43 Special Interests

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Governments are by definition, socialist, meaning their obligation is to do what is best for everybody. Special Interests are by definition, selfish, meaning they seek to promote particular issues regardless of their effects. It seems bizzare & ironic that the two are in such close proximity, or that Government would even allow itself to be compromised by such obvious conflicts, but governments are run by people, and people are grasping opportunists.<br /><br />Special Interests use the fact that deciding what is "best for everybody" is done a small cadre of elites that can, unfortunately, be relatively easily captured because only those few people need to be corrupted. This is especially true when they are lobbied by former insiders: people who are owed favors & know where all the bodies are buried.<br /><br />Special Interests also control which candidates end up on the General ballot because of their power to deliver a block of votes, essentially making their candidate unassialable in the Primary election when turnout is low & small numbers are statistically important. And Special Interests dominate the political Parties, controlling the flow of information, mentoring, connections & money. An aspirating candidate, no matter how independent, capable or experienced, is no candidate at all really if they can't get elected.<br /><br />In every election cycle there is an outcry by aspiring candidates against “special interests,” but for most candidates either their complaint is simply melodramatics or they are hypocritically uninformed because it is easy to tell which Special Interests that candidate represent: simply look at their endorsement & contributor lists. Only the incredibly naïve would not think that every endorser expects to get something in return for their endorsement. In fact, every endorsement was gained by the candidate tacitly agreeing to the terms of the Special Interest because almost all Special Interests require questionnaires to be filled out to the endorser’s satisfaction.</p>