Elections as an investment

Do you think of elections as an investment?  Do you think others might?  If you don’t you may be a bit naïve.  I am called cynical from my family because I believe most people do just about everything they do for their own self-interests, which typically can be reduced to money.

All politicians have an agenda, some may be for themselves, and some may be to assist others.  Either way their agenda is what they are investing their time and money in.

But let’s take a step further back.  Elections cost a great deal of money, it is said that most politician start rerunning for their office after they get sworn in for the new post.  So the wealthy invest in politicians who can win so their power increases.

Then they can exercise their power with influencing legislation.  The legislation control allows them to control deregulation, tax policy and the rules of corporate governance.

Which ultimately this allows for the concentration of wealth and power to remain in the hands of those who already control it.  Also it allows politicians to stay in office long after they have served their usefulness to their constituents.

To allow for change, we need to have term limits, which can then end the influence of the rich and essentially reduce the costs of elections.  People will have less need to constantly campaign and collect war chests.  Also, pigs will fly without the aid of a catapult.