February 18, 2008
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Transparency
I always thought that transparency in government was an unqualified good thing. But check out this quote from Fareed Zakharia’s book, The Future of Freedom, about what happened after Congress opened up committee hearings:
[Before] when an interest group came in, you would say, “Gosh darn, I tried to support you. I really did. The chairman bent my arm.” Then, to protect yourself, you would tell the chairman that when those guys came in, to tell them that you really fought hard on their issue.But once lobbyists knew your every vote, they used it as ammunition.
I hear a lot of people say that special interest groups are destroying America. But at the same time, there seems to be a consensus that transparency in government is a good thing. But the two seem to be at odds?
I’m worried about the future of democracy in America. It’s very hard to be an effective politician these days – you have to raise money like crazy, and then everything you do is transparent to the special interest groups.
The big hope seems to be millionaires (billionaires?) and the internet. Ahnold and Bloomberg use their own money, so they’re not as beholden to special interest groups. And Obama is able to raise money from small donors, which kinda creates the same solution.
Does it seem weird to anybody that it takes a billionaire (or a genuine political phenomenon) to have a chance of governing impartially in this country?
Comments (54)
Not wierd… normal, isn’t that the way it has been forever? That doesn’t mean we have to like it.
More like scary.
Agreed, however, I would neve say “gosh darn.” It just doesn’t have the same effect.
@squeakysoul -
agree
It hasn’t always been that way.
Our constitution is amazing, but it works better in a smaller setting. Maybe we’ve just gotten too big to work any other way?
Or, in other words, maybe our size is what makes the system seem broken.
@RaVnR - It’s interesting, that critique can be found way back in the Federalist papers…
Less weird, more sad.
I think it is sad.
It is really too bad that politicians today can’t seem to accomplish anything if they don’t follow the “I’ll scratch your back and you scratch mine” technique.
I don’t think that transparency in government is to blame, really – the normal way of doing business as a legislator is the problem. Of course, one man or woman cannot change that themselves…
No, not weird-our country seems all about the money…
Too bad politicians can’t amass and use Xanga credits instead cash for for the campaigns. I can see Obama now chain-submitting Xanga surveys.
@john -
I know. I’ve read them ^_^
we’ve got no one to blame but ourselves for the system we’ve got. if we want to institute campaign finance reform and do some actual research on our candidates, then we can. thanks to the internet, the information is out there. when we get sick of the wasteful, resource-draining, two-party system that is beholden to special interests, then maybe we’ll do something to institute changes.
transparency IS a good thing. if my future president can’t stand up to… let’s say… the coal lobby, how can i expect them to stand up to other world leaders? can you imagine General Washington being afraid of the fur lobby no longer funneling funds his way?
the corruption of the system is an indictment of the corruption of the system, not of transparency.
Not so much weird as sad…sad..that you HAVE to be a self made millionaire/billionaire now in order to be the President you would want to be without having your strings tied to special interests..and the like…although we have yet to really see one of those.. in our lifetimes…:) .good post for thought..* have a great day* Lee
I too am concerned about this. Frankly, although health insurance is a huge issue/topic for me, I have little hope of a political solution for this problem as long as we have a trillion dollar health insurance industry lobbying for their best interests versus ours.
@TheCrimsonNinja - Perhaps transparency could work, if the system didn’t also require politicians to raise money from Special Interest Groups.
You make an excellent point. I’m not sure if governing impartially is even possible.
I’ll comment after I’ve read all the federalist papers myself for the first time, and probably the constitution too. It’s been 17 odd years since I touched this stuff and I was half-hearted about it then. Think junior high cliffs notes to the US government. Nothing like a passionate opinion with absolutely no knowledge or understanding behind it.
If that was education over a decade ago, where is education today where I suspect AP is really just a nice way of saying “just above remedial”?
When my program needed to make the lowest functioning group feel better about their ability level, the administration just bumped all the ranking labels up a notch. F1 was now F2 and there was no more F1.
Is that a trend in education?
A parallel occurrence in America in the past 10-20 years alongside the weird/sad/scary way our government is functioning, transparently or not..
We are way off track.
This is one reason I thought that the Mike “Huckaboom” phenomenon was so cool. He was outspent by Mitt Romney 20 to 1 but still won Iowa and a handful of other states. People voted for him not because of an ad that they saw but because of how well he explained his positions in the debates and how he carried himself in interviews. While I didn’t vote for him in the primaries it was encouraging to see somebody with so few resources reach so many people.
It is scary the power that special interest groups have in the world today.
It’s consistent with our current consumerist values. Our priorities are out of whack. Democracy is in danger because capitalism without priority or ethics devalues the populace, destroys the economy and the ecology. The only bennies are short term at best and the only reason it has lasted as long as it has (capitalism) is because until this century we had some dignity of human life and we place a premium upon decorum. Those things are the stuff of jokes now. If you are dignified in this country then you are not “real.” And if you value humanity then you are a dreamer. If you won’t screw your neighbor for a buck or a million or a billion then you are a fool here. We are an uncivilized nation and we can be bought. The democracy will either have a paradigm shift or it will fail.
