American Intelligence and Election Hacking

This international election meddling on social media will be a problem most likely forever. The only way I see to stop it is to make sites like Facebook and Twitter country sensitive. So they only posts an American would see would be American. I think this is a horrible solution. I have FB and Twitter people from all over the world in my network. Maybe we just have to accept it as a continuing problem. For decades foreign governments like Saudi Arabia and Canada have bought influence in DC with lobbyists, why not also permit it through our media and social media? I read British and European papers, Al Jazeera bought a media company through Al Gore. The world is getting smaller, just live with it.

I'm sort of being funny here, but has anyone seen the Matrix? I have not read either of their books, the synopsis made me a little queasy. I had read a couple articles on it though and as I was watching a show about the 60s a couple of weeks ago I caught myself thinking - in the climate we are in, how long before the nightly news looks like it did in the 60's. I think unless we have 1st person narrative from prior 80 year spans it would be difficult to find too many parallels. What we think of as "quiet" periods in history may be from our parents or grandparents perspectives, but may or may not have been for other people. Really does may you think though, but then so did 1984 and I still use a computer, so ???? hmmm

there should be no lobbyists in my opinion. and the world is getting smaller, but I don't think we have to live feeling like we can't trust anything we read. that's kind of defeatist isn't it? I don't believe a news story until I see it on 3 competing news services. There's nothing wrong with reading foreign news - they often have an interesting perspective of the US thought it is a little scary how many other countries seem to all think we are idiots I have long said Facebook may be the ruin of us all - that being said I do have an account.... it's nice to see pictures of peoples kids and I enjoy a lot of the jokes on there. FB is not a place for news or propaganda. Some people believe everything they read, regardless of where they see it. Those people may be running the country in a few years. If that doesn't scare you a little...

parkcobound wrote: ...there should be no lobbyists in my opinion....

You are right but in this environment it is an impossible dream. The only way to accomplish it is to go back to a smaller government and a freer society. As long as government has the power legislate success and failure there will be people to buy them.

I agree the best way to achieve this is to limit the number of politicians. I suspect if we outlawed lobbyists, and then paid congress closer to an average American's wages, and took away their lifetime benefits, the face of democracy would change drastically. Ideally, the folks running for office and serving would then largely be the people honestly concerned with making things better. Also, if they were guaranteed a paycheck for life, they might be a little more apt to govern FOR the people they represent, and a little less just for themselves.
I'm not suggesting this is realistic, after all the folks that make the rules are the very ones I am talking about and they have set things up for themselves very nicely, and then vote based on how it will benefit them, not their constituents.
Certainly there are worse systems of government out there - but is this really a democracy any more?

CORRECTION:
Also, if they were NOT guaranteed a paycheck for life, they might be a little more apt to govern FOR the people they represent, and a little less just for themselves.

parkcobound wrote: CORRECTION:
Also, if they were NOT guaranteed a paycheck for life, they might be a little more apt to govern FOR the people they represent, and a little less just for themselves.

Maybe they would do that. But I could see them selling even more influence if they knew they couldn't retire with a pension. And also serving as long as possible to garner maximum cash from influence peddling. Banning lobbyists? Why? I know most people see lobbyists as evil, but very often they represent everyone from teacher's unions, to conservation groups, and even groups of hobbyists. I know a guy who builds model rockets and they have a lobbyist to protect them from excessive government regulation. One person would have a hard time getting the attention of a majority of House members and Senators but a if a bunch of individuals get together and hire a lobbyist, they can have influence.

Fred, I had a long response and then decided I was rambling and wishing for utopia - and we all know that won't happen. You are right, there are good things for lobbyists to lobby for. in short, what I really mean is what seems like the buying and selling of politicians, in which lobbyist only play a small part in the scheme of things. I believe our system, at least at the federal level, is broken. I will still vote of course.... I am a firm believer in if you don't vote don't complain.... and I really do like to complain about politicians haha!

I'd 'might' be OK with lobbyists, since they do sometimes represent good causes if 1) there were guardrails around how much they could get paid and a much tighter control of transparency of their motivation and 2) No former member of congress could ever become a lobbyist. Eliminate their gravy train.

Well, said: I vote for guardrails and no gravy train for former congressman. When the bulk of the system for congress members was set up, they made a real sacrifice to serve. They had to leave their families and give up their jobs for long periods of time. That is no longer the case and I think they would be a lot more motivated to actually represent the people who elect them if they had to work for their pay like the rest of us do.