Corruption is something that exists in both government and business and of course it is a crime. But what happens if that corruption is legal. Here are some examples.
1) Government Contracting: This one is a very simple form of corruption that costs tax payers lots of money. For instance, when a contract for a new bridge is put up, the government can specify who and what businesses can bid. They can limit it by: if the business is union, if they make a certain amount of money per year, exist within a certain region of the country or the world, or they can simply say they are allowing bidding for the contract, but choose the one they had in mind anyway through collusion. Basically, the government can shut out anyone they want if they do not meet the requirements they specify thus making it easier to support the contractor they want.
2) Licensing: Governments license individuals under the guise of protecting the consumer, but in actuality these laws just protect those already working. It can cost thousands of dollars to get a license, not to mention the training the individual may be forced to take. For example, it can take up to a million dollars for a cabby to get a medallion which would let him operate his own business. However, because it costs so much to get a medallion, the cabby is forced to work for a company that rips into his/her profits. Licensing helps protect established businesses prosper while shutting out competition which in turn drives up cost. Do certain occupations need to be licensed, sure, but not hair stylists, picture framers, florists and the like? In fact, if the licensing process was limited to just the occupations where it counts, then many more people would be able to go into business for themselves.
3) Accreditation: Like licensing, accreditation protects the establishment. It has already been shown that colleges do not turn out lawyers, they turn out people called lawyers with no actual experience who have to be retrained by the firm they hopefully end up working for. Likewise, teaching does not require a master’s degree, let alone a bachelor or even an associate’s degree for that matter as it has been shown high levels of education do not make a good teacher. Accreditation serves the same purpose as licensing, to prevent new workers in a particular field from flooding the market to keep the price of goods and services high. It also serves the purpose to drive up college costs. Yes colleges are part of this corruption as where else can you get accredited, but a college. You have to go through the high costs, and take classes you don't need to achieve your degree, but you end up in debt up to your eyeballs. So banks get a cut too. It is a vicious and despicable form of corruption.
4) Tax Breaks, Credits and Deductions: The tax code also serves to aid in corruption. It allows certain companies to dodge taxation like Verizon and General Electric (GE), but causes small upstarts who cannot afford to deal with the 22,000 page monstrosity of the tax code to be taxed to the limit.
5) Student Loans: The student loan industry established by the Federal Government is making college more and more expensive. Every time to Federal government increases the amount of money given in loans to students for education, the colleges raise tuition. In fact, with the amount of money these colleges are getting, they can afford to make 4 or even 5 star accommodations for their students. They get richer while our Federal government foolishly supports the students who will sink deeper and deeper into debt. All I can say is that if the degree is worth sinking into debt, then fine, but don't support students going to college is they are just going to end up as wage slaves for the rest of their lives.
We can see now where corruption takes place legally. Part is due to lobbying, and others are due to good intentions, but in the end it is still a form of corruption that picks winners and losers. Get rid of lobbyists you say? Well last I checked real lobbyists don't actually register as lobbyists. It's not just lobbyists, but silly notions that going to college equal a higher wage when it is those students who are highly motivated that are the ones who get higher wages irrespective of going to college. Thus, the facts are skewed. End licensing? Sure, but which ones. The obvious would be hair stylists, or picture framers and the like, but the idiots in government think we need protection from a bad hair cut. So they must be convinced. Likewise accreditation must be changed so that college is no longer a requirement for certain majors like gender studies, and other forms of sociology. Basically, colleges must be cleansed by making it that people can become teachers without accreditation in a private school, and a person can apprentice themselves to a lawyer or research scientist to learn in the field. Government contracting needs to be overhauled completely with all bidders being treated equal and those who are hired that don't do the job in budget punished. The tax code needs to be burned and replaced, and students should have their debt forgiven (note: I went to college but have no debt) as it is immoral to subjugate students or should I say young adults to a life of a debtor.
I want change that will fix the system and treat people fairly. I want to bring back social mobility and the ability for Americans to follow their dreams again. Heck, just fixing these problems decreases government and makes it easier to see corruption in the first place. It is time for actual change.
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