Healthcare is an issue that exemplifies this. If it is not free and if we do not demand that common decency, we have failed as a union. It is the very basic level of valuing human beings. But drug/med/insurance lobbies have bought and paid for the best of candidates.
Education is another exemplar of priorities out of whack and key factor in our declining values. We are standardizing our populace and diminishing their capabilities to reason so that they can make good choices. Only the rich can afford to escape the intellect killing machine that is public education. Every think tank sponsored by and populated by big business in regards to education has every reason to make disposable products of people and to keep them from higher levels of thought. Shoot, if the populace actually started to learn and value itself beyond a number, businesses would lose so much money. Designed and perceived obsolescence would no longer be our masters. We would demand quality and dignity.
I am glad for the transparency thus far, but it is quickly diminishing and with it the idea that our democracy is anything but a whore.
Who listens to a person who doesn’t make a ton of money in this country? Shamefully, it has become our only measure of success.
Forgive my lack of knowledge on political terms, but by trasparency do you mean seeing what is going on in committee hearings?
If that’s the case, then when was / is there ever any TRUE transparency? I mean after all, there’s never a time when a politician does something without consulting his staff first. There’s rarely a time when we can see true motivations. It’s transparent so much as opening your car hood to reveal an engine that’s further cloaked behind many layers. Sometimes it’s best to see nothing if you don’t understand the entire whole and each part that plays a role.
I wanted to add something about the internet. It is the hope! What you have provided with Xanga and what others have with other venues, is a hope that the populace will have a way to learn new things and grow in spite of the government gone awry. It’s ecological, economical and far an away the best way to get varying opinions and new ideas. IMO Xanga moreso has an ability to effect changes as it seems bent on creating and maintaining a sense of community and inter reliance and respect among diverse peoples.
That is why a school needs to develop here. A school of merit and diplomacy of compassion and accountability can thrive here in teh tubes and it can escape the common bounds of racism, class, and so many other prejudices. Even the bigotry that abides the only intelligences of worth are verbal and mathematical are routinely shut down online.
There is so much untapped power here. I do have hope because those that develop these little worlds exhibit a core value for humanity in their actions of creation and maintenance which speaks far louder than any sound bite. So while improvements and changes to places can be frustrating, that people care at all to do it makes me believe we can not only get our country back, we can make a better world.
Okay, I’m done for a while. Sorry to have gone on.
Thank you so much for the Mini and the comment!
I often wonder what it really means to be the president… think about what it takes to be president, ignoring what it takes to get elected. Getting elected seems to be the focus of our society, not being.
Being a leader is a far different role than being given a leadership position.
I know countless men who have held leadership positions. I know only a handfull of fine leaders. A leader and a politician are not the same roles, albeit one man (or woman…) may fill both.
That’s a very interesting question.
I suppose that I want to believe that there’s a political ingenue out there that could easily be elected and make things better although, the more that I observe politics, the more that I think that you have to have money to be elected to a large position. Just last week, we heard that Clinton gave her campaign a loan of a cool 5 million… It kind of seems that she felt she had to because she was falling behind Obama.
Oh yeah… and I really hate special interest groups!!!
That’s why we should have public funding for presidential elections, and all candidates get the same amount of money. Totally fair.
Thats why candidates should all be required to take the federal money set aside for campaign funds. While at first, it may sound wacky (WHAAA? Taxpayer money fueling campaigns???) It actually allows candidates to be more true to themselves, to focus on the issues at hand, and once they are in office, they dont “owe” all the special interest groups and individuals that they took money from to fund their campaigns.
Taking, and being limited to, federal campaign money, puts everyone on an equal playing field, takes the emphasis off of “raising money” and puts it into a true genuine “race” for the presidency. It shouldn’t be an OPTION, it should be a requirement.
I’m annoyed that sometimes, its a billionaires game, but at the same time, I’m thrilled when its a genuine political phenomenon…unfortunately, its usually the former.
Transparency to interest groups (as parts of the whole) is the price you pay for transparency to the public (as a whole).
Getting rid of transparency is not the solution to this problem. I, for one, don’t want the government making decisions without being able to see how and why they were made.
The problem lies in the power of the special interest groups, and therefore the only solution is to limit their power. I’m not sure of the best way to go about this, but limiting contributions would be a start.
Also, we as Americans are at fault here (I often go to this point when commenting on political posts, because we so often refuse to believe that we have any culpability – we are just the sheeples, right?), because we rely on t.v. commercials to decide our choice of candidate, rather than spending the time necessary to discover each candidate’s positions, voting record, etc. As long as we remain willfully undereducated, we have no one to blame but ourselves when the system fails us.
