders of the voter.
When a voter is bought by a politician that voter is displaying either ignorance of what a citizen in a democracy must understand or that voter is just morally corrupt.
We seldom read about citizens vilifying fellow voters when they accept this bribery. If we had proper intellectuals in this nation they would be leading the chorus of shame directed at such voter behavior.
Morality of Politicians Buying Votes
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QUINNSCOMMENTARY
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Morality of Politicians Buying Votes
Quite right both of you, but if we want to find the real culprit in all this, we only have to look in ther mirror. Politicians do what they do for only one reason..to get elected or re-elected and to do that they say or do what the people what to hear or have and the facts be damned. See what happens when a military base is going to be closed to save us all money. See how a politician from a coal producing state opposes an energy bill.
It's the way we all vote that is the problem, we reward the politicians based on the behavior we want and they respond. In some areas if they don't support the positions of big unions, they don't get elected, and yet many times what unions want is not what is best for the country or many Americans.
Bottom line...you get what you ask for and what you reward for. so don't blame the politician, they don't get to Washington without us.
It's the way we all vote that is the problem, we reward the politicians based on the behavior we want and they respond. In some areas if they don't support the positions of big unions, they don't get elected, and yet many times what unions want is not what is best for the country or many Americans.
Bottom line...you get what you ask for and what you reward for. so don't blame the politician, they don't get to Washington without us.
"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it." George Bernard Shaw
"If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody is not thinking" Gen. George Patton
Quinnscommentary
Observations on Life. Give it a try now and tell a friend or two or fifty.
Quinnscommentary Blog
"If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody is not thinking" Gen. George Patton
Quinnscommentary
Observations on Life. Give it a try now and tell a friend or two or fifty.
Quinnscommentary Blog
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QUINNSCOMMENTARY
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Morality of Politicians Buying Votes
rjwould;888295 wrote: Well that is why all elections are local with the exception of the presidential election. Personally, I'm pro union, but that has little to do with this thread. Leave it up to you to make it biased.
You truly amaze me, how do you conclude I made anything biased? I was merely stating a fact to illustrate a point. Is it not true that politicians are influenced by unions, and the NRA and the AMA and the least influencial (but potentially most powerful) people are the individual voters? :-5
Union leaders are politicians as well, they need to get elected and re-elected to keep their jobs so they too must pander to their members and in doing so may well lead to dire affects on the bigger picture. Take the auto industry, great benefits, pay for nearly forever when a job is lost and the result is.......:rolleyes:
You truly amaze me, how do you conclude I made anything biased? I was merely stating a fact to illustrate a point. Is it not true that politicians are influenced by unions, and the NRA and the AMA and the least influencial (but potentially most powerful) people are the individual voters? :-5
Union leaders are politicians as well, they need to get elected and re-elected to keep their jobs so they too must pander to their members and in doing so may well lead to dire affects on the bigger picture. Take the auto industry, great benefits, pay for nearly forever when a job is lost and the result is.......:rolleyes:
"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it." George Bernard Shaw
"If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody is not thinking" Gen. George Patton
Quinnscommentary
Observations on Life. Give it a try now and tell a friend or two or fifty.
Quinnscommentary Blog
"If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody is not thinking" Gen. George Patton
Quinnscommentary
Observations on Life. Give it a try now and tell a friend or two or fifty.
Quinnscommentary Blog
Morality of Politicians Buying Votes
rjwould;888265 wrote: I agree, Coberst, It shouldn't be allowed, nor should any politician want to do it. This is where conservatives have a good argument about federal tax laws, IMO. The federal legislature sure does like to divvy out our tax money in order to ensure that the party favorites whom may not have a large contingent of loyal supporters get re-elected. Its a reward in many cases for towing the party line when such support may be unpopular in ones district. So the votes get bought back after they have been driven away by unpopular decisions.
Our political structure is so imperfect and in need of reform. Of course the answer to all our political woes would be an informed and participatory citizenship, but with the way so much of our media is so biased and at odds with the truth, that ain't gonna happen any time soon.
But the problem is not our politicians or the journalists, the problem is the citizen who remains ignorant and apathetic, and that is something each one of us can affect.
Our political structure is so imperfect and in need of reform. Of course the answer to all our political woes would be an informed and participatory citizenship, but with the way so much of our media is so biased and at odds with the truth, that ain't gonna happen any time soon.
But the problem is not our politicians or the journalists, the problem is the citizen who remains ignorant and apathetic, and that is something each one of us can affect.