Reply #24: Every four years, the US is for sale [View All]

[spindoctor]

That is the bottom line. Government is largely dictated by special interest groups, and yes, both parties thrive on this.
The US is nothing but a very big corrupt banana republic. We just don't like to admit it.

That is why the number one priority, in my opinion, needs to be the reformation of our so-called democracy. It is absolutely ridiculous that our politicians are funded by donations from SIG's. In most countries this is called corruption.

So yes, politicians will look after the interests of their SIG's before looking after the interests of "the people". Unless you believe in trickle-down economics, this is clearly bad prioritization.
The sincerity of this situation will largely depend on the level of integrity of the politician(s) involved.

There are of course some self-regulating factors in the system that help to keep things within certain boundaries, but it is questionable if these boundaries aren't gradually expanding.

That is the core-issue that you describe. The oil-industry and PNAC are not directly related to that issue other than in the form that I already mentioned.

Typically, governments (all over the globe) are not visionairs. They do not look ahead to the far future or base their opinions on what is right for the long term. They aren't in it for the long haul, they want results now.
You can speculate all you want about the influence of PNAC on this Administration. History might one day reveal it, until then we can only guess. But more influential than PNAC, mightier than the UCLA, more captivating than Al Sharpton, the number one player in Washington is every politician's friend, Soft Money.

Yes, the DNC is part of the problem, but that is because the problem is our perception of Democracy.