Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit
killerstorm | on: TikTok goes dark in the US
US government is literally accountable to US citizens. If it is not, you have a bigger problem.
ty6853 | parent | next
Aspirationally yes. In practice US can't even rid itself of civil forfeiture or federal weed laws despite consistent majority against them. We can't get rid of overbearing housing regulations despite it destroying our youth. Hell the democratic party presidential candidate wasn't even chosen in a primary, just installed in without a public vote to ensure viability, handing a default.
whatshisface | parent | next
We do have a giant problem with the policymaking community being very narrow, but the only way to solve it is by having communication platforms that aren't being influenced by that same community.

When I say narrow, I mean narrow. The toppling of the Guatemalan liberal democracy and subsequent replacement by a dictator was performed at the behest of a handful of people who wanted to and did retire to a sinecure at United Fruit, and without the full knowledge of the president.

sirsinsalot | parent | next
They're a puppet for lobbies and businesses.
Geezus_42 | parent
Hasn't been for a while now. Our government is only held to account by the Oligarchs that own our politicians.
microtonal | root | parent
And somehow a majority votes for the candidate that puts an oligarch in power of an 'unofficial' position/department. It was clearly vote for people with a lot of money.

Something about The government you elect is the government you deserve.?

Levitz | root | parent | next
"Vote for people with a lot of money" describes both parties for I don't even know how long. It's obscenely disingenuous to pretend that's new. Both parties have been bankrolled by corporate interests for longer than I've been alive for.

The Elon thing is way more brazen, yes. I also think many people would rather have than instead of two dozen faceless lobbyists sitting behind superPACs, at least you can point to the guy when he pushes for policy. If it was the norm that companies were completely public about showing up to influence politics that might make a better world, really.

Not a fan of the whole thing mind you, but if it's going to go down, I'm not sure this is actually worse.

microtonal | root | parent
Both parties have been bankrolled by corporate interests for longer than I've been alive for.

Sure, but this is quite a different scale. Apparently the net worth of Trumps (official) cabinet, so excluding Musk, is 7 billion. For comparison, the net worth of Biden's cabinet was 118 million dollar.

Source: https://www.volkskrant.nl/buitenland/amerikaanse-ambtenaren-...

(Sorry for the Dutch source, searching the numbers gives English sources as well.)

The Elon thing is way more brazen, yes. I also think many people would rather have than instead of two dozen faceless lobbyists sitting behind superPACs,

The super PACs will continue to exist as well. I am pretty sure this will give some of the PACs only more influence/power.

at least you can point to the guy when he pushes for policy

In the same way you can point to the guy when he tries to interrupts peaceful transition?

Which brings me back me to my original point, the majority of Americans voted for a crook (interrupting peaceful transition amongst other things) and oligarchs. We'll see where it ends.

codechicago277 | root | parent
The votes are following the propaganda, and Trump won the public opinion war. Democrats have been slow to learn this lesson and get their messaging and public relations under control.