THE COMPANY WITH THE STASH
Election campaign contributions certainly can be an identifiable way to predict who will get treated well by a rich and powerful administrative state.
Crony capitalism has many hues.
US Government largesse is measured in trillions (that’s 1000, 1000, millions give or take).
Tribal politics is a real factor in the 1st world, played with real money. Consider Nazi business partnerships in concentration camp labor, at many sites. Companies we all recognize, even now, Astra, BMW, Puch, Shell, Siemens, Daimler Benz, Krupp, Ford, Messerschmitt, Volkswagen, Zeitz—you get the idea.
http://remember.org/educate/companies.html
Our present day international economy includes as an equal player that is considered a powerhouse soon to exceed US economic output, the Chinese economy that rides on the backs of rural “visiting” city workers who are a modern version of slaves or indentured workers allowed to stay in their cities of work, but not to become residents.
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You might wonder, how do these generous contributions listed below expect a return on the investment, for law firms and universities and government or government dependent entities? Well the money and influence certainly are attractive prizes for “friends” of political powerhouses.
Eisenhower warned us in his farewell address, there is the Military Industrial Complex but there is also the Government Research complex, and if you are an expert or a “consultant” or a source of research and support for government policy making and regulation, you would be well advised to nurture government relationships, that result in favors, grants, contracts, and a place at the conference table when things are passed out.
During the merger mania of the 80s the joke was that even minor players at the final negotiations could end up fabulously wealthy from the crumbs that fell of the merger table. Same story today with government sources measured in hundreds of billions for various sectors.
https://www.opensecrets.org/pres12/contrib.php?id=N00009638
Look john, these phenomena are not new – been around for at least hundreds (1000’s) of years. The real problem isn’t the money, it’s the, almost total, control (or at least major influence, i.e. $$) over nearly every aspect of our lives. It’s only human nature to try and influence this control in your favor. The Kings of ancient times experienced similar things.
Given that we’re probably not going to limit the vast tendrils of the feds, the best solution is complete, and I mean complete – public, internet, news media, mail, of every, yes EVERY, $$ toward any political person or entity. Voters aren’t completely oblivious. If they care about this $$, they’ll decide if it’s corrupting.