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Culture War Roundup for the week of March 11, 2024

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OP, I like your idea but my main criticism is that it doesn't actually do enough to hold officials accountable. I'd actually go much further.

My personal belief is that entering politics should permanently cap your income and total assets - if you're a politician, you make the same income as the median worker in your constituency, and you may have a home that is worth slightly more than the median home for someone in your constituency. At the same time, you and all of your extended family members agree that your accounts can be reviewed by the public as necessary to ensure that there aren't any favours being dealt out to family members. It is an invasion of privacy, but if someone is going to adopt such an important role that's just something they have to accept.

This doesn't just give politicians skin in the game and a meaningful incentive to improve conditions for the people they represent, it also shifts the filtering on what type of people go into politics. Going into public office should absolutely not be viewed as a way to acquire financial benefits - it should be an act of meaningful self sacrifice, and while this might prevent someone like Bryan Johnson or Donald Trump from running for office, I don't see that as much of a problem.

Do this but multiply the number by like 10x. That'd at least give the income to attract the most talented people and leverage up the effect enough that they'd meaningfully feel an improvement.

Ez way to get around this is the Saudi Arabia/Jared Kusher method. All you do is promise the politician an excellent life on their dime after you retire as long as they do your bidding while in power. I'm sure lots and lots of people would accept this, I would too were the reward say $5 million a year worth of spending power for the rest of my life, paid for by Saudi Arabia in a way that the money never enters my hands and so satisfies your requirements (just take out a large suite at the Waldorf Astoria permanently).

If you're a big donor whose reputation would suffer were you to short-change your politician pawns and thus stop the next generations of politicians from coming under your thumb you have an incentive to make good on your obligations, which you will do (as Saudia Arabia did for Kushner when Trump fell from power).

This would select for low-skilled ideologues instead talented and pragmatic people. Also, the increased scrutiny might be more than counterbalanced by the increased need/incentive for corruption.

It's not clear that selecting for low-skilled ideologues is worse than selecting for high-skilled liars who are still for sale to whatever corporate bidder comes along.

you make the same income as the median worker in your constituency

Easy, levy a $100k tax on everyone who earns under $500k a year. Some say this is already happening in certain zip codes (with extra steps of course).

This provides a built-in incentive for leveling policies, which seems like a very bad idea.