The problem is that politicians are not accountable to the voting public. They're supposed to be, but it's basically a big joke.
This comment from another one of today's discussions seems particularly fitting here [1]:
> > We want to make sure that the incentives of the people in power are aligned with the people who are not in power.
> This is really a tough ask. Unless decision makers, i.e., those in power, are accountable, every single day, to those not in power, decision makers will soon align themselves with private, capitalist corporations. You have a multi billion dollar arms manufacturer, oil corporations funding millions to election campaigns of US presidents. And then you have US citizens who get to vote once in five years; we also know that the voting itself can be rigged, public opinion can be swayed and etc., Now, whom do you think would the president side with? Oil corporation or US citizens? The answer is obvious!
This comment from another one of today's discussions seems particularly fitting here [1]:
> > We want to make sure that the incentives of the people in power are aligned with the people who are not in power.
> This is really a tough ask. Unless decision makers, i.e., those in power, are accountable, every single day, to those not in power, decision makers will soon align themselves with private, capitalist corporations. You have a multi billion dollar arms manufacturer, oil corporations funding millions to election campaigns of US presidents. And then you have US citizens who get to vote once in five years; we also know that the voting itself can be rigged, public opinion can be swayed and etc., Now, whom do you think would the president side with? Oil corporation or US citizens? The answer is obvious!
[1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8466080