• Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.comOP
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    17
    arrow-down
    7
    ·
    9 hours ago

    In a word, corruption.

    In two words, legal corruption.

    In three words, blatant legal corruption.

    In four words, United States political system.

    • whoisearth@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      36
      ·
      7 hours ago

      Meh.

      1. This isn’t an America problem. People do this in every country

      2. This is capitalism not corruption

      For everyone here’s a fun thought experience. You have a room with 100 people. In that room is 100$. 1 person (Elon Musk let’s say) holds 95$. 4 people (let’s say various CEO class people) hold $1 each. The remaining 95 people share the remaining 1$.

      And yet here we are all fighting because some of our deluded asses think we are going to be one of those 5 people one day.

      • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.comOP
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        6
        arrow-down
        5
        ·
        6 hours ago

        Meh.

        1. This isn’t an America problem. People do this in every country

        It’s WORSE in the US than in most other countries, including all other wealthy countries, though. Differences in scale matter

        1. This is capitalism not corruption

        Taken to the extremes it will inevitably reach if not sufficiently restrained, capitalism IS corruption with fancy packaging. It’s right in the name: it’s an ism (belief system) where accruing capital is the most important of ALL things.

        In every Western country other than the US, accepting large sums of money and other perks from rich people who want favors is the DEFINITION of corruption, whether or not there’s a specifically stated quid pro quo.

    • feedum_sneedson@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      7 hours ago

      It’s the same here in the UK, unfortunately. Is that neoliberalism? Or just a rehashed kind of feudalism? I don’t know, I’m mostly a gardener.

      • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.comOP
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        6 hours ago

        Yeah, it’s pretty much a defining aspect of Neoliberalism. Just like turning the corruption up to 11 in both severity and blatancy is a hallmark of the economics of fascism.