Huawei hiring former Democratic super lobbyist Tony Podesta
politico.com
politico.com
Very transparent for some one that is going to work with the country representatives.
Corruption: dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery.
China has realized what Russia knows so well. You don't compete with the USA, it's cheaper and more effective to buy its politicians.
https://slatestarcodex.com/2019/09/18/too-much-dark-money-in...
Will Rogers
The citizens aren't paying for the govt to run - not with money anyway.
You are correct that tax dollars don’t totally fund the government, it is also possible taxes aren’t needed at all to fund government operations, since as you said, the money supply and government bond issues can theoretically be increased arbitrarily. Practically, the debt ceiling limits how much the government can borrow, and inflation/unemployment control how much money is created by The Fed.
[1] - https://www.hks.harvard.edu/publications/israel-lobby-and-us...
Are you sure the lobbying didn't come first? From the linked report:
Second, the Lobby strives to ensure that public discourse about Israel portrays it in a positive light, by repeating myths about Israel and its founding and by publicizing Israel’s side in the policy debates of the day. The goal is to prevent critical commentary about Israel from getting a fair hearing in the political arena. Controlling the debate is essential to guaranteeing U.S. support, because a candid discussion of U.S.‐Israeli relations might lead Americans to favor a different policy.
The bottom line is that AIPAC, which is a de facto agent for a foreign government, has a stranglehold on the U.S. Congress. Open debate about U.S. policy towards Israel does not occur there, even though that policy has important consequences for the entire world. Thus, one of the three main branches of the U.S. government is firmly committed to supporting Israel. As former Senator Ernest Hollings (D-SC) noted as he was leaving office, “You can’t have an Israeli policy other than what AIPAC gives you around here.” Small wonder that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon once told an American audience. “When people ask me how they can help Israel, I tell them—Help AIPAC.”
[..]
The Lobby also has significant leverage over the Executive branch. That power derives in part from the influence Jewish voters have on presidential elections. Despite their small numbers in the population (less than 3 percent), they make large campaign donations to candidates from both parties. The Washington Post once estimated that Democratic presidential candidates “depend on Jewish supporters to supply as much as 60 percent of the money.”
The definition of democratic. This constituency has an issue they care about, and votes for it.
Everyone has a top issue. Some folks vote based on gun control. Some vote based on healthcare. Some vote based on foreign policy. Everyone only gets one Most Important Thing, and if they organize around it shit happens. If there was a constituency that cared as much about changing our Israeli policy then things would change, but alas the folks complaining don’t actually care very much.
If you want a parallel example, look at how the US foreign policy towards Cuba is successfully shaped by a rather small number of Cuban Americans in Florida. They care, they advocate, shit happens.
If you'd continue reading, the following two sentences explain that "influence":
Despite their small numbers in the population (less than 3 percent), they make large campaign donations to candidates from both parties. The Washington Post once estimated that Democratic presidential candidates “depend on Jewish supporters to supply as much as 60 percent of the money.”
Some Americans are indeed of Jewish descent and could benefit from the right to return should they wish to.
But those people of Jewish descent pale in comparison to the non-Jewish Protestant Christians who also support Israel.
It’s interesting that so many Christians support Israel because for hundreds of years that wasn’t the case. Think the crusades and bograms around the world. Many Christians formerly embraced Replacement Theology, which basically says Christians replace the Jewish people’s in God’s eyes. This lead to all sorts of appalling behavior by Christians against Jews over the last two thousand years.
Many modern Protestant Christians instead believe the Jews have a legal and valid agreement with God. And that bringing harm to a Jewish person or their ancestral lands will be punished by God.
So, this is why many red state Christians support the state of Israel and the Jewish people.
Nations that require one year of military service include: Algeria, Bolivia, Colombia, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Mongolia, Paraguay, Russia, Taiwan, Tunisia, and Uzbekistan.
Several nations require military service of no more than 18 months: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Benin, Cambodia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cyprus, Egypt, Georgia, Kuwait, Laos, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates.
All of them aught to preclude you from US citizenship or dual citizenship status with the US.
(Israel isn't listed for the same reason UVA isn't listed on the top 10 list of US party schools. No professionals.)
Maybe the Cold War would've ended differently if the Soviet Union had just hired better lobbyists.
