Quaint

Alberto Gonzales was vilified for referring to the Geneva Convention as “Quaint”, and rightfully so. His zeal to play tough guy with prisoners completely ignored the protection this policy insured our own soldiers. However, at the risk of incurring similar wrath, I feel the term is more accurately used in reference to our government.

Our leaders in the executive, legislative and judicial branches have all been reduced in stature due to the ever increasing involvement of corporations in the workings of government. Unlimited access by lobbyists to the halls of Congress, appointment of industry leaders to influential political positions, access to committee members by the industries they are supposed to regulate have all become innocuous. But, beyond the obvious cliché of the fox guarding the hen house, this unholy alliance is robbing the citizenry of its voice.

The officials we elect are our representatives, but we the people have the least access to them once they take office. Politicians do go among the people to campaign, but the issues they champion are the result of market research tailored to elicit the correct response from the targeted demographic. The limited access the public has to a candidate during campaign season has been well orchestrated to prevent any in-depth dialogue of “off message” topics, emphasize “on message” topics and portray the candidate as concerned, involved and a true voice of the constituency.

Once in office they are expected to satisfy those major contributors to their campaigns with favorable appointments or legislation (quid pro quo), entertain an unending procession of special interest lobbyists, attend obligatory fund raising events, endure political peer pressure designed to fashion the new officials as the compliant bureaucrats corporations expect them to be. This leaves precious little time for our representative to act on our behalf. Yet, when they do take action in the form of authoring and promoting the passage of a bill, they are assisted throughout the process by lobbyists representing special interests who stand to benefit from the new law.

Along with this infiltration of government by moneyed corporations comes the logical conclusion that a politician’s greater assets would be malleability over intelligence, myopia over vision, banality over ingenuity, and notably the ability to be marketed to the public via name recognition, a folksy appeal, and being completely corruptible.

Corporations and their executives are not elected by the general public, but due to their excessive influence within government the officials that were elected by the people do not answer to those that elected them. Instead they act in the interests of the corporate donors who financed their campaigns. This defies the entire concept of representative government and effectively renders it Quaint!

How is it possible for corporations to have gained such immense influence over elected officials considering that corporations do not have the vote? The primary method is inducement by means of cash contributions, far in excess of any amount an individual voter could hope to match. Since all politicians require cash to campaign for office it is easy for the corporate benefactor to play candidates against each other. This we see in the platforms of the candidates who attempt to out do each other by promoting ever more “business friendly” legislation. Politicians who want to be seen as important players on any number of policy issues can gain the assistance of corporations who will gladly sponsor an event, host a gathering or fund a junket to the hot spot du jour. Of course, for their assistance the corporate donor will expect a favorable ruling on an issue before the committee chaired by said politician, or some other action he or she has within their power that will directly or implicitly benefit the corporate supporter.

Can this really be a surprise to anyone following the news even with a casual eye? It has become common-place for industry officials to be appointed to prominent political posts, having the potential to effect rulings and regulations that significantly impact their former industry. Often, as soon as a law that they sponsored or promoted gains passage, they leave their appointed position to return to their former position within the private sector, but a position which should be much more lucrative without the pesky regulations that they helped eliminate.

Inasmuch as the corporate bigwigs have involved themselves with the operation of government, the elected official has become less involved with the act of legislation. Even as its spokesperson they are fed sound bites and talking points by those actually engaged in the creation of the bill. For all actual purposes, the elected official no longer represents the people who elected him/her, nor perform the functions of a lawmaker, nor contribute to the workings of government. They have achieved a level of insignificant figure head that corporations will sooner or later do away with for profit considerations.