In India, they call it bribing.
In the U.S., they use an euphemism called lobbying.
In the end, it amounts to the same – Spending money on politicians to get your way.
And some of the biggest spenders in Washington DC are tech companies like Microsoft, AT&T, Apple, Google, Verizon, IBM, Facebook, Oracle and Wipro.
Here’s how much these prominent tech companies spent in the first three quarters to sway politicians to their side:
In this era, Money can Buy Everything.
Buying Influence in Washington D.C. added by SearchIndia.com on
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Source: U.S. Govt. Records?
How are these captured on record? As what?
SearchIndia.com Responds
Companies spending money on lobbying have to file quarterly reports with the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate declaring their expenditure on lobbying.
When it comes to corruption, U.S. follows the letter of the law but the not the spirit of laws. India, of course, follows neither.
What are they paying for?
SearchIndia.com Responds
They are paying for favorable laws and regulations essentially.
Sometimes the legislation is even written by the lobbyists and the Congressman or Senator will introduce it as it is. Not uncommon.
Human nature is the same the wold over – Beastly.
Just that some people do it under the garb of civility!
So it is essentially a by-product of laissez faire capitalism… These capitalistic monsters would do anything to save their asses…
SearchIndia.com Responds:
You write: So it is essentially a by-product of laissez faire capitalism.
What we see now is not laissez faire capitalism….because laissez faire capitalism would not (at least in theory) allow bailouts or the distasteful concept of banks “too big to fail.”
Clearly what is in place now is destructive capitalism fostering a plutocracy!
Couple of interesting posts and the follow up comments I read regarding capitalism
http://robertlindsay.wordpress.com/2013/10/07/the-lunacy-of-captitalism-eliminate-as-many-jobs-as-possible/
http://robertlindsay.wordpress.com/2013/10/06/42-of-americans-say-capitalism-isnt-working/
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Just read both posts in your above links.
Sensible as they are, it’s too late.
The plutocrats are already in control and in no mood to let go!
BTW, the Democrats in the U.S. are only a few degrees better than the Republicans who are the embodiment of scum!
Those were interesting links. Thanks.
Seems some of the commenters too have good knowledge on the subject.
I was also surprised to see this article related to India (But no surprise on the subject) – http://robertlindsay.wordpress.com/2013/10/11/the-venom-of-the-hindu-radicals-with-additional-reports-from-goa-kerala-and-nagaland-by-alfred-fernandes/
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Read the piece. Just a venomous screed against Hinduism by a Christian zealot!
India is one of the few countries where people belonging to minority religions occupy the highest positions (in politics, judiciary, intelligence agencies and bureaucracy). There are dozens of colleges and universities started by minority religious organizations and catering mostly to the minorities. Sure, there are attacks against minorities, and they are condemnable, but no more than in any country where religion has strong sway. In the U.S., Christians kill other Christians over abortion! No kidding.
That said, the insane comments below the piece in your above link convince me that God has made retards out of most humans.
In my not so humble opinion, the first step on the road to civilization is letting go of this inane notion of God.
Every Hindu temple in the U.S. performs Car Poojas. Can there be a spectacle more ridiculous than that?
@Boopalan and SI
Those are pretty common stuffs in that blog. You must see the posts under india and trust me you will be shocked to read those stuffs. There are more than 100 posts in that blog about India ranging from the Aryan Invasion to the humiliating degradation of the present India, all resulting in flame wars. I have been following the blog for about 4 years, Not one posts show India in a positive light. The highlight of the blog is the comments section where we can see comments from Indians with furious nazi style ultranationalist rage, wounded pride bordering on classical fascism… See for example in this post
http://robertlindsay.wordpress.com/2012/12/29/letter-from-india/ (it has 739 comments)
http://robertlindsay.wordpress.com/2011/07/22/india-hell-on-earth/
http://robertlindsay.wordpress.com/2013/07/23/india-land-of-survivalism-and-chaos/
http://robertlindsay.wordpress.com/2013/04/11/the-usa-is-a-shithole/
That said commenters(jaipal, Bay area guy, DOTA,Swedish shit, India_LandofRapes, Creaders) in there are mostly intellectuals with vast knowledge on variety of subjects. The blog owner’s knowledge on race, genetics, science are astounding and he plays a great provocateur whose posts are often critical of Republicans, blacks, jews,India attracting a lot from intellectuals to lunatics…
That said, the two blogs I wish could live to eternity are the Searchindia and Robert Lindsay. It could help us save our brains from damage inflicted by indian movies and learn as many new things as possible….
SearchIndia.com Responds:
1. I read the four pieces in your link. I like the pieces by Indian outsiders more than those by Lindsay on his blog. But that’s not surprising. Given the barrage of comments, the moderator Lindsay has less time to read and reflect compared to the occasional writers on his blog.
2. But there’s one interesting aspect to India.
For whatever one writes about India with examples, one could say the opposite with equally convincing illustrations!
India has greatest number of Illiterates – Indian IITs and IIMs are second to None.
India is an Underdeveloped Shithole- Look at the Indian Nuclear power plants, biotech firms, army of software programmers and the improving national highways (The New Yorker, an excellent magazine, had a piece recently on the East Coast road in Kadapakkam, Tamil Nadu. The magazine also had a piece on cattle auctions in Tamil Nadu a few years back).
Indian IITs and IIMs are second to none – A lot of Indian village schools don’t have benches, roofs or even teachers.
Indian Roads are bad – Indian Train network is hundred times better than the U.S.
A lot of Indian hospitals are horrible – Americans and Europeans come to Indian super-specialty hospitals because of lower prices and top quality surgeons.
India is a land of million contradictions. Which is why I think India is more fascinating than the majority of nations.
3. At this time, the three countries that are extremely interesting to watch are India, U.S. and China:
* Will India break free of the shackles that have tied it down for centuries.
* Will the U.S. continue to spiral down in the reckless “Everybody is my enemy and so I will squander Trillions on ill-conceived security programs, wars and spying schemes.”
* Will the Chinese masses throw off the dictatorship and unleash chaos or will China emerge as the giant that other nations will kowtow before?