[45749] in Cypherpunks
Re: Political Cleanup program
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (James M. Cobb)
Thu Dec 21 13:04:44 1995
Date: Thu, 21 Dec 1995 11:54:38 -0500 (EST)
From: "James M. Cobb" <jcobb@ahcbsd1.ovnet.com>
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Cc: jimbell@pacifier.com
Friend,
On 12 17 95 jimbell@pacifier.com proposed
...a system...that would "blind" campaign donations as to
their source: The donor could be satisfied that his dona-
tion gets to the candidate or cause, but the candidate could-
n't know who actually paid the money (and the donor would
be unable to prove that he made a donation...).
Let's analyse:
A gives B what B wants (money) so that B will give A what A
wants (whatever).
A knows B got the money.
A can't prove he gave the money to B.
B knows he got the money.
B can't be sure that A gave the money.
So, depending on time, place, and circumstance; and assum-
