Show Trusting the foxes N. N Michael Hawe Have garde Avant-garde Philosopher This nation was founded under the ideaS idea S of a government of the people by the people for forthe forthe forthe the people But in this day and age is that truly the case We certainly cast the votes to elect our officials but does that really mean we have an influence on what they do We can always elect someone else to replace them But what guarantee do we have that they wont won't disappoint us as well After all they're still going to be beholden to the same people their campaign contributors Any campaign for office is expensive its it's just a fact of advertising and communicating in inthe inthe inthe the modern modem world And while candidates often receive contributions from individuals like you and I very large nicely memorable chunks come from corporations At the end of the day a congressman can easily remember the short list of corporations he owes his office to but its it's easier to forget the thousands of faceless people who also contributed Especially when the paid corporate lobbyist shows up to take him out to lunch and discuss the company's needs So you dont don't like the corporations backing a candidate Voting for someone else seems like a good option until you find out that the same corporations are backing the competition Companies like to hedge their bets and many contribute to multiple candidates just in case And if its it's not the exact same company its it's probably a competitor in inthe inthe inthe the same industry just trying to stay ahead of the curve A quick look at at the list of top twenty contributors in the 2008 presidential l race shows I the pattern The majority of those top twenty are big business and some names show up on both candidates lists McCain has 12 different financial institutions banks and investment firms finns on his top twenty has 5 financial institutions including JP Morgan and both of whom are arc also on McCains McCain's list Regardless of who won all 15 companies stood to benefit in someway because banking's interests were represented And they will be represented well if ifa a candidate wants repeat contributions next election year In some ways campaign contributions are a gray area for many people after all its it's not as direct as a bribe or a gift and it goes into the campaign rather than straight into a politicians politician's pocket More insidious and less well known is corporate crossover where a corporate executive goes to work for the government usually in a position which directly affects their former fonner field They go back and forth between the private sector and the government staying in just long enough to make changes leaving just before people start to notice For example Monsanto Corporation has hasa a clear record of getting their people into public office Justice Clarence Thomas worked as a lawyer for Monsanto for years After becoming a Justice he went on to serve on JEM Ag Supply Inc v. v Pioneer Hi-Bred Hi International Inc Ine during which he wrote the majority opinion which found that newly developed plant breeds are an under the gen general ral utility patent laws of the United States This decision greatly benefited Monsanto the company with the largest market share of genetically modified crops Michael Taylor was assistant to the FDA commissioner before going to work with Monsanto on getting artificial growth hormones FDA approved A few years later he returned to the FDA and became deputy commissioner Linda Fisher worked as assistant administrator to the EPA before going to Monsanto then returned after Bush was elected to become the deputy administrator of the EPA What were we're looking at here is a conflict of interest Every one of those positions has control over something that an agricultural biotechnology company would be involved with Every one of those positions has the potential for abuse While abuse doesn't always arise out of a conflict of interest it is so common that companies watch forit forit for forit it when hiring employees and judges or orr lawyers can even themselves from a trial because of a conflict of interest Its It's said You dont don't ask a fox to guard the chickens but that's exactly what were we're doing Foxes are guarding our chickens and one day we may turn around to find that weve we've nothing left but overstuffed foxes and an empty coop So next time youre you're considering a candidate dont don't just look at their politics look at their financial support and the history of the companies giving it The garde Avant-garde Philosophers Philosophers' Society is an student club whose mission is to promote a genuinely examined life while applying an evolving understanding of the Philosophical Good as active agents engaged with the community |