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Posted by: Pecossam 10 months, 2 weeks ago

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Pecossam10 months, 2 weeks ago

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hyperbola,

You state: "They made about $10 billion immediately."

Those, "20 of the richest families in America....." made" nothing. They were allowed to keep their families' PRIVATE PROPERTY, which is what America is based on---the protection of one's property from the government---or was prior to 1933. There is no "COST" to the government, any more than there is a "COST" to a robber if he or she decides to stop WRONGFULLY TAKING. Our only concern as American Citizens should be if the deceased patriarch's or matriarch's wealth was acquired legally, as per our Constitution and other American Laws extant at the time.

If you're considered "poor", hyperbola, like I and many others are by those who would categorize us by wealth, I would say. "Get Over It!" For as little material possessions as we may own, we have so much more than people in other countries. Be Thankful! But for those with the "GIMME GENE" in their DNA, that may be impossible.

As for lobbying and lobbyists, that's part of politics, and I agree with the Propeller Posters who have stated that. A man or woman (especially our legislators) are either ethical or they or not. It is called human nature. One of the first signs that an Administration (by this I mean State and local Administrations, too) has given-up dealing honestly and "up-front" with the Public, is its formation of an "ETHICS COMMITTEE". I believe that if people need a committee to inform them of what is ethical or not, they have NO ETHICS in the first place (I called and told the Mayor of my City the same)! It is our duty to be jealous of government, Federal, State, or Local, and watch them like hawks. Our Founding Fathers didn't trust them, and neither do I. As Jefferson stated, "....governments are a necessary evil...", and are NOT to be trusted, but jealously watched. Lobbyists or no, corruption will thrive where it is welcomed by the self-serving.

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  CaptainLucid10 months, 2 weeks ago
  
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  Hey Pecossam. I think you need to look at the theory economics in a modern day system. First would be to get over the concept of taxation as a crime. In todays reality there are certain expenditures and duties a government needs to provide to establish a functioning country. I am of a libertarian bent but I understand that taxes are how we pay for things like the rule of law. There is a cost if some people decide they don't have to pay their share and that cost is either a diminished government or my share increases. By the way their is a cost to a robber not stealing. They have to start living of savings and their net worth decreases. As far as legality that has really lost a lot of meaning. If a lobbyist tells congressmen they can get $100.000 for helping a law pass or if they oppose it the lobbyist will raise money from all 50 states and give it to anyone who opposes you is that really a legal law or is it bribery and extortion?
  As far as accepting being stolen from because I am still better than the homeless dude hell no. One of the big problems is the greed gene is getting far to powerful. It is not enough to just make a fair profit and be rich but the need to make others suffer in the process. Some people think providing things like a dust mask or treating sewage before dumping it into the drinking water is a sign of weakness. They make a cost-benefit analysis and decide is as far cheaper to get a lobbyist to change the law by bribing lawmakers than to clean up their own pollution. Unfortunately politics will always attract the most filthy along with the most virtuous. The solution is to try to stack the system against the money grubbers and support political death penalties for those who support the current "pay to play" system.
  
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