Inequality of power

[cema]

The text is obviously partisan, but the point is important anyway.

Comments

[shvarz.livejournal.com]

Either I don't get the point or it's a moronic point. I'd be a lot more concerned if individual people (like Warren Buffet) had more financial and political power than elected officials. That's the point of government - to concentrate power. A lot of people choose to give up some of their, so that government has a lot.

[cema.livejournal.com]

The point is not moronic; the point is one of the dangers of the concentration of power. OK, it may not be the most important point, but one rarely considered.

Your point is different. It is important, but it is also far from neglected.

[(Anonymous)]

...one rarely considered.

not so, unless one perceives it as a strictly partisan issue. here's the latest from the Pulitzer prize committee:

National Reporting: Jo Becker and Barton Gellman of The Washington Post for their exploration of Vice President Dick Cheney's influence on national policy. (http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8VT7B5G3&show_article=1)

[cema.livejournal.com]

The highest branch of the executive office is obviously under a lot of light (as it should be), but the main example in the text is the legislative branch of a county-level government, which is usually perceived in a different way.

[(Anonymous)]

which is usually perceived in a different way.

not exactly. there's plenty of people who view legislators in a very similar light. even wikipedia knows that ;)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pork_barrel

[cema.livejournal.com]

Yes, pork is one word. But think down to the county level!

[(Anonymous)]

guess what, wikipedia knows about that too:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rational_ignorance

[e2pii1.livejournal.com]

Во первых individual person (like Warren Buffet) никогда не будет иметь more political power than the government: government по определению - монополия на власть, оно имеет всю и абсолютную власть в соответствующих сферах; богатое же частное лицо всегда уравновешен другими частными лицами.

Далее, с чего вы взяли что elected official будет для вас лучше чем rich individual ? Оба используют имеющуюся у них власть для отстаивания своих личных интересов. Единственная разница что вы можете участвовать в выборах elected official'a - но влияние вашего голоса пренебрежимо мало, и к тому же "влиять" вы можете только по одному или нескольким "главным вопросам".