In thinking about both government and corporate corruption in America, I've come to realize that patriots and free-marketers, respectively, are correct when they state that the American system, for the most part, has all of the mechanisms in it to heal its own diseases. So why is influence still bought, why are corporate welfare and pork the rule rather than the exception, and why do multinationals treat Third World workers like serfs and get away with it (to name only a few of the problems we have)? Well, as gloomy as I sometimes am, I am not willing to concede that the vast majority of people just don't care. I think that ignorance is the cause of nearly all of society's problems. That may seem like a statement of the obvious, but it has very practical applications that aren't sufficiently discussed. Given how widespread bad corporate behavior is, why don't most shareholders withdraw their money in protest? Well, I think that most shareholders don't have a clue what companies they own are doing. I think that most of them would be aghast at the level of corruption and the disregard for the rights of foreign workers that most corporate officers show. But most shareholders don't know about these problems or at least the full extent of them and so they can't "vote with their money" to solve problems the existence of which they are not aware.
In much the same way, American politics is sinking deeper and deeper into corruption and money is put ahead of principles by most politicians. The corruption of money and power in Washington D.C., on both sides of the aisle, would make Machiavelli smile. So why don't voters demand better than this? I don't think that the average voter has any idea how much influence is bought and how little most politicians care about conscience when it gets in the way of making money and gaining or keeping power. Now I am most definitely not crediting myself with any particular diligence in discovering the sad facts about the government and corporations. I happen to have more time to study what is happening than most people do, and so I am merely fortunate. I think that somehow, in some way, common citizens, as harried and overburdened as many of us are, need to learn more about the American power structure- both political and financial- so that we, without meaningless government based "reform", can demand better of the system from the ground up, making government and corporate power work for us rather than against us. I appreciate all replies. Thank you very much.

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"I am a Tory Anarchist. I should like every one to go about doing just as he pleased- short of altering any of the things to which I have grown accustomed." (Max Beerbohm)

The problem is that this kind of ignorance is pretty much hard-wired into the human brain. Our very condition requires us to filter out information and try to make sense out of what we have left. It is more efficient that way when you consider the brain as a machine- but the results are not as high of quality as they should be. You can apply the same characteristics to most of our institutions.
We need specialists and generalists. We need middle men. Most of all we need to maximize the flow of information between people and groups. And we need as many different people and groups as possible working on the same side, even those that are competing with one another. The problem is that to achieve perfection we need to often meet two contradictory goals. Consensus and moderation are the closest we can come.
Over all, albeit slowly, we're headed that way- as long as we don't blow ourselves up in the process.

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Unfortunately, corporate welfare has been increasing for quite a while now. This is an economic issue that intelligent people on the fiscal left, such as Ralph Nader, who coined the term "corporate welfare", and intelligent fiscal libertarians, such as one who called businesspeople who seek it "political entrepreneurs" (as opposed to genuine market entrepreneurs), agree on. It has to be stopped, but neither the Republicans nor the Democrats are serious about ending it, since they both get huge "contributions" (in reality bribes) from large corporations to keep the welfare coming.

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"I am a Tory Anarchist. I should like every one to go about doing just as he pleased- short of altering any of the things to which I have grown accustomed." (Max Beerbohm)

Whatever the heart resists, the head does not let in.
(Arthur Schopenhauer; Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung)

All great truths begin as blasphemies.
(Bernard Shaw; Anajanska)

Our knowledge is an island in the infinite ocean of the unknown.
(V. Weisskopf; Knowledge and wonder)

Many, perhaps most people, don't have the ability, time, or inclination to make independent political judgments or understand financial transactions. They rely on others - the well-informed and mentally disciplined - to collect data, weigh evidence, and balance probabilities before arriving at conclusions that can be adopted as their own.

Here's a cynical view: The majority of people have no opinions and these have to be pumped into them from outside, like lubricants into machinery.

I would state that the media could spread awareness, but corporations own most of the media and most of the media has some partisan political agenda.

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"I am a Tory Anarchist. I should like every one to go about doing just as he pleased- short of altering any of the things to which I have grown accustomed." (Max Beerbohm)

They have a predominantly liberal slant.
Liberal Movies for Liberal Thinkers

They have a predominantly liberal slant.[/quote]

I already know that, but the level of liberalism in the Democratic Party and the so-called mainstream media is not genuinely opposed to corporate dominance over society, which is why Ralph Nader is not a Democrat. Of course, as much as I admire Nader's efforts, I don't think that the government will ever greatly reform corporations because it is in the financial interests of most politicians to allow corporations to be corrupt.

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"I am a Tory Anarchist. I should like every one to go about doing just as he pleased- short of altering any of the things to which I have grown accustomed." (Max Beerbohm)

Ignorance is the fault of no one but the ignorant. Our media should simply present the facts. However the facts aren't as juicy and eye-catching as the stories they create. For instance, on AC360 on CNN they were talking of FEMA's failure. Now instead of simply stating their failure they beefed it up and even added the title: Keeping them honest.

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"There is nothing wrong with America that can't be cured by what's right with America" William Jefferson Clinton

people often take the shortest route to their goal, though it often cuts them short. we'll learn, eventually.