Lobbyists: First They Came For Our Government. Now They've Come For You.

Hello again ATS!

I am here on the morning of this Black Friday frenzy to discuss two of the topics that really get my blood boiling - lobbyists and psychological manipulation. Two evils that Dante neglected to create circles of Hell for, but which are both very much qualified for such a distinction.

It was bad enough, in what we might end up referring to as "the good old days" when these sleazy, greasy, morally bankrupt lobbyists entertained themselves with bribery, blackmail, exploitation, and flat out threats against our elected officials. At least then we knew which dogs were in the fight and could track the effects that these snakes had upon our Republic. It was simple to see who voted for what and which industries stood to benefit - especially when reversal of positions were involved.

But the snakes have evolved. They've learned. This past election cycle was quite possibly the most polarizing in the history of this nation. I believe history will see it as the moment that class warfare stopped being a secret and had it's coming out party. It is my belief that the lobbyists had much to do with this. Hiding behind the label of "Super PAC"s they've mastered a new game of manipulation. One that doesn't require any bribery or mischief at all. They finally figured out where the real power in America lay, and they've targeted it. These sorcerers of greed are now working their black arts on the heart of this nation...

They are targeting us. The citizens of the US.

About half an hour ago a news story hit the AP wires. It is entitled INFLUENCE GAME: ELECTION OVER, CAMPAIGN CONTINUES and it addresses this very notion.

Some excerpts:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The election may be over, but a new campaign is being waged in the nation's capital as lobbyists, advocates and trade groups fight to shape the government's response to the looming fiscal cliff.

It's a twist on the usual lobbying effort: Instead of digging for more tax dollars, they're trying to protect what they've got.

The tactics are familiar to voters who were swamped with TV commercials, newspaper ads and mailers in the frenzied months before Election Day. But this time, the effort is directed at politicians, not so much the public.

Now, notice that this article specifically goes out of its way to say that the politicians are being targeted, and not the people? Odd then that it would go on to say the following:

Democrat Erskine Bowles and Republican Alan Simpson, have formed a group called Fix the Debt that is running newspaper ads that mimic popular advertising campaigns. One ad features a picture of a female runner and the catch phrase, "Just fix it." Another is a picture of a woman with a milk mustache and the slogan, "Got debt?"

A coalition of medical research groups called Research! America is trying to cut through the noise with stark ads likening spending cuts to poison: "WARNING: Washington politics just might kill you."

"Sen. Mark Warner can make energy a big part of improving our economy," says a TV commercial. "He can choose economic growth and American jobs, not slow them with job-killing energy taxes."

Now... maybe I am naive, but I always thought the game was that we sent people to Washington to represent us and that, once there, then these slithering lobbyists did their best to try and subvert and pervert those officials while we weren't paying attention.

It seems to me the strategy has changed. Now these crooked zealots of avarice have the gall to sick their lapdogs on US - the ones who voted them into office in the first place???

Am I the only one who thinks this is bass ackwards?

Oh, and as for the manipulation aspect of this. They've got that covered in enough of a fear mongering glory that Nero would salivate at the beauty of it all... The fiscal cliff

In this climate, lobbyists and advocacy groups are mainly trying to control the damage as Congress and the White House look to raise taxes and cut spending in an attempt to slow down the government's mushrooming debt. In other words: Don't raise my taxes and don't cut spending on programs I like.

Come January, the nation faces a massive combination of automatic tax increases and across-the-board spending cuts that have come be known as the "fiscal cliff" because allowing this scenario to play out would probably send the economy back into recession, according to government economists.

Obama wants to let tax rates rise for wealthy families while sparing middle- and low-income taxpayers. Some Republican leaders, including House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, have said they are willing to consider making the wealthy pay more by reducing their tax breaks. But most Republicans in Congress adamantly oppose raising tax rates.

Add to the fray every single special interest group on the map and you get the idea of the coming carnage. The elderly and aging - the "baby boomers" have a LOT of power and are saying "Keep your hands off of MY Social Security and Medicare"

The Corporations, those with the most power in the this mix, are staunchly fixed in their mantra of "Raise my taxes, even a little, and I'll fire every sorry SOB that works for me and move my operations to India..."

Big Pharma and the medical establishment are still throwing around the mountain of rhetoric that they've been spouting since they coined the term "Obamacare" to describe a bill that they supported and help write - all in an attempt to make sure that their butts are covered should they ever want to up their share of the pie in the future.

Oh and the arms industry? Well they're threatening that ONE MILLION jobs could be lost if we don't continue to keep the enormous and overly inflated American war machine up and running. Never mind that we're the preferred source for providing arms to every other nation on the freaking planet. The fact remains. We stop murdering and people will starve...

It's disgusting. The whole damned process is flat out, plainly disgusting. It is broken and it needs repair.

And if you think that I'm the one being hyperbolic? Here's an example of one ad discussed in the article:

A coalition of medical research groups called Research! America is trying to cut through the noise with stark ads likening spending cuts to poison: "WARNING: Washington politics just might kill you."

I am left wondering. Deeply wondering. We have these doom mongers screaming that we're all on the verge of an economic zombie apocalypse. And yet, when we get down to brass tacks, we find that the vast majority of those same people ( lobbies and industries ) are spending untold fortunes of money to explain why THEY should be exempt from the austerity measures that need to happen. Oh, yes, of course we all have to chip in. But you see, my company is very important to this society and should be exempt from any changes...

These corrupt and soulless creatures are still buying our government out from under us - and now they are using advertising to target you into being their cheerleaders. They think so little of you, America, that they believe a few hyperbolic ads, threatening your status-quo will be enough to make you sign your souls away in your own blood.

