[vineyardmike]

I only-kinda-jokingly say that I'd be willing to be the sacrifice and get a second mortgage on my house if it could buy the entire nation some new rights.

Our politicians routinely sell out smaller issues for "downpayment in a coastal metro" level of money. It's just about within reach of a middle-class urban adult to directly fund with some personal sacrifices.

I feel like we like to imagine that these corporations are budgeting big-bucks to bribe/lobby politicians, because they have more money than most humans can actually mentally picture, but their budgets are often closer to a small team of software engineers' salary. Meta spend ~$25M on all lobbying last year - and they're the top corporate spender. That's under 1 hours of revenue for them.

[nine_k]

> could buy the entire nation some new rights

It's important to remember that rights cannot be received, or bought. Privileges can. Equally easily privileges can be taken away again.

But rights can only be won in a fight.

Sadly, they also require a constant readiness to fight for keeping them; in civilized societies this happens in courtrooms, but escalations to the worse happen periodically.

[red-iron-pine]

> Our politicians routinely sell out smaller issues for "downpayment in a coastal metro" level of money

you act like 1) ideology doesn't play in, and that 2) it's not a long-con situation; you give 60k now, but they're gonna expect 60k next election cycle.

and remember: if you can buy them now, someone else could by them with more money. see also that asshole from PA, J Fetterman

[BobbyTables2]

Always wondered about this…

Are politicians really so beholden to an anonymous donor that makes a single $50k donation? Or even a single $500k one?

Or is it the real knowledge that said known regular donors will continue indefinitely as long as things go their way (and indefinitely support the opposition otherwise) …?

The pessimistic part of me wonders if a grassroots campaign that raised $10M would even be able drive any change with it.

[rightbyte]

I think it is more that corps select which politician gets ahead than that they are beholden to them.

50k USD is a an awful lot of money for a lower level politician to run an election campaign with.