

The One Thing America’s Founding Fathers Forgot: Lobbying A Missed Check With No Balance - OneDayGlobal





After the article I published on Occupy I got many interesting comments and a good deal of feedback from readers. While, I am still not in support of the movement in its present undirected and ill aimed form it has brought to light many discussions that all citizens regardless of country should partake in. These discussions centered upon the rules, which govern local, national and international economies are always needed.


The Birth Of A National Identity & Ideal 

When the US was founded the Founding Fathers of the nation went through a great deal of deliberation to set the rules and platforms of the new country. The result is seen by many to be a masterpiece and perhaps the real crown jewel of America. The Constitution and Declaration of Independence are seen as great achievements and the real cornerstones upon which America has been able to build a flourishing economy.

The Constitution was built in such a way as to create a series of checks and balances in the system to ensure that no party became too powerful and ran the country like an aristocracy instead of a democracy. The one point they hotly contested was the need to curb, ban or outlaw lobbying. At the time the founding fathers saw lobbying as a needed part of the freedom to push through what you saw was needed in the country. These checks and balances have generally served America well and allowed democracy to grow and dictate the needs of the country.  The one black mark can be clearly seen however in the lack of control of corporate lobbying.


The Building Corporate Lobby That Ate Democracy 

As of 2007 according to Wikipedia there was over 17,000 corporate lobbyists based in Washington DC. Each lobbyist representing a cause and company and trying in their own way to influence, dictate and manage the actions of US politics. The results have been largely disastrous for the common US citizen who is largely unaware of what occurs in the shadows.

Politicians are so addicted to the kick-backs, the campaign contributions, & the guarantees afforded to them legally by corporations that they forget their common constituencies. As a result the US is currently involved in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that have tragically killed thousands of Americans, ballooned the national debt, and mortgaged the financial prosperity of future Americans.

The only individuals to have profited from the war’s are a select group of wealthy people running corporations who need government funding to finance their operations, or get valuable land and oil rights in these foreign countries. The common American is left wondering why his government put him in this situation.  Lobbying obviously has affected more than just wars, but also can be attributed to corporate tax breaks, and laws passed that favor certain companies and people.

This is not the first time the US or a foreign country has found themselves in this situation.  This has been done countlessly in many historic empires. A great example of this in US history is the Vietnam Occupation or War, which lasted thirty years. A forgotten generation of soldiers fighting a war for their country without understanding that this war had more to do with economic supremacy than ideals or freedom. In that particular war millions lost their lives and no solution was ever found.


ObamaNation an Abomination 

When President Obama came to power he spoke of so many truths, ideals and connected with the common American. In doing so he raised the spirits and hopes of the common American. Unfortunately when he came in power he was unable to make any significant change in economic and US policy. The lobbying machines have handcuffed him to make the “right” decisions for the country. As a result what we see was a continuing four years of Bush politics and its effects.

President Obama like all other people is bound to human desires and want.  His need or desire to get re-elected kept him toeing the line of neutrality when a strong push was needed to change the system.  No majority will rise against the current policy in congress or the senate simply because they are in fear of losing their ultimate backing. As a result the checks and balances made to distribute power have been lost.


Don’t Blame the Lobby Blame the Malaise 

The corporate lobby is not solely to blame for this issue. It lies within each and every American and citizen of the world to understand what the real issue is. The corporate lobby laws can be amended if enough people see the truth behind the curtain. Mainstream politics has become minimally different between parties and politicians. As a result a growing number of Americans are joining the extreme on either side with the Tea Party, and Occupy movements growing by the day. The answer does not lie in the extremes but rather in the common American asking for a true democracy with a curbed lobby. Until this happens, US politics will be a game of chess controlled by the affluent interest of a few, with the common man and politicians as pawns in an intricate game.

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