Making Corruption Illegal ... getting money out of politics
The energy industry corrupts politics
Naturally, before we could end massive subsidies and impose a tax on carbon in the US, we'd have to get private money out of our politics. Our system of perfectly-legal corruption allows the fossil corporations (and their lawyers, consultants and subcontractors) to buy Congress. As a result, in 2016, 180 of the 535 members of Congress (34 percent) simply denied climate science. It pays to do so. On average, the 38 Senate deniers have each received $732,788 from fossil fuel interests while science-believing senators each got only $182,902. On average, each House denier has received $272,536 from the fossil corporations while science-believing members each got only $80,095.
Obviously, fixing corruption in our politics is an essential reform that must happen before global warming can be brought under control. But it's a reform that could appeal to all issue-oriented people. It is the one reform that makes all other reforms possible. You might think that a gigantic coalition of concerned residents and activists from all issue-groups would join together to make it happen. But so far you would be disappointed. Can we still make it happen? Yes, we can.
from an article in Truthout by PETER MONTAGUE
Peter Montague is a historian and journalist whose work has appeared in Counterpunch, Huffington Post, the Nation and many other publications. He has co-authored two books on toxic heavy metals.
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