I'm not a conspiracy theorist, or one of the less-grounded members of this community (you all know who you are!), and I'm not trying to make this out to be the good/bad/evil scenario, i.e. Emperor Palpatine et al. I use "government" as a collective, general term, however I felt it was apt in this context given that people strictly within the government, and maybe lobbyists to an extent, are responsible for these various decisions that have led us to this point.
No, they don't seek power for it's own sake, but the handful of objectives I listed in my last post are a sampling of what might drive an organization to pursue power fervently.

There does seem to exist a greater, definitively single-minded pursuit of lessening the civil rights of US citizens since the turn of the millennium, in an attempt to have more power over them, and while "government" at large generally fumbles over itself when it attempts to get all the parts moving together as one, I believe you can see the broader cooperation happening here. From inclusion of said US Tech companies roles, the nation-wide abuse by the police force, aggression of US border patrol agents, random TSA checkpoints on some state highways, and the statements made by the president and his staff, which only seem to serve to blow off civil concerns with one breath while granting increased power to these same entities with the next.

At this point in a country's history, it seems to me that the only thing that can change the course of an entire nation is decisive action by it's citizens on a scale that would simultaneously qualify as an act that justifies all their overreaches of power. And I don't mean in any way acts of violence, but if there were a 5-million-man-march on the capitol tomorrow to show a mass appeal for reason and demand accountability, I believe it would be used as an example of why the government is pursuing such surveillance to begin with.

Sorry this is long winded, but lastly, I wouldn't feel too bad about Obama's allegedly targeting only foreign individuals. To me that felt like damage control to appease the US populace rather than an affront to foreign nationals. They said the Exact. Same. Thing. about the Patriot Act, and that was being used to arrest US citizens for minor infractions by local law enforcement not 6-months after it was passed. Disgusting.

This would've been really funny if it was an actual lobbyist. Not trying to be mean but I'm seeing more and more people who think they can write and act because they did so in college and they own a camera. These little internet videos are becoming more professionally lit and filmed, less gooder. In other words she ain't funny.

I guess they'd never heard of hormones, antibiotics and force-feeding. Such primitive people.

As an aside. The largest pig-farm in America produces more sewage than the city of New York. Big pig farms aren't more efficient than the small ones, they're environmental disasters as well, but big pig farms can afford lobbyists to make rules more friendly for them, small pig farms cannot.

Yes, individuals within such a group pay taxes through income, land, sales and payroll; these people form the membership of an association. Any association that is engaging in lobbying activities will pay a 35% tax on those activities and a percentage of the members dues (donations) will be declared non-deductible. If you think lobbyists shouldn't pay taxes on what they do, then you clearly do not understand the economic benefit that they reap from such activities. However, the individuals are not asked to pay more taxes, they are simply not allowed to deduct as much from their income taxes. Boo-freaking-hoo!

http://www.asaecenter.org/Resources/whitepaperdetail.cfm?ItemNumber=12223

Groups applying for 501(c)(4) status are essentially requesting that donations to their group be anonymous. However, if a group is actively intervening in a political campaign, their members (donors) do not qualify for this privilege; they would be considered a 527. The IRS was scrutinizing groups asking for 501(c)(4) status because, well, that's their job. If a group applying for such status was actually a front for a political campaign or primarily engaged in media buys for election influencing (for example), then they don't qualify. Doesn't matter if you like who they are backing or not, dems da rules.

http://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Other-Non-Profits/Social-Welfare-Organizations

The one thing he didn't touch on is that marijuana is also illegal because hemp products would have been a competitor with other artificially made fibers. The major producers of those products had more lawyers, lobbyists and deeper pockets, bye bye marijuana.

I find it amazing that no one is capable of giving a straight answer. I know they're trying to cover their asses, but how about one of them having some guts and saying, "We've never taken a big bank to trial, because they'd throw so much money, and so many lawyers, and so many lobbyists into the fight that we'd be destroyed. These institutions are too big to regulate."

The fact that none of them would even try something like that suggests that none of them are in fact interested in doing what their job says they should be doing.

so...NRA has 4 million plus members right?

America has 300+ million people right?

So how come 4 seems to have more influence than 300? When are we going to ban Lobbyists?

Let the 300+ million speak for themselves. We live in the information age. If they want unfettered gun access and no enforcement, they can vote for that themselves. We don't need the NRA or ANY lobby group.

we have blogs, e-mail, youtube and countless other methods of communicating with our elected officials. Lobbyists are obsolete, so get rid of them and their influence.

... to politicians and lobbyists.

@rottenseed
you make some good points buckaroo but your post is ignoring the giant pink elephant in the room.
@Sagemind 's most excellent post gave that elephant a nod but i think it prudent to point directly at that giant hulking pustulent piece of pink elephant flesh.

shall we?
1.corporate america is NOT based on true capitalism (actual free market) but rather state-run capitalism.this translates to lower or non-existent tax revenue,government subsidies and outright bailouts.
in other words=socialism.

2.you state that a corporation has a "duty" to maximize profits.i would agree if you changed "duty" to "legal obligation".

3.this legal obligation to maximize profits has led to all kinds of inventive and clever ways to defraud the public and local municipalities,from having them pay for infrastructure to waste clean-up.the amount of money spent by public,tax-payer funds is staggering which of course=socialism.

4.corporate america has a literal army of 35,000 lobbyists in washington whose sole purpose is to manipulate legislatures to pass favorable laws (de-regulation).85% of ALL laws passed are actually written by corporate lobbyists.

5.since the abomination ruling of citizens united (fuck you alito) corporate america now has the unlimited access to our lawmakers.walmart spent tens of millions on the last election cycle,how much did you give? and who do you think those legislators are going to be listening to?
money=speech in this country.

6.a corporation is considered a person but this person has no empathy,remorse nor feelings of solidarity with fellow humans due to its very nature written into law.
otherwise known as a sociopath.

seewhatimsaying?
the corporate charter needs to be re-examined and/or re-written because what we have now is corporate welfare/socialism with all the benefits going to the top while the working class foots the bill.

vote with your wallet? sure.that would work to a point but many people are limited concerning options and walmart is the only place these folks can afford.
sometimes this economic situation is due to bad choices but more often it is just life kicking these people in the balls.

buck up and go grab some higher education?
sure...and that works how often?
im not kidding.go check the statistics.they are pathetic.
i bartend part time and there are 4 masters degrees and 8 bachelors where i work,all in different fields.ask them how their "higher education" paid off for them.
$100,000 in student debt loans all to be able to ask "would you like some cracked pepper sir"?

now lets punch that pink elephant straight in the balls shall we?
the suggestion that somehow if labor becomes organized and demands..and receives..a more viable living wage with some humane and decent benefits will somehow automatically translate into higher priced goods and eventual job loss is just corporate propaganda which originates from the reagan years.

this is absolute and utter bullshit all fed to us by the very corporations seeking to dominate and oppress its work force.

remember,it is the legal obligation of the corporate board of directors to "maximize profit" not "shoot itself in the foot".
the suggestion that somehow paying its employees a living wage translates to the destruction of the company is apocalyptic propaganda.

what has been done to the american worker is perverse.over the past thirty years we have seen the creation of either wage-slaves or debt slaves..or both.
any way you wish to look at it.we are slaves in one form or another.

i mean..just go check the numbers.
worker pay has stagnated for the past thirty years,while corporate profits have continually broken records.
do you seriously think that a unionized labor force will kill walmart?
not a chance and to suggest otherwise just indicates that the corporate propaganda has been quite effective.

walmart could pay a living wage AND offer affordable benefits and STILL would have cheap goods.
and every step of the way they would be "maximizing profits".

welcome to the united states of corporate america!
will that be cash or credit?

Lobbyist or not at the end of the day the congress sets the tax law.

The decision lays at the feet to government who pays what tax. The Democrats had full control to make changes and failed. Now Obama is bitching that Romney does not pay enough. What a fool.

In reply to this comment by ghark:
>> ^vaire2ube: why do you ask stupid questions? you're implying Obama has done nothing at all? aren't you the guy who said people who go to casinos are already rich? People like Romney pay lobbyists to have it "set up" that way. Grow up. and who do the lobbyists pay. Lol...

You have to keep in mind Liberals create reality as they go along, granted most of it is fantasy but hey at least they believe it!

>> ^vaire2ube:

why do you ask stupid questions? you're implying Obama has done nothing at all? aren't you the guy who said people who go to casinos are already rich?
People like Romney pay lobbyists to have it "set up" that way. Grow up.


and who do the lobbyists pay. Lol...

why do you ask stupid questions? you're implying Obama has done nothing at all? aren't you the guy who said people who go to casinos are already rich?

People like Romney pay lobbyists to have it "set up" that way. Grow up.

*promote banishment of legislators, lobbyists, or lackeys of dealers who support criminalization of medicinal marijuana, hemp, or any variety of cannabis sativa or cannabis Indica

american corporate media,which is owned by a dismal FIVE entities,has quietly become the number ONE lobbyist in america.
they not only facilitate the *lies of our government but are vital in the packaging and marketing to *promote those lies in an easily digestible format.

targeting a vapid and unquestioning american public,or as chomsky puts it "the stupid masses".

not only is our "fourth estate" an utter failure but an active participant in misinforming the public.