this post was submitted on 15 May 2026
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politics

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[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 7 points 5 hours ago

Does it also block them from executing stock trades and polymarket bets?

[–] echolalia@lemmy.ml 34 points 17 hours ago (3 children)

What is this supposed to do exactly? Hurt only the senators that aren't independently wealthy / doing insider trading?

We're supposed to pretend most of them are there for the paycheck and not the power?

[–] BeMoreCareful@lemmy.world 6 points 9 hours ago

Yeah, this sounds like a better idea than it may actually be.

I'm also no really appreciating the president that they'll get paid when they do what we want.

There's a fine point hidden in there that I don't Love.

[–] ripcord@lemmy.world 4 points 9 hours ago

And by "power" of course you mean "bribes"

[–] minorkeys@sh.itjust.works 13 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

Any senator not taking bribes, or insider trade, or already wealthy, are now financially stressed during a shutdown. More war on the working class by the wealthy. If you haven't noticed, the wealthy are driving changes they've long desired while they can.

[–] Armok_the_bunny@lemmy.world 34 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

I would rather a government shutdown result in a near immediate general election for every single senator, representative, and the president and vice president, but that would require a whole extra constitutional amendment and this fine for what is realistic.

[–] FurryMemesAccount@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago)

This is not what a pay freeze achieves.

Almost all of them are independently wealthy stock traders.

This precisely weakens the senators who are working class enough to need the salary.

[–] deegeese@sopuli.xyz 87 points 21 hours ago (4 children)

It sounds good, but ends up hurting only the senators who aren’t filthy rich.

Doing a Papal conclave would force them to come to a fair agreement because the ones taking bribes would have to suffer too.

[–] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 24 points 20 hours ago

That‘s going to be younger democrats. They‘re more likely to be independent women or minorities that probably won‘t have the money or financial backing the typical white male republican will have.

[–] originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com 10 points 20 hours ago (2 children)

they literally have laws to allow themselves to insider trade the stock market. which poor senators are you talkin about here?

[–] ShaggySnacks@lemmy.myserv.one 20 points 20 hours ago

The Senate has banned insider trading.

The House welcomes insider trading.

[–] WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world 10 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago)

Yeah, capitalism has wholly captured and groomed the worst of the political class to the state and federal level, and everyone's still acting like the average politician is just some ineffective idealist, instead of a white collar criminal positioned because they were corrupt.

It's like how people still default to "won't someone think of the small businesses and competition" when regulations are mentioned. Everyone still acts like it's the 50's and we still have mom & pop style small businesses, when capitalism has already destroyed the lions share of small or family owned businesses, and achieved a functional-monopoly in every major industry.

The last century of corporate propaganda was a roaring success.

[–] inb4_FoundTheVegan@lemmy.world 3 points 19 hours ago

If we did this for everything, it would also be a defecto requirement to be fairly young.

Of course limiting our repsentation to only the able bodied is inherently undemocratic, but goddamn I am tired of these octogenarians deciding policy they don't understand or have to live with.

[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 1 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

Why would we send them to Italy..

[–] BarbecueCowboy@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

I get that the above poster was just referring to the isolation part... but maybe we do exile them to another country and lock them in a room until they agree.

[–] KingOfSleep@lemmy.ca 2 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

Or maybe just lock them in a room.

[–] robocall@lemmy.world 19 points 17 hours ago

Now ban congressmen from stock trading

[–] originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com 30 points 20 hours ago

hahahah this is like when ceos take that 1$ salary... you know it aint about the fucking salary.

[–] EmpireInDecay@lemmy.ml 13 points 20 hours ago

A meaningless gesture while that sweet lobby money keeps rolling in.

[–] switcheroo@lemmy.world 5 points 19 hours ago

And is this shit supposed to make them look good all of a sudden? We're going to just forgive and forget the treason they commit/allow to happen on a daily basis?

No, I dont think so. Bunch of cockgobblers, riding a demented old fuck to hell and dragging all of the rest of us down with them. I bet the sycophants on Fox are praising them like mad too.

[–] imahappyguy@lemmy.world -1 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Gentle reminder that the US pays ~$100M/yr to their congresspersons. What an insane waste of money.

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 4 points 16 hours ago (2 children)

I mean between the House and the Senate you're looking at upwards of 500 people, or ~$200k per person per year. That's senior software developer money, which if anything is too low for the highest authority of the current global hegemon.

[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 1 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago) (1 children)

If you're an anarchist then I guess the view is that they're all superfluous. And that money would be better spent being given to direct action.

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 1 points 5 hours ago

I mean sure but "how to build the best possible society" and "how to build the best possible capitalist society" are different questions with different answers. The state is/can be superfluous under socialism, but under capitalism it's an unavoidable arena for fighting over political power, and the less political leadership is paid the more that arena is rigged in favor of the rich. Also you could multiply those hundred million dollars by ten and it'd still be a rounding error in the wider US government budget, so it's not like that money is actually competing with anything.

[–] imahappyguy@lemmy.world 2 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

I disagree they should be paid that much. But software developers work significantly more than Congress. More days, more hours. In addition, when was the last time you were able to speak with your rep personally in recess? Never for me. My wife works 80 hrs at the peak of her busy season, and I'm supposed to pretend her job is worth less than Congress? A senior manager at her firm, one step away from partner, is worth less than a Congress person. I disagree.

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 1 points 9 hours ago

It's not about worth; it's about opportunity cost. Worse paid people are easier to bribe. It just shouldn't be possible to buy off people with that much authority with a luxury cruise or a cushy K-street job. You can't do that with, say, the CCP and it shows.