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rapind | on: If You Build It, They Will Come
> it’s unfortunately become deconstructed and politicized to the point where it’s impossible to exist as a meaningful cultural phenomenon.

I think greed and corruption (cheating) by politicians and government employees has an outsized effect on this. Whenever you hear about it you lose trust and may even feel justified to cheat the system in turn. Basically they got there's, so I'll get mine.

IMO the penalties for corruption in public service jobs (all the way to the top!) should also be outsized to match the damage it does to society. I'm talking prison time. Also transparency at all levels and at all times. Public service should have really really good reasons to keep anything private and the default should be open to the public. There shouldn't be a need for FOI requests unless there's a good reason to keep something from being completely public.

cassonmars | parent
> IMO the penalties for corruption in public service jobs (all the way to the top!) should also be outsized to match the damage it does to society.

Tough to do when those who write the laws are a part of the problem. What do you suggest to make this so?

jrajav | root | parent | next
Grassroots campaigning and hardline support for candidates running on rule of law and overturning Citizens United. Overturning any status quo is possible in a functioning democracy - it just takes a lot of unskippable effort.
rapind | root | parent | next
If you talk to people about the things that get you fired up then you might meet other people who also get fired up about these things, and before you know it, one of you is running for office and / or you are all getting involved locally. Or, you just keep talking about it I guess, but I think it at least improves the odds for change.

Passion can be just as contagious as defeatism.