Our Government Is Corrupt Through and Through -- Where's the Outrage?

AlterNet / By Joshua Holland

Our Government Is Corrupt Through and Through -- Where's the Outrage?
When politicians get caught taking bribes, it's big news, but most people take the usual legal corruption for granted.

May 17, 2011 |


Last week, jurors in a federal bribery case got a taste of good, old-fashioned corruption as New Orleans' former chief technology officer, Greg Mefford, offered the prurient details of how one vendor, Mark St. Pierre, plied city officials with almost $900,000 in bribes and kickbacks that included luxurious travel, the use of a yacht and boozy, good-old-boy poker parties complete with the requisite hookers.

The story represents the kind of corruption that makes splashy headlines, and of course, rightly outrages people. But the impact of this kind of criminality on our governance pales beside that of the everyday, entirely legal kind of corruption most people seem to take more or less for granted.

Consider just a few items "ripped from the headlines" during the past few weeks.

* On Monday, Politico reported that almost a third of the “blue dog” Democrats who left office or were defeated in last year's midterms are now working as corporate lobbyists. “The conservative Blue Dogs formed a key voting bloc for much of the last congressional session,” reporter Aaren Mehta noted, “drawing impressive fundraising from the energy, financial services and health care industries.” The blue dogs were instrumental in watering down or blocking key Democratic legislation in both the House and the Senate. With their mission accomplished on everything from health-care reform to financial regulation, Politico notes that “industry groups abandoned the pro-business coalition in favor of its GOP opponents.”

* An analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics found that “House members who defeated a measure to...end certain subsidies for oil companies received five times more in campaign contributions, on average, from the oil and gas industry in the 2010 election cycle than those who voted to proceed with the motion.” ................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/news/150985/our_government_is_corrupt_through_and_through_--_where%27s_the_outrage/

until it affect him/her. Otherwise the head is in the sand or believing the shit on MSN. It maybe to late by the time the people of this contry wake up.

I redirected three of them today when they started bitching about "Africans, real Africans from Africa! They are being moved into Onion City, given apartments and welfare." I said, "BullShit, they are refugees and we should welcome them after the horror they have lived."; and then proceeded to educate them very sweetly.

I got them going on politicians and CEO's. People who weren't hurting before are beginning to feel it more and more. Wish they had notcied the poor without having to become one themselves. The fight is tougher when you are down and out. But hey, there was progress in a small store and a sandwich shop today. It was the gas station yesterday.

I had followers for a half an hour. Hopefully it sticks. They were really actually thinking and weren't liking what I showed them. It was freaking awesome to see the change in their thought processes. :woohoo:

Hope springs...:woohoo:

unless it's flagrant, bribery gets called "free speech" and it protected activity.

especially for corporations.

Just askin'

No one represents me. No one cares.

So you find out about some type of corruption. You don't like it, you may get upset, or even outraged over the news. Then what? What exactly can the average person do is that situation? Write a letter? Call their representative? Are any of the options available to the average person worth the time and effort it takes to get outraged by the corruption of people in distant halls of authority? I'm thinking that people probably have more immediate concerns to worry about which they actually do have a direct say in.

probably the other two thirds went to work directly for corporations as execs or board members.