A short, sharp piece that takes George Hotz’s plainspoken explanation of American lobbying as its starting point: wealthy interests funnel money into political campaigns and Super PACs, politicians then enact laws favoring their donors, and helpful officials often transition into cushy consulting jobs for those same interests. The mechanism is laid out in conversational terms - campaign contributions replace overt bribes, legal structures and campaign finance vehicles provide legitimacy, and the revolving door completes the exchange - making the practice comprehensible to outsiders while exposing the practical equivalence to corrupt pay-for-access.
The central argument is that this practice meets the usual definition of corruption - an abuse of entrusted power for private gain - even when it is lawful. The author points to the concept of “legal corruption,” where those in power shape the rules to protect themselves, and argues that lobbying is simply that corruption in a nicer package: legality, lawyers, and suits instead of criminal labels. The conclusion is blunt: calling it lobbying is a rebranding; substance matters more than form, and what looks institutionalized and respectable is the same problem as classic bribery and influence peddling.
Summary generated by AI from the linked article. hn.today is not affiliated with Hacker News or Y Combinator.
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