• @djsoren19
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    291 year ago

    Hey maybe if it’s such a point of national security, and halting the trains would have such catastrophic consequences, maybe it’s time we nationalized the rail systems? Maybe having these rails in the hands of greedy profiteers who have demonstrated that they are willing to shirk on safety regulations is a terrible idea?

    • “The government is corrupt, and they can’t be trusted to run things. Our infrastructure should be in the hands of the people.”

      “The people are corrupt, and they can’t be trusted to run things. Our infrastructure should be regulated by the government.”

      Pick a side, but in either case, the only way that we overcome these obstacles is with oversight. It doesn’t matter who controls anything, all that matters is how much we hold them accountable for the greater good. You want to really solve the problem, figure out how to get everyone to agree on what’s best. Until then, we’ll have milquetoast regulations, oligarchs too preoccupied with someone’s sexual orientation to actually do anything, and allegiances that change depending on the signature line on the checks.

      • @SheeEttin@lemmy.world
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        101 year ago

        I’ve never heard someone say the government is corrupt and infrastructure should be in the hands of the people. The government is the people. Most people say it should be taken out of the hands of private companies and put into the hands of the people, managed by the government. Workers controlling the means of production and all that.

        • I’ve never heard someone say the government is corrupt and infrastructure should be in the hands of the people.

          How long have you been on lemmy that you haven’t run into a communist or socialist, yet? Shit, even the Libertarians agree on that, and they’re fucking idiots.

          The government is the people.

          In a republic, sure. This ain’t a republic, though.

          Most people say it should be taken out of the hands of private companies and put into the hands of the people, managed by the government. Workers controlling the means of production and all that.

          Oh, ok, so you have seen a communist or two hanging around here. So, the problem that we have with the government controlling (or managing) things is that the government itself is at the behest of the massive companies, hence my cry for oversight. As long as Big Whoever is throwing money at the lawmakers, the government will suck the dick of whoever they think is paying them. Truthfully, I don’t really see the difference between infrastructure controlled by the “government” or the “people”, because no matter what stamp we put on it, it’s still the United States of Exxon, Nestle, Pepsi, Disney, Google, Amazon, Phillip Morris, Pfizer, or any of the other big names that throw all of their money into obstructing the 99%. The “people”, as in you and me, have no power, and we control nothing. Some will say that they want to see utilities and essential services controlled by the “people” and regulated by the government, but the only outcome for that is exactly what we have: lobbyist making laws based on the desires of the 1%. In short (too late), if we want change, it comes from accountability. The only way we can fight to regain control is to hold those we put in power responsible for their actions. Unfortunately, those we put in power have spent a lot of time making sure that they can’t be held accountable, so, fuck us, right?

          • @SheeEttin@lemmy.world
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            01 year ago

            See, I’m working on the assumption that the government is controlled by the people, not corporations. Otherwise you don’t really have a government.

            To throw out another catchphrase, governments only exist by the consent of the governed, and that does ultimately mean the people.

            • You can work on whatever assumptions you want. You could assume that their is an eldritch council of Furries that dictate the laws based on how many episodes of Friends the Ugly Naked Guy was mentioned in, it won’t make it the truth. Governments do exist by the consent of the governed, unfortunately that consent is manufactured.