should government officials be banned from making decisions where self interest is involved?

Question

War, the environment, employment conditions, our very way of life is a direct result of what politicians have as their agenda.

Do you think a politician who has financial gain in an issue be barred from voting for or promoting self interest

Answer 1

yes and moreover be punished

Answer 2

First off, "Saul", Cheney no longer has an interest in Haliburton (which is not an 'oil' company). He sold all of his Haliburton stock prior to the 2000 campaign. Remember, the Democrats kept
complaining that Cheney shouldn't own stock in the company while he's a candidate (this was well before the election), so he sold his stock... the Dems than complained that he (GASP) made money when he sold his stock.

Haliburton, btw, received a number of awards from the Clinton administration for their work during those years... so they obviously know what they're doing there.

Also, Michael Moore owns more Haliburton stock than Dick Cheney does.

You might have gotten Cheney mixed up with Algore, who owned stock in Occidental Petroleum, and then arranged a few sweet deals for them when he was Veep (Gore said his mother actually 'owns' the stock, not him).

Hillary Clinton also owned stock in a number of 'big Pharmaceutical" companies, but then, when she was put 'in charge' of health care while she was First Lady, she started bad-mouthing and criticizing these very companies, knowing that her actions would drive the stock prices DOWN...turns out, she sold short, and made a bundle by doing that.

But a previous answer is correct...theoretically at least, elected officials typically have their assets put into a 'blind trust', so that they're supposed to have no idea where their investments lie. People like the Clintons don't always follow those rules though. Neither did Dick Gephardt or Tom Daschle...

Answer 3

In Australia, all decisions have to go through the parliment and debated by all members. Even if the party leader has a strong influence on its party members, the decisions is still debated regardless.

In america, laws has been passed where George Bush can directly declaration war on countries with very little intervention. How is that democratic?

So, no decisions must not be made by few individuals.....as self-interest can be diluted this way.

Answer 4

The most important feature that is expected of any politician is to be neutral, even if his personal interest is at stake. But todays generation of politicians lack this quality.

What has complicated this things is that the present generation of politicians are business owners before becoming politicians. In the past business owners are diffent from politicians and most of them never venture into politics. But in any society where the bussiness owner is also a politician in high office, there is no way his decission would be impartial, where his interest is at stake.

Answer 5

Career offiicals already are, except for their onward employment, which can often compensate them for decisions favorable to a government contractor.

I my last year of government, I had to go to a lecture on how I couldn't work for anyone vaguely involved in anything I was doing. Ha. Totally unenforced and unenforceable. But I went to graduate school instead, and I didn't have to address the issue morally or legally. And I wasn't in a policymaking or purchasing position anyway.

But shamefully, elected politicians and senior appointees have ways around this. Do you really think that Cheney is finished with Halliburton, that he won't be cashing in his chips for billions for that war he started in Iraq on their behalf?

Answer 6

unfortunately, it is human nature to do what is in their own best interest.
although most of us try to do what is good; we base our decision on what we think is best.
even a well meaning politician can make the wrong decision.
look at the political history of the world
on a side note; if you disagree with how they are voting, vote them out. by not voting, you actually allow them to stay in power because there was no one who supported the other guy

Answer 7

They are not supposed to vote on anything where they have a conflict of interest. But, we see how many actually follow the rules.

The problem with attempting to ban them is that they are the ones making the rules. So, why would any politician limit their ability to cheat?

Answer 8

Administrations put everything into a Blind Trust, just like Bush and Cheney did.
However, politicians like Clinton still get slimy:
turning the Lincoln Bedroom into a expensive motel for friends.
And accepting money from Chinese for military secrets and taking money from drug lords.

Answer 9

for sure, no baby-kisser, regardless of being "outed" and then apologizing after the actuality, could ever own as much as serving their own activity relatively than the conventional public activity. regrettably, there are sparkling own ties that take place in lots of baby-kisser's histories that create conflicts of activity. Take, as an occasion, Dick Cheney's dating with Halliburton. notwithstanding, the main deadly difficulty in politics right this moment is in all possibility the flexibility that lobbyists have over some politicians. on an identical time as some politicians won't precisely be "self-serving," the undeniable fact that lobbyists can throw money at politicians and then carry the promise of destiny money and help over their heads in return for political favors endangers politicians' objectivity and accountability to the conventional public. this is very authentic contained in relation to the media, who without postpone administration baby-kisser's "face time" on the air, consequently with the help of extension, their point of exposure, attractiveness, and acceptance.

Answer 10

Look at Dick Cheney. He still has an interest in an oil firm that was operating in Iraq. Furthermore,Cheney also helped that company get the contract. Not only was it unfair to the small businesses,that company overcharged for the oil it collected from Iraqi oil wells to the U.S..

Answer 11

The truth no body knows is , the government officials are a hidden scientists , they are really work days and nights and no body care......
They really squeezes their minds trying to find best ways to do things , they are really nice people , but the real problem is ....
We are the mice to the experiment !! ..... :)