• Aceticon@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    Ah, yes, 4-star generals in Procurement retiring to gold-plated consulting gigs in the very companies from which they ordered $1000 paper clips and congressional members using insider info from some congressional comission or other they’re in for trading on their portfolios is all fine, it’s paying for sex that’s the real problem with holders of high level official positions in America.

    • Skyrmir@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      The bribery potential of those officials violating the laws they’re publicly supporting is the problem.

        • n0m4n@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          Hoover amassed significant power by collecting files containing large amounts of compromising and potentially embarrassing information on many powerful people, especially politicians.

      • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        True. Which is why it should be legalized and regulated. Very difficult to bribe someone with something they can just have whenever they want.

      • TauZero@mander.xyz
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        8 months ago

        They said the same thing to justify banning gays from working for the government or serving in the military.

        • Skyrmir@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          Because lies are a security risk. Which is a major part of why it’s better to allow them into service openly. No secrets from the service, no leverage for betrayal.

          • TauZero@mander.xyz
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            8 months ago

            The show For All Mankind did a good take on the problem IMO. Being gay wasn’t illegal per se, but gay people could not be employed at NASA. They still joined, but they kept their orientation hidden. Then the security forces used the justification that gays keeping secrets were vulnerable to blackmail to go on witch hunts to seek and root out gays, and to defend the decision to ban gays from employment in the first place. It was a circular argument through-and-through. The base reason has always been prejudice. Didn’t help that in the show there were real Soviet spies running around trying to find gays to extort for NASA rocket secrets.

    • n0m4n@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      “It sure would be unfortunate if someone was to send pictures to the family, bosses and the media.”

      The potential for being compromised and coerced into overlooking a few budget items is one path to this graft.