Elections change the faces—but never the outcome. Lobbyists always win.
“Now it’s just an oligarchy, with unlimited political bribery being the essence of getting the nominations for president or being elected president.”
— Jimmy Carter
Every election cycle, we’re told to pick a side.
Red or blue.
Hope or fear.
Change or more of the same.
But behind the curtains and campaign ads, the same winners always emerge: the corporations who bankroll both sides.
Their lobbyists don’t need to win elections.
They just need to outlast them.
“The most offensive aspect of the modern political system is how entirely legalized the corruption is.”
— Matt Taibbi
The Revolving Door Spins On
The people writing our laws?
They often come straight from the industries they’re supposed to regulate.
And when they’re done “serving the public”?
They go right back into the private sector—with a pay bump for playing ball.
This isn’t representation.
It’s a handshake deal between government and corporate power.
And it’s why regulations rarely hurt the companies they’re aimed at.
They’re often written by them.
“The reason why the U.S. government does not hold elites accountable is because they are part of the same system. It is not broken — it is designed that way.”
— Glenn Greenwald
Regulatory Capture Is Not a Flaw—It’s the Design
When Big Pharma influences the FDA,
when defense contractors sit on Pentagon advisory boards,
when fossil fuel execs shape environmental policy—
that’s not corruption by accident.
It’s the system working exactly as built.
Agencies meant to protect the public
are used to protect the profits of the powerful.
And once captured, those agencies become shields—
giving the illusion of oversight while doing the opposite.
“The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum.”
— Noam Chomsky
Campaign Donors Aren’t Donating—They’re Investing
In 2024, over $17 billion was spent on political campaigns.
But none of that money was a gift.
It was an investment.
And like all investors, donors expect returns:
– favorable legislation
– deregulation
– subsidies
– tax loopholes
They buy access. They buy influence.
And when necessary, they buy silence.
No matter who wins the vote, the lobby wins the outcome.
It’s Not a Bug. It’s a Business Model.
We’re taught that voting is our voice.
But what happens when the choices are pre-approved by money?
What happens when both parties answer to the same donors?
When every regulation is pre-lobbied?
When the economy is run by the few and paid for by the many?
Then we aren’t living in a democracy.
We’re living in a managed marketplace.
And the customers don’t get to write the rules.
“Elections are supposed to be an expression of will — not a demand for submission to manufactured choices.”
— Edward Snowden
🩸 Truth Over Tribalism
This isn’t about red or blue.
It’s about the money that owns them both.
It’s about a system where billionaires write the laws,
corporations fund the campaigns,
and lobbyists run the show.
We don’t need new slogans.
We need new structures.
Because the lobby will keep winning—until we stop playing by their rules.
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