Are they right? Are we that easy to hornswaggle?

I think not. Know their methods. See their lies.

~Heff

ETA: In my righteous indignation, I forgot to add the source.

reply to post by Hefficide


i believe you

i dont know why but i believe u

Does this mean that ObamaCare is one example of Corporatist legislation ?

If so, the psychological manipulation was/is directed at the politicians as well as the people.

Simple and effective idea. The "people" support the politicians who then "support" the corporations.

Result = many people and politicians actually believe the legislations are well and good. In fact the "believers" become a majority in many cases.

It seems the large medical companies and insurance companies will benefit the most from ObamaCare.

The concept is present in many industries and legislations.

...has been for a long time now.

reply to post by xuenchen


The Affordable Care Act was an extreme example of Corporatist and lobby influenced legislation. With a few key exceptions nearly every socially responsible aspect of it was gutted. Without the individual mandate is simply became another means of forcing people to purchase something from corporations who will whine and groan - all the way to their off shore banks.

I strongly feel that we deserve and need universal healthcare in this country. Most studies indicate that it would actually be less expensive to keep the poor healthy to begin with than to simply wait for them to become so ill that it takes vast sums of money to try and salvage their failing health later on. But I feel that the legislation we now have is no different than the mandate to carry auto insurance.

Anyone else remember how affordable auto insurance was before it was mandatory? When the free market was allowed to work without a dominating hold on it? Oh, and how contrary that is - because in those days we had to deal with a much larger risk of being in an accident with an uninsured motorist.

I fear the current legislation will simply serve to cause health insurance premiums to steadily rise and for NO necessary reform in prohibitive costs to be addressed.

~Heff

I cannot believe that I agreed with xuenchen, for possibly the first time EVER, and then this thread went cold.

~Heff

As the size and power of government grows(obamacare) that creates lobbyists which is a never ending cash cow for those liegislators.

More bigger powerful laws lobbyists grow government had less power there were less lobbying done.

The government created lobbyists.

Assuming $2 billion was spent on campaigning.

2 Billion / $5 = 400,000,000 votes. There are not that many Americans.

2 Billion / $10 = 200,000,000 votes. Only 125,000,000 people voted

2 Billion / $20 = 100,000,000 votes.

Lobbyists could buy the popular vote for some gift cards.

reply to post by Hefficide


My biggest problem with single payer in the US is the blanket federal system that would have to be created.

It simply doesn't work when you consider demographics of each state and the basis of 50 different economies.

The system would in time(in short amount IMO) develop inconsistencies that would force the program to collapse on itself.

There are other issue I have with it. But that is my biggest and most important.

Lobbying is legal because of the 1st Amendment. What we need to do is reform the "money talks" aspect of lobbying and arrest anyone trying to buy votes from congress, and impeach/censure/arrest any political figure or appointee caught selling their power.

Bribery is bribery.

Originally posted by projectvxn
reply to post by Hefficide

 

My biggest problem with single payer in the US is the blanket federal system that would have to be created.

The system has already been fabricated in Medicare...

It simply doesn't work when you consider demographics of each state and the basis of 50 different economies.

Why wouldn't it, Medicare works in each state

The system would in time(in short amount IMO) develop inconsistencies that would force the program to collapse on itself.

i'm not sure what evidence you have to believe this, beside... belief.

reply to post by Thepump


Medicare is also running at an enormous deficit.

Its basic economics. Our economy is not one big globular entity. It is an amalgamation of 50 different macro economies with many times the amount of microeconomic complexity. You can't presume to create a program so vast that it would take into account equitable distribution of cost and services across multiple states and demographics that make up those states. You will wind up with a program like Medicare which runs at enormous projected deficits.

reply to post by projectvxn

You can't presume to create a program so vast that it would take into account equitable distribution of cost and services across multiple states and demographics that make up those states

Excellent point just like everything government related those areas/states with the most population receive the most funds, leaving the little guys left blowing in the wind.

As with all taxation collected and redistributed.

Excellent OP, Heff.

And I really hate to provide an example of this....and we don't have to just worry over the feds and national corporations.
For decades the Ambassador Bridge connected the US and Canada and it was decided a second bridge was needed.
A deal was struck between Michigan and Canada whereby Michigan taxpayers will not get stuck with the bill.
The current bridge owner didn't want the new bridge and got a ballot proposal going to try to stop it.

We're all lab rats in Matty Moroun's grand experiment

Matty Moroun doesn’t just think Michigan voters are stupid; he’s certain we are.

How else to explain the tens of millions of dollars the Ambassador Bridge owner has wagered on his conviction that Michiganders will believe any lie he tells us if he simply repeats it often enough, via the earnest testimonials of a diverse-enough cast of paid actors, between now and Nov. 6?

Broadcast it often enough, Moroun believes, and you can convince at least 51% of the electorate that up is down, that black is white, or that a vote to scuttle construction of a publicly owned bridge between Detroit and Windsor will magically generate money for new textbooks, new police cars and higher teacher salaries.

INSIDE WEALTH: What's Behind This Billionaire Bridge Battle

But his lobbying effort (which sets a new spending record in Michigan) is a stark example of how today’s wealthy can use their fortunes to shape public policy – for better or worse.

FTR, his proposal lost and the bridge project is on track again.
Maroun guessed wrong....

Insurance lobbyists got themselves the biggest corporate bailout in the history of corporate bailouts with the ACA. That also will bleed over to big pharma, of course. Lobbyists are the real power in D.C., but only because the government allows them to be. Nothing different will happen as long as stupid voters keep putting people like Obama, Romney, Pelosi, Reid, Jackson, Jr., and Bachus in office.

/TOA