Nov 2023 Mod notice:
There may be other, more specific, threads about some aspects of US politics, but this one tends to act as a hub for all sorts of related news and information, so it's usually one of the busiest OTC threads.
If you're new to OTC, it's worth reading the Introduction to On-Topic Conversations
and the On-Topic Conversations debate guidelines
before posting here.
Rumor-based, fear-mongering and/or inflammatory statements that damage the quality of the thread will be thumped. Off-topic posts will also be thumped. Repeat offenders may be suspended.
If time spent moderating this thread remains a distraction from moderation of the wiki itself, the thread will need to be locked. We want to avoid that, so please follow the forum rules
when posting here.
In line with the general forum rules, 'gravedancing' is prohibited here. If you're celebrating someone's death or hoping that they die, your post will get thumped. This rule applies regardless of what the person you're discussing has said or done.
Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM
If you think it's okay for oil companies to reward a legislator with gifts for voting their way then I dunno what to tell you. And that's best case scenario.
They're still giving incentizes to politicians for voting for Big Oil interests
edited 21st Mar '17 6:01:29 PM by MadSkillz
They donate to just about everyone, Republicans and Democrats. It's how the system works. Give some money, get a little consideration. You cannot turn that off without fundamentally changing the politics game. I really feel like these sorts of complaints betray a very basic misunderstanding of politics. A fatal one, too, if you can't realize it.
Politics is the art of influencing. That is the entire purpose. If you write your senator a check for $1,000, you are telling him that you expect him to represent your interests. He (or she), in turn, will undoubtedly give consideration to the people who donate the most money, because that's in his interests. If you don't like the game, well, you still need money to run for office.
C'est la vie. Que sera, sera. It is that is. Wishing won't make it go away, nor will yelling loudly. I'm not sure if this belief of yours is a form of willful blindness or an expression of a memetic, cultural blind spot, but you will never get what you want as long as you hold it.
No wonder I don't get along with Justice Democrats.
edited 21st Mar '17 6:12:23 PM by Fighteer
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"No need to wait until, the law is passed saying legislators must be cloistered in monasteries and allowed only access to the mail carrier.
edited 21st Mar '17 6:16:00 PM by CenturyEye
Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our livesIt's worth noting that companies can get in very serious trouble with the government for seeking to influence people in regulated industries. The company I work for is a medical device manufacturer, and we are constantly drilled in ethics and corruption laws and best practices, including the things you cannot do for healthcare providers. These include giving gifts, even trivial ones, that are not directly related to medical practice or patient education. That means no branded pens or coffee cups, for example. There are strict limits (and bans, in some cases) on dining and entertainment. Failure to abide by these rules can get companies disbarred from Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement, blacklisted from federal purchasing, fined, and worse.
Clearly, not everyone follows those rules, but the rules do exist.
edited 21st Mar '17 6:16:52 PM by Fighteer
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Same here. I work in a tech company, and while the regulations aren't nearly as strict, we are still forbidden from giving anything but cheap token gifts. Worth noting that I work in a different country, so the labor laws aren't the same as they are in the USA.
edited 21st Mar '17 6:21:04 PM by M84
Disgusted, but not surprisedWell that's the point. Change the ballgame. Mobilize don't sit back on the couch and justify it.
Reminds me of people who feel the same against opposition for Trump. C'est la vie. Que sera, sera.
But whatever, I'm just a grumpy leftist bear.
edited 21st Mar '17 6:23:19 PM by MadSkillz
Big Oil is, largely, opposed to environmental legislation to curb climate change via reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The Republican Party, by official canon, shares this same belief. However, the oil industry also donates to Democrats to "keep lines of communication open" — in other words, to hedge their bets against Democratic wins. In general, one would expect them to support a Republican over a Democrat in any given race, and indeed my understanding of the historical pattern of campaign contributions bears that out.
That does not mean that a Democrat who takes 10 grand from an oil company is going to abandon the party's environmental interests at the drop of a hat. But you equally cannot simply write off the political interests of a major industry. They do have a right to have a say, you know. Just not a disproportionate say.
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Generally speaking, Republican voters only care about the environment when pollution starts affecting them in a big way. As in, "our water and air have become poisonous and an oil company is building a pipeline near our property."
It's kind of like why China has been starting to get on the renewable energy train. Pollution has gotten so bad that they have to deal with the problem.
edited 21st Mar '17 7:27:51 PM by M84
Disgusted, but not surprisedI think there was an exceedingly short time where a few Republican congressmen did voice interest in some green energies during the Iraq war for that reason, but as Rational said, it almost instantly gave way to "Drill, baby, drill!"
| Wandering, but not lost. | If people bring so much courage to this world...◊ |BTW, I wasn't exaggerating when I said China's pollution problems have gotten bad enough that they have no choice but to try going into renewables. Not too long ago, a huge fucking amount of air pollutants from China blew all the way to Taiwan forcing people in Taiwan to wear those face masks you see people with colds wear all the time for a few days.
If things have to get that bad in the USA for Republican voters to start taking environmental legislation seriously...
Disgusted, but not surprised

First of all the second link is a reddit comment, not the actual article.
Second of all, these "contributions" add up to less than $3,500. That's less than nothing as far as campaign money goes.
Oh really when?