So lobbying (aka legalized bribery) is the problem.
I don't see how it's Google's fault.
I don't see how it's Google's fault.
We have a system that literally mandates bribery. It's nuts. First step: campaign finance reform. There was a nifty proposal that got posted to HN a while ago, but it fell off the front page in minutes.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6461076
The idea is to give partial public funding to campaigns through $100 tax rebates to individual donors. The bill appears to be the usual "campaign finance refrom + next year's loophole" junk, but it's teeth sink in (loopholes slam shut) when campaigns want to take advantage of individual rebated contributions. It's actual reform dressed in fake PR-reform's clothing, trying to fly in under the radar. I'd love to see it get a chance.
A brief interview with Al Gore discussing modern politics that addresses this: http://www.theatlantic.com/video/archive/2013/10/al-gore-on-...
The playing field should be level. If Google stops the lobbying, their competitors won't.
The system is rotten, it's not Google's fault they have to use the faulty system or die.
Hence, government's job is to limit how much damage evil can do.
They suck at this.
My point about shared/abstracted responsibility wasn't meant to defend or absolve anyone personally, but if you ever ask yourself how [CEO or board member of your favorite villainous corporation] sleeps at night, that was an attempt to explain it in broad terms. If responsibility is seen as shared, humans seem to have an increased psychological ability to internally deflect blame from themselves, in addition to the perception in some cases that they personally will not be punished or fined, rather the abstract corporation will. This in turn reduces the disincentive for behavior that they might not otherwise engage in.
If you'd prefer to believe instead that the problem is that people are running said corporations are simply evil to the core, feel free, but what do you plan to do about that? I tend to think any attempt at a solution should start with reducing the effect of corporate money on legislation and other areas of politics.