Purchasing laws

[Black Wolf]

One of my favorite complaints about capitalism, or a weak central government, is that the businesses that are powerful enough can bribe politicians to write laws for them.... as if this is a complaint about economic corruption, as opposed to political corruption.

Why do people make excuses for corrupt politicians when they criticize big business? Lack of sufficient funding is no excuse for buying laws from big business. If anything, this is an argument against the government providing the things that liberals and progressives want, as well as an argument that supports the notion that the government, as an entity, is less efficient and rational as we expect more from it.

Kickbacks are illegal. If a politician needs to buy a law from a big corporation, then he is corrupt. Period. A government that needs big business to finance them for the things it needs, is a government that is overstepping it's boundaries.

Edited December 6, 2009 by Black Wolf

[bluecherry]

When has a business financed a law that the government itself was too short on funds to pay? I don't know what kind of thing you're talking about with that. The "kickbacks" thing I do know what you mean though. In that case it is really a flaw of a government that supports a mixed economy I think in that it allows for laws to be created favoring any person or group in particular. A government which has no authority to screw around with the economy or make mandates on businesses or any of that kind of thing has nothing to offer in the way of "special treatment" for any business and therefore nothing to tempt any business people to try to bribe politicians. So, I think a properly limited government actually discourages the kind of corruption those people making complaints about business were talking about.

[Black Wolf]

When has a business financed a law that the government itself was too short on funds to pay? I don't know what kind of thing you're talking about with that. The "kickbacks" thing I do know what you mean though. In that case it is really a flaw of a government that supports a mixed economy I think in that it allows for laws to be created favoring any person or group in particular. A government which has no authority to screw around with the economy or make mandates on businesses or any of that kind of thing has nothing to offer in the way of "special treatment" for any business and therefore nothing to tempt any business people to try to bribe politicians. So, I think a properly limited government actually discourages the kind of corruption those people making complaints about business were talking about.

A particular example is when the auto industry pushed for a bill that gave you substantial tax breaks if you purchased a high gas consuming vehicle. Businesses used lobbyists to "pressure" the government into writing this into law.

Of course, I am rather skeptical of how government can be "pressured" by a single industry to write something into law.

Edited December 6, 2009 by Black Wolf

[Randroid]

Why do people make excuses for corrupt politicians when they criticize big business?

There is no rational reason for that. The people who make this complaint simply love government and hate business. The more powerful (power corrupts) government is, the more they love it and the bigger the business is, the more they hate it. That is why government is never at fault (except for not being big enough) and why business always is, reality be damned. What's really amusing (or not) is that the same people would say that the villains in Atlas Shrugged are caricatures.

[Weston]

What's really amusing (or not) is that the same people would say that the villains in Atlas Shrugged are caricatures.

I still think they are caricatures, not because they are any more corrupt than the real-life politicians of today, but because those in the book are much more openly so.

[VECT]

One of my favorite complaints about capitalism, or a weak central government, is that the businesses that are powerful enough can bribe politicians to write laws for them.... as if this is a complaint about economic corruption, as opposed to political corruption.

What you are complaining about is the current state of affairs in US's mixed economy, affairs resulted from the socialist side of that mixture. It has nothing to do with Capitalism.

In a free capitalistic society there is a complete separation between state and economy as there is one between state and church. Any business can attempt to bribe any politician in a capitalistic society all they want, but no one will get anywhere as the politicians can't pass any laws that can regulate economy.

It's only in a mixed system like the present state of US, where the government is allowed to pass laws to regulate the economy, that businesses would have the option to bribe politicians into passing laws either favoring their own business, or passing laws that could oppress their current or would be business competitors.

With Capitalism, there is no such option.

[CWEarl]

One of my favorite complaints about capitalism, or a weak central government, is that the businesses that are powerful enough can bribe politicians to write laws for them.... as if this is a complaint about economic corruption, as opposed to political corruption.

Of course, this makes no sense. What could a weak (ie: limited) government have to offer big business? If a government's role is limited to the protection of individual rights within the state, a business has little to purchase by way of bribe, contribution, or lobby.

Why do people make excuses for corrupt politicians when they criticize big business? Lack of sufficient funding is no excuse for buying laws from big business. If anything, this is an argument against the government providing the things that liberals and progressives want, as well as an argument that supports the notion that the government, as an entity, is less efficient and rational as we expect more from it.

The political philosophy of the Left depends on a benign government and malicious businessmen. To fulfill this need, the Left readily ejects reality.

Kickbacks are illegal. If a politician needs to buy a law from a big corporation, then he is corrupt. Period. A government that needs big business to finance them for the things it needs, is a government that is overstepping it's boundaries.

This is an argument for the separation of economics and state.