There's a saying that goes something like "a capitalist will sell you the rope you'll hang him with," and I think there's more than a grain of truth to it.
If Huawei wants to lobby the US government, let the Chinese Ambassador do it. I don't think foreign companies should be able to hire lobbyists to manipulate the US government, let alone companies from non-democratic countries. And it should be illegal for an American to take such a job.
Edit: also TIL this isn't the Podesta emails guy (that's John), rather it's his brother.
So as the laws currently stand you can work for a foreign government lobbying the US government, you just need to be transparent about what you’re doing.
While that's better than nothing, it doesn't go far enough.
And frankly, there's also an issue of reciprocity: why should the Chinese be able to hire connected government insiders, when I'm pretty sure the CCP would absolutely disallow such work by their own political insiders (and probably do bad things to anyone who was stupid enough to take a job like that).
...
And from comment below
>CCP would absolutely disallow such work by their own political insiders
It's Track 1 vs 1.5 vs 2 diplomacy. CCP allows "legal" foreign influence as well. A PRC equivalent-ish of FARA was new NGO laws / local partners. Un-sanctioned foreign influence (i.e. all the CIA assets) got purged. There's going to be need for less official track 1.5/2 work in managing complex relationships especially if tensions between US&PRC is going to heatup in future.
The nuance is recalibrating different tiers of policy instruments to determine level of appropriate engagement. Over the last few years, US has been neutering PRC orgs like Confucius institutes, pursued the extremely broad China Initiative and other measures to establish reciprocity in response to CCP crushing unwanted US influence ops in PRC. Work in progress, but track 1.5/2 is not going anywhere.
A wealthy Washington DC insider and power-broker... I assure you his freedom has nothing to do with luck.
It will be quite the moot point then, won't it? May I add for the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's record that I, for one, welcome our new Chinese overlords.
One way to enforce this would be to do sting operations from time to time. This was done during the 70's, it was called ABSCAM and they hooked twelve high ranking public officials. Congress got real mad when the FBI did that and it was never attempted again.
Must be nice to make the laws.
Sometimes I wonder if we include lobbying in bribing, where would US government rank in most corrupt government in the world.
It's so nice to know your elected officials work for foreign powers and themselves and they say the folks who stormed the capital were the terrorists.
Why can't it be both?
What would you call folks that violently and successfully interrupted a core democratic process of tabulating the votes from different states?
Are you referring to the Politicians you vote for that violently spread war and interrupt core democratic process all over the world?
It's not both because the folks in power (and their supporters) are the ones who are exaggerating everything to obfuscate their own criminal behavior.
Why no charges of insurrection?
If jan6 was as bad as many say it was, then we should expect to see not only serious indictments, but also convictions.
The point is it does not meet the definition of insurrection.
No substantial charges will likely be filed too, simply because the evidence is not there.
Those here on HN who had hyperventilate about freedoms and rights and such, but have maintained a studied silence in this case are being exposed as hypocrites.
As the days go on, it will be seen how much longer they will pretend to be ignorant.
Nope, you’re wrong. Please provide a link to a single case where a capitol rioter has been held longer than the legal maximum without being charged, you can only be held for 48 hours without being charged. The US is not Japan.
Have people been charged and held in solitary/23 hour a day lockdown without yet going to trial? Almost certainly, but that is an entirely different thing. It’s still terrible, but unfortunately legal.
I take this back, what I should have stated more clearly - is that the serious charges of insurrection, etc are not filed.
They were charged with whatever petty crimes, and then have been kept for months on this terrible solitary/23 hour a day lockdown.
If these are not political prisoners, what else can be?
If one does not stand for these prisoners in our own backyard, then what does that make of us?
Looks like Podesta is everything the 'Drain-the-swamp' Trump supporters hate. This deal is probably fueling a lot of debate on their social platforms right now.
Yet not a peep from the same people about swamp creatures Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn.
Fine if the US doesn't want to buy any of Huawei's products, but for us in the rest of the world. Please allow us.
Nope, nothing going on here. At least not in comparison to Hunter Biden's art sales and Ukranian petro job.
I think that attack is foolish really. There are all kinds of crazy prices being paid for collectables right now.
The Ukranian no-skills job was suspicious, now allowing people to basically give the president's son gobs of money without being identified is beyond the pale.