Why does the World Tolerate Special Interest Groups

I have no problem with groups lobbying politicians to highlight problems within certain sectors or industries. What I do have a problem with is large lobbying companies, representing big business and foreign interests and making monetary contributions at the party or personal level for representation.

The politicians are paid by us, the tax paying public, to represent us and take stewardship of the day to day running of the country. By taking money from anyone else they cease to represent the voters who put them in office and should immediately be barred.

In the private sector it's called bribery and fraud and people are sacked and/or jailed for such things. why should government be any different?

Originally posted by forestlady

Here is one:
www.arnoldwatch.org...
www.commondreams.org...

Interesting comments from your links and Grady's but not what I expected. They do not give a specific reason other then essentially stating he feels anyone that opposes him is against him.

I had hoped they would give a reason stating why because there are some Elected and non elected school officials that fall into a whole new group of special interests that could be called the "protective police". Those are groups that want things like recess, tag, football, soccer along with other games all thrown out of schools.

Here are some examples.

What would you do if a principal banned running at recess



Again I could give many more examples but two is enough to make my point against them.

Just ask yourself why do we send children to school? The answer is simple, to teach them to socialize with other children and get an education, but some are now taking the teaching of socialization out of school while using the ruse it is not safe, yet they have the gall to also complain about how obese children are getting.

I assume they are not aware that exercise is one of the best forms to prevent obesity which is pure stupidity on their part.

No wonder this world is going to hell in a handbag so quick schools can't even teach our kids to socialize :shk:

[edit on 8/29/2006 by shots]

Shots, there definitely are some issues here, but not all issues stem from special interest groups.
While it's true that nurses, teachers, and firefighters might belong to an association (which along with protecting working conditions also lobbies legislatures [those who make the laws] as just about any group with an interest has to do nowadays--the extended palm gets greased), these same groups do offer a public service and want what is best for those for whom they work. There are times these groups speak up for concerns beyond the personal.

Having not been in a hospital for years, I was appalled several years ago, when I visited my ailing mother in the hospital. I was used to a nurse often at least sticking a head through the door to see if all was ok. There were stretches of 1 1/2 hours and no one came by, during the day! Finally someone in a uniform came in, but she was not a nurse. I hadn't realized how bad conditions had become. A patient could die and rigormortis set in before someone comes in, just to empty the trash. Nurses as a group had to demand more nurses, not more cuts in staffing.

The school incidents in the articles seemed to be individual site/local decisions, not having been influenced by a special interest group. Individuals can make bad/stupid decisions; that's not just confined to schools. Hey, where's that fun merry-go-round in a park? It could be that the students did not have appropriate supervision (budget cuts?). When I was a kid, not everyone ran at recess anyway. I would agree that soccer and touch football, which are under direct adult supervision at other times, should not be allowed, unless an adult is directly supervising that game. No chance of that during a recess.
Kids nowadays do seem to play rougher, wanting to strike in anger or wrestle like the WWF. What might be acceptable at home cannot be tolerated on the school playground. Outlawing running was a stupid idea IMO.

You know, Shots, when I was a kid, candy and sodas were treats distributed once in a while. Even fast food was a special treat. Today when I drive by the high school on my way to work, I view students walking to campus with a hamburger and (large) soda, or a donut and a bag of chips. My sons' high school then offered junk food snacks at brunch and more junk food at lunchtime (not in the cafeteria, there a student could get a nutritious lunch) and after school; sodas could be bought any time out of a machine. Some schools are not getting across the idea that a candy bar and soda is not lunch. Their "student store" was a junk food pusher (oh, yeah, there was a square foot devoted to real school supplies like a pencil and eraser).
Why? Because junk food makes profits for a school!! And not just profits, but outright money given to schools for allowing the junk food companies to have the contract for that campus!

Switch to diet sodas, so now they can become addicted to them, just as long as the junk food company can't lose money. Junk food companies are out to make a profit (that's what businesses do). Unfortunately, a school has the captive target group for them, and they know it. BTW, some "100% fruit juices" contain some true fruit juice but also the fruit sugar residue which qualifies as "juice" but is not nutritious

God bless the teachers that try to teach students who get high then crash down after a sugar rush!


I will end here.

To simplify:

Whose interests am I going to cover?
1. My Own: alone, I'm going to be lost in a crowd. I find like minded people and find a way to get my way no matter what.
2. For Mankind: What is best: Save the trees? Like Minded people. Increase capitolism? Like Minded People.

Humanity just clumps together. To stop this chaos, you'd need to convince all 7 bil (it is up that far, now, right?) to all be hermits....but this would aquire you to have an agenda.

You can't escape this gathering of like minded people.

Originally posted by desert
Shots, there definitely are some issues here, but not all issues stem from special interest groups.

I never said they were. I think you misinterpreted what I was saying.

The school incidents in the articles seemed to be individual site/local decisions, not having been influenced by a special interest group. Individuals can make bad/stupid decisions; that's not just confined to schools.

I cannot speak for all areas of the country but around here it was a group special interest who were quickly nicknamed wusses that tried to get the school board to change school game policies. Principals only enforce the rules they do not make them that is left up normally to school board officials.







[edit on 8/30/2006 by shots]