Quantum Windbag
Gold Member
- May 9, 2010
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Damn, an honest assessment of the system from CNN.
Ex-Shell Oil president: 'I felt extorted' - CNN.com
The influence of politics and money has become a legal game of extortion, critics say, made all the more insidious because the so-called extortionists are politicians who write the laws and legally manipulate the system for their own gain.
"It is a feeding frenzy that's going on," said Peter Schweizer of the Government Accountability Institute, a nonprofit research group. He's written a book called "Extortion," describing America's political system as one where lawmakers learn how to transform power into cash. "I think we need to somehow break the back of the ability of politicians to leverage their position to extract donations," Schweizer said.
"Most fund-raisers will tell you the place that you start raising money is from people who can't say no," said Schweizer. "So if you're a government contractor or you're somebody that's doing business with the state or federal government, you're going to be put in a position where you're going to be expected to raise funds, because if you don't, the fear might be that you're going to lose the contract."
Ex-Shell Oil president: 'I felt extorted' - CNN.com