I do think it weird… but I also don’t think it’s right to assume that we should tax them because they’re successful. We should attempt to get there ourselves instead.
Not weird at all – in an oligarchy or a government by corporation. When will ordinary Americans finally become angry that they do not live in a democracy? I await the eventuality with interest.
I’ve always thought of it as the billionaire’s game.
maybe, ineffective yet transparent, politicians should start special interest groups devoted solely to destroying America. That, however, would be a strong swing in the opposite direction of impartial governing. I know I am a big, goofy geek. the lay out of words and the meaning they receive after……well it excites me! I also mispell quite often.
I really have to say that I agree with you, sometimes Democracy seems real and palpable, and other times when intermingled with the SI groups and such its like the boogieman nobody can prove it exists either way, who controls the outcome the people, or the people with money.
But has anythang changed??? Sleight-of-hand does not change make
Bloomberg has just extended Giuliani time and the Governator DOES try to change thangs, but the left AND right opposed him all the way!!!
IF you ain’t got Sirius check out the link on yesterday’s post and call in Pete Dominick’s show later today, which i hope won’t be cancelled because of snow
Would like to hear I’m Xanga prez John Hiler and then whatever it is on your mind
Sad.
So please let me know when the wap xanga comes out. Xanga is becoming progressively less mobile friendly, and the mobile xanga doesn’t support blackberry. I keep meaning to cancel my premium as the ajax interfaces continue to pervade everything. I heard that you charge for the mobile version, unlike Facebook whose mobile client is free (and supports blackberry). Is your xanga mobile free for people who are paying for premium?
Something I’ve been warning you about for a little while eh? lol yeeaaah… But guess what… Dr. Ebola is back! I was down but not out! I’m surely watching things closely now and not only that… I got you as an honorable mention on my new post and Xanga page. I’m sure you’ll like it so check it out.
The Revolution Lives! – Dr. Ebola
The media hype has not convinced me that there are any valid candidates out there…..
Definetly…..it’s a sad, sad state of affairs…..but sadly, little John……that is how the world works now. It’s sick really….and (I happen to think) a bad place to be in, as a country as a whole for us all…..
Anything has got to be better than Bush right now, though.
That he got reelected boggled my mind entirely…….then….it is how it is. ANd it’s bad. I just wish the U.S. as a country could get back where we once were…..and that it wasn’t about “who you know” and “what you are doing” for others…..
haha somehow I think violin hero would be as big of a hit. Something about activating star power with your fake violin doesn’t sounds as a appealing as wth a guitar.
Traditionally, men of influence have always held money.
Politics is a game where playing means you have to break the rules. I would never get involved because I want my hands to stay clean.
Thanks for the mini, John! ^_^
I think government transparency and lobbyists are separate issues almost. Both party’s members need money for their campaigns, so while it might not be ideal, lobbyists get a lot of favors from politicians. That’s one of the reasons I support Barack Obama, because he’s run a successful presidential campaign without donations from lobbyists.
Lobbying… from a future-lawyer point-of-view, and from childlike naivete, I used to think it was a good thing. You’re lobbying your point, fighting for it, etc. What else could be better?
Now? Lobbying is part of what corrupts and makes government muddled. Everyone has their own agenda. Special interest groups would not be so evil if they had less lobbying.
Eh just my random two-cents.
pulse doesn’t count!!!
hey would you and all of your buddies plz quit commenting on all of those questions and i understand that your happy for me but you could just stop b/c i hate it when people leave me those their like the chains off a cell phone and when it tells you to do somethin but you don’t won’t to do it b/c you think it is retarded.
*~Mysti~*
@princesshottie_08 - I’m not sure what you’re referring to… are you sure you have the right John?
@chrischoi - At least I am posting regularly *snaps fingers dramatically*
im sorry that was on my other xanga site and i had it in mind when i read yours and i commented the wrong person.
and griped out the wrong person IM REALLY SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RRRRREEEEAAAALLLLLLYYYY TRRRRUUUULLLLLYYYY SSSSOOORRRRYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*~Mysti~*
It’s all cool in the neighborhood
Hahaha good point… but rumor has it that Leno is particularly so.
so…i like your blog. i won’t lie.
and i like the fact that i have my xanga true badge. i seriously won’t lie about that.but there is a fellow xangsta that has been even truer (in the sense of being a xangsta longer, and posting as often) who has been overlooked and is in dire need of a true badge. and i know you have the power to bestow aforementioned badginess.viewtiful_justin is so xanga true.true that.
Oh, and I don’t think that was the point of Comedian.
The first time I saw it, I immediately watched it again because it was just so fascinating. While it showed the insecure side of comedians, what it showed most was just how much work and refinement goes into the acts that you see and that they’re called “acts” for a reason.
They feel they have to lie to be meaningful. As if the people watching them on their tvs and in the streets can’t see it. Even if they only barely can, they see it. It seems not positive, but maybe it is.