Slashdot Mirror
Silicon Valley Swings To Republicans
phantomfive writes Silicon Valley is making a mark in Washington as Google has recently replaced Goldman as the largest lobbyist, but until recently, most of the money from Silicon Valley went to democratic candidates. In 2014, that has changed, and Republicans are getting most of the money. Why the change? Gordon Crovitz suggests it's because Harry Reid blocked patent reform. Reid gets a large chunk of donations from trial lawyers, who oppose the reform.
Republicans will bring back peace and prosperity to our land... just like before..
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
... and not the voting of the people that determines if an area is leaning to one party or the other.
When have you ever known a political party supporter switch affiliation because their party's policies don't work? Because the parties ideology has shifted, sure, but because they've tried their policies and they didn't work? Very rare.
I am TheRaven on Soylent News
Yes. Do this. But beware that the person you put in office in his stead is not the same. The GOP is feared by trial-lawyers, yes, but they have not said one whit about patent reform that I can see. Indeed, most of them, being reflexively pro-business, are all in favor of the same zany IP laws as democrats. If someone has some counterpoints, I'd love to hear them.
Let's just put that out there, with 2 years to do whatever they wanted with a supermajority, and then 6 years of controlling the senate and presidency, the rich have gotten richer, the middle class has been destroyed, and the progressives keep trotting out the same "Blame Bush" canard while doing their best to sabotage the few remaining Democrats. All my party has left are the corporatists (Reid, Pelosi, etc) and a bunch of screaming tantrums demanding class warfare. At this rate, the Republicans deserve to win, just for being less dangerous and more honest about their extremism.
The practice of paid lobbying ought to be outlawed altogether, with long prison terms in store for those who break that law. After that law is in place, anyone who formerly worked in the lobbying "industry", (and how odious to use that word in connection with lobbyists), would be forbidden forever from seeking public office or working for the government as either an employee or as a contractor.
It's time to outlaw the purchase of favourable legislation altogether. In fact, it's long past time to aggressively outlaw ANY circumvention of democracy. Yeah, I know it isn't going to happen - but I can dream...
'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.
I disagree with the thesis that silicon valley is in some way "swinging" toward the Republican party. It's more like the writing was on the wall which way the wind was blowing this midterm and the only way to have any influence or say on policy in Washington is via contributions. As in contributed == friend, didn't contribute == not friend. That's all it is. In 8 years (or whatever) when it's swinging the other direction again money will be flowing back the other direction. It's nothing more or less than that. Be on the good side of the people in power. It's the only way to get anything done. A lot of businesses actually contribute to both parties every election cycle, even if one is more heavily contributed to than the other. Just want to be on the good side for the next wind change.
"UNIX is very simple, it just needs a genius to understand its simplicity." -Dennis Ritchie
Basically, if democrats refuse to listen to us - this is what they'll get.
I'm as liberal as people get, but that NSA thing pissed me off so bad that I consider voting Republican.
For those, who say that Republicans will not act on NSA either, I say this: Listen, elections is what in game theory considered a repeat game. In such situations it's often advantageous to enforce beneficial cooperation by employing fear of retaliation. And we're not bluffing this time...
"No Country for Old Men" tactics if you wish.
1. Republican power is increasing in Washington. If you want a powerful government friend to help you, you make friends with people who whose power is increasing.
2. People don't love Hillary Clinton. Support for Hillary Clinton rests mostly on hatred for her opponents. But her opponent hasn't been chosen yet. It might be Rand Paul. So it's hard to get your hate on enough to write the big check.
The saddest thing here is that for most people, every time they get disenchanted with the Democrats or Republicans, so many of them switch to supporting Republicans or Democrats.
Which is best for clear throught: to take cocaine, or heroin?
Which is the path to a long healthy life: to shoot yourself in the head or stab yourself in the heart?
Which is more in the interests of America: Democrats or Republicans?
Depending on your preferences and values, you might actually have real, valid answers to these three questions. But you ought to also know that all these questions are absurd. Why do we still take that last one seriously?
Foundationally, lobbying is a good thing. It allows for a certain form of representation. What lobbying has turned into these days is disgusting. I know a lobbyist and know the difference between the two.
This kind of lobbying would have a lot less influence if we repealed the 17th amendment (direct election of senators). While popular election of senators is sold as "the people's voice", that is already achieved by the House of Representatives as originally intended. And what really happens is senators get elected and stop representing their constituents as soon as wheels hit the runway in DC and come under the influence of lobbyists, and other congressmen offering them deals, committee positions, etc. If senators were once again commissioned by their state legislatures, the state could recall them when they stop representing the state's interests.
Instead, the existing power structures will cry about "muffling the voice of the people" if you repeal the 17th amendment, but in reality it would keep a leash on these supposed public servants who somehow end up staying in power for decades and becoming disproportionately richer at the end of their senatorial run by way of things like shady land deals that benefit them in roundabout ways (I'm looking at you Harry and Nancy; both have favored legislation that effectively increases the value of their land investments - shock!).
"Now, I doubt any of you would prefer a rolled up newspaper as a weapon against a dictator or a criminal intruder."
The problem with your laundry list of complaints is that most of they apply to the Republicans too. Plus there's an entire wingnut branch of the party that's probably openly hostile to you.
A California geek in the GOP is like a black man at a KKK rally.
A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
Some selected examples of Republican opposition to monopolies; note that both Republicans and Democrats have opposed them at various times, but you asked for Republican examples, so here are some Republican examples:
Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1956
IBM Consent decree
http://news.cnet.com/40-year-o...
Richard Nixon, 1972
Hawaii v. Standard Oil Co. of California
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H...
Richard Nixon, 1973
United States v. Glaxo Group Ltd.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U....
Reagan, 1983
Barry Wright Corp. v. ITT Grinnell Corp.
http://scholar.google.com/scho...
Reagan, 1984
Jefferson Parish Hospital District No. 2 v. Hyde
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J...
George W. Bush, 2001
United States v. Microsoft Corp.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U....
George W. Bush, 2007
Weyerhaeuser Company v. Ross-Simmons Hardwood Lumber Company
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W...
With Steve Jobs dead, he's having a hard time sending out his pre-election "I urge you all to vote Democrat" emails. And yes, I have about 5 of those archived.
I don't think this is actually a major factor, I think it's more people are pissed off by the people currently in power, and want change - any change - from what's currently happening.
Can't be Obamacare failures
20M more people have health insurance: http://time.com/2950961/obamac... Lives are being saved in states that accepted the medicaid expansion (which is why even some of the deepest red states are moving to accept). Jobs are being created in health care. Some premiums are decreasing, but most are going up by a modest (2-5%) rate, much lower than before Obamacare.
loss of press freedom
Who are you going to vote for to fix that? Wasn't it Bush who introduced the "Free Speech Zones" at rallies?
lowest labor force participation in many decades
Employment tanked as Bush left office and banks destroyed the economy. (No one was regulating the banks, so we'll go with them just happening to tank under Bush - could have happened under any president).
If you look at job creation it consistently weak under republican leadership and much stronger under democratic. 5000+ jobs created under Obama vs just over a 1000 under Bush. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J...
incompetence on Ebola
Despite the right wing terrorizing the population with the treat of Ebola, there is no threat from Ebola. Nigeria, hardly a bastion of high tech medicine and good government manged to contain a real attack. Sequestration and cuts at the NIH have slowed efforts to create a vacine (it's not profitable to create one since most fo the people with Ebola are poor). I trust you favor reinstating funding for that (and the many other) governement efforts.
lack of plans for ISIS
See "Ebola". ISIS is not a threat to the US and, frankly, there's almost nothing the US can do to help (unless you consider Iraq an overwhelming success)
overweening regulation
Tell that to the people you were killed in the West Fertilizer explosion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Fertilizer_Company_explosion)
Or to the people of West Virgina. (http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/dont-drink-the-water-west-virginia-after-the-chemical-spill-20140312)
politicization of DoJ and IRS
Listen, the IRS investigated many political non-profits of all stripes, it was not just the right wing groups. This is what the IRS is SUPPOSED to do, investigate possible tax fraud. They did it, and (despite the political disinformation) it was non-partisen.
extrajudicial killings of US citizens
Come on, that completely crossed party line. Extraordinary rendition and redefining torture as acceptable started under the Bush administration, but nothing has been done to fix that and it won't be for the forseeable future. The 100ml bottles on planes has the same problem.
crony capitalism bailouts of banks and GM
The banks collapsed under Bush and (even though it stinks) a bailout was the least worst evil. GM turned out to be a good investment, certainly for the people who now still have jobs.
increasing levels of poverty, highest levels of food stamp use ever.
Easy, raise the minimum wage. Good for the economy, good for people working at that level. (Again, who you going to vote for who will do that?).
Naaah, none of that. It's gotta be just Harry Reid.
I don't know about just Harry Reid, but it sure seems that politician are going to have to take more care to see who's offering the highest bribe (sorry, campaign contribution).
Replies:
1. Obamacare failures -- New large programs often have initial glitches. W's medicare D did, and so did Medicare's roll-out. The GOP refuses to help with adjustments, instead just complains and tries to repeal it over and over. That's not problem-solving.
2. Loss of press freedom -- Both parties guilty of press games. It doesn't excuse anyone, but changing parties won't solve it.
3. Lowest labor force participation in many decades -- Most "mature" industrial nations are facing the same problem; it's not special to the US. It appears to be a combination of offshoring to cheap-labor countries, and automation. GOP has shown no intention of doing anything different to solve those. They seem to believe that if you can't compete with slave commies and robots, that's your problem: Social Darwinism.
4. Incompetence on Ebola -- I have not seen anything specific and verifiable, just cherry-picking facts to make O look bad. GOP tends to want to cut fed. health R&D in general. That's not going to help the next outbreaks.
5. Overweening regulation -- The devil's in the details. Most new regulations relate to preventing another banking melt-down. The banks failed to regulate themselves last time, so they have more rules now. Do you want a repeat? See also #8.
6. Politicization of DoJ and IRS -- Vague. There's no evidence of intentional bias at IRS. Sloppy procedures, perhaps, but not bias. DoJ has always been political for the decades I've been alive.
7. Extrajudicial killings of US citizens -- I've seen no evidence the GOP is against such practices over-all. Both parties are arguably "war mongers".
8. Crony capitalism bailouts of banks and GM -- The real problem is lack of anti-trust enforcement. If companies and banks grow too-big-too-fail, then failure creates a domino effect, which can wreck a weak economy. And I've seen no evidence that the GOP is for stronger anti-trust enforcement. If anything, they see it as "gov't interference" and wish to do nothing to stop it in the name of "free markets".
9. Increasing levels of poverty, highest levels of food stamp use ever. -- See #3
I realize "the other party also does it" doesn't sit well with voters, and they'll punish the party in charge regardless of what the other party would do instead. Voters are short-term thinkers, unfortunately, and that's why we get pendulum politics. Each side over-promises and then fails to deliver. Rinse, repeat.
Table-ized A.I.