This isn’t a new cartoon. It was created in 2018, so it has been around for more than four years. Yet, it’s as relevant now as it was when it first came out. Maybe more.
I’m pretty sure there was a time when this might have been funny. With all the other things we need to fix, this one could be easy. I know because other countries have managed to find a way. I guess they don’t have as many gun manufacturers. And oh, right. Their political system isn’t guaranteed to make every winning pol rich. Money is always the bottom line.
I have nothing against elected officials making a good living. I don’t object to them getting extra so they can have a second place to live in DC. This is a big country.
But our politicians don’t merely get by or improve their standard of living. They get really rich. Millions of dollars rich. I’m pretty sure that’s not how it was supposed to work. I don’t care how long people serve. If they can get elected, they should be able to serve, whether I like them or not. But I don’t think they should be making millions from the NRA, oil and gas companies, and every other organization that has money to spread around. Members of congress shouldn’t always have theirs hands out in expectation of getting more millions from a lobbyist.
Of course, I know this won’t change. I’ve always known it. The people who would need to change these laws are the same people who most benefit from not changing them.
There’s a movie: Born Yesterday (1950, Columbia Pictures). Directed by George Cukor and starring Judy Holliday, William Holden, and Broderick Crawford. Script by Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon.
It’s about a rich guy buying a a senator in DC. Judy Holliday won an Oscar for her role. In its day, the film was censored, picketed, and considered anti-American. Judy Holliday was called to answer to HUAAC (House Un-American Activities Committee). Although America has “upped the ante” on its purchase of pols by lobby groups, the baseline hasn’t changed. Instead of thousands, the payoff is now millions. Lobbyists are a lot slicker than Crawford’s character in the movie, but it’s the same deal with bigger numbers.
I’ve put this movie into my growing pile of movies showing “how little things change.” Born Yesterday was made 72 years ago, yet here we are. Still in the same place. The payoffs are bigger while America remains stuck.
If you’ve never seen it, you’ve missed a good one. Skip the 1993 remake.
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Categories: Cartoons, Humor, Movies, old movies, Political Cartoons
SERENDIPITY: SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 
sadly, you are so right
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I know. I remember when people started talking about legislation to take money OUT of politics followed by the Supreme Court actually making the situation much worse. I remember when everyone said if you limit the number of years people can serve, THAT will fix it. Of course it didn’t. You just get sleazy new pols elected by the same minority that elected the previous sleazy pols.
We need to make some serous changes, especially about money and politics. I think we are the only democracy/republic where politicians can win by basically having more money gleaned from lobbyists and plastering TV and the internet with their ads. Other countries limit or exclude that kind of money.
I’m pretty sure if you took away the lobbyists, the face of America would change in a big hurry. We won’t do it. I never thought we would, but I did think we were better than THIS — even with the lobbies and their money.
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So those guys/politicians make money by blocking laws that would affect them…, and we still have a HOMELESS problem…?
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Sad, isn’t it? Take away lobbyists, PACs, and all their loot and this would be a very different country. Except it won’t happen.
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