Help me here - why is bribery bad?

[closeupready]

From Merriam-Websters:

>>1bribe
noun \ˈbrīb\

: something valuable (such as money) that is given in order to get someone to do something
: money or favor given or promised in order to influence the judgment or conduct of a person in a position of trust <<

While the Merriam Webster definition of reality does not equal the legal definition, for purposes of this question, it serves to illustrate how fundamentally corrupt our government has become since the days when the Founding Fathers wrote bribery into the Constitution as a crime so bad, that it was grounds from impeaching the democractically elected President (see Article II, Section IV).

Given that money has been declared equivalent to speech in the US today, then I'm struggling to understand how anyone can claim bribery is bad, since it's basically the same thing as what goes on in our elections today.

Thoughts?

[Skidmore]

1. Today's system has legalized bribery and

is an abomination. Because something is doesn't mean it should exist.

[closeupready]

3. Completely agree, but what I'm getting at is this:

That it seems like talk about bribery is tautological, or circular - 'why is bribery bad? because bribery is bad. Why? Because.'

I suppose I've always been an idealistic one who seems to think that if people would just think a little, they'd throw all these bums (who aid and abed the legalization of bribery) out to the gutter on their butts. Of course, that never happens.

[cherokeeprogressive]

2. It literally guarantees "Them that gots, gets more".

[closeupready]

6. It's noteworthy, don't you think, that the last major bribery prosecution

was Abscam, in the early 80's. Even though anecdotally, I think most of us here would agree that bribery is so much worse today than it was then.

[Wounded Bear]

4. Because I can't afford to do it, maybe...

[closeupready]

7. It's an interesting thing to consider, 'if I were that rich,

would I do this, too, knowing that it's legal but unethical?' I'd like to be in a position of actually having that discussion with myself, lol.

[treestar]

5. Because the government should treat all equally

The rich should not get any advantage there. They have enough already.

[FSogol]

8. Bob McDonnell is that you?

[closeupready]

9. LOL

[Warpy]

10. How many billions do you have to play with?

Back when Stupid was in office, the price tag was a million dollars for unrestricted access to a Republican congressman. They announced that fact and nobody seemed to give a shit.

When you don't have a million dollars to buy unlimited access, that's when you begin to see a bit of a problem. Your Congressman has no time to devote to the people who put him into office with all the lobbyists out there paying to play. He hears nothing but what rich men want, the rich men who can afford the access.

And you, my poor befuddled citizen, can go piss up a rope. You have no representation in government because you can't afford to buy any.

That is what is wrong with bribery.