How can we best expose the corruption caused by corporate lobbying in America?

[Hardkill]

During the Progressive era, Muckrakers, people who were reform-minded journalists, writers, and photographers, were able to effectively expose corruption and wrongdoing in established institutions to all Americans. This majorly helped the progressive movement back then to put enough pressure on the government to fundamentally reform the entire system in order to strongly curb monopolies, the growing power of big businesses, stop employers, and political machines, stop employers from abusing and exploiting their employees in various ways, meaningfully address the uncertainties in the economy, give women voting rights, regulate the health and safety of working conditions and goods, etc.

I know that liberals have already been trying their hardest bring public awareness on all of the systemic corruption we've had since over the past 50 years such as the corporate lobbying, military-industrial complex, growing economic inequality, voter suppression, gerrymandering, our democracy declining, racial and gender discrimination, etc.

But it seems to me that no matter how much the progressives and even some establishment democrats publicly shout out to the American people about all of the serious problems that have been created by all of the corporate lobbying we have had in this country, it still seems like most Americans are either still not truly understanding it well enough or they simply don't really care.

So, what more can be done to show all American people how atrocious something like corporate lobbying or the military-industrial complex has become?

 

Edited May 21, 2022 by Hardkill

[Yarco]

You assume this is something that needs to be exposed like it's not already common knowledge, and that exposing it will make a difference.

Anybody that's ever heard of lobbying immediately understands how messed up it is. Most people know about it, that corporations bribe politicians to get laws passed. It's an open secret. We know Nancy Pelosi does insider trading and nothing is done. When asked to pass a law to prevent it she just says nah lol.

Exposing the problem does nothing. People take it in and then just go on their way.

Eddy Snowden exposed how the US government spies on all citizens, and lied multiple times about it. First they said they weren't doing it. Then they said they only spy on Americans in contact with people of interest overseas. Then they said they only collect metadata. Then they had to admit they can track and access every piece of data you've ever sent.

People heard that, just kinda shrugged, he was exiled to Russia and nothing came of it. If that level of corruption exposure does nothing, people definitely aren't going to care about lobbying enough to do something.

[Hardkill]

53 minutes ago, Yarco said:

You assume this is something that needs to be exposed like it's not already common knowledge, and that exposing it will make a difference.

Anybody that's ever heard of lobbying immediately understands how messed up it is. Most people know about it, that corporations bribe politicians to get laws passed. It's an open secret. We know Nancy Pelosi does insider trading and nothing is done. When asked to pass a law to prevent it she just says nah lol.

Exposing the problem does nothing. People take it in and then just go on their way.

Eddy Snowden exposed how the US government spies on all citizens, and lied multiple times about it. First they said they weren't doing it. Then they said they only spy on Americans in contact with people of interest overseas. Then they said they only collect metadata. Then they had to admit they can track and access every piece of data you've ever sent.

People heard that, just kinda shrugged, he was exiled to Russia and nothing came of it. If that level of corruption exposure does nothing, people definitely aren't going to care about lobbying enough to do something.

Then how come the muckrakers' widespread exposure of the systemic corruption in America were successful back then?

Why was witnessing enough of the evils of slavery during the abolition movement able to successfully compel enough of the public and the political elite in America to quite literally fight like hell to outlaw slavery forever? Why was the national coverage of all of the nonviolent protests, marches, and sit-ins for the civil rights movement all worked to successfully pressure LBJ and enough Democrats in Congress to pass the historic 1964 civil rights act, 1965 voting rights act, and Civil Rights Act of 1968 for all black and brown people?

Edited May 21, 2022 by Hardkill

[SeaMonster]

Speaking of curbing monopolies, the Republicans want to break-up Google's ad business.  So maybe you'll see some of it in the next several years.

 

[puporing]

@Hardkill I recommend Anand Giridharadas' and Marianne Williamson's takes on this. Marianne talks often about the movements you mentioned and how it relates to the current state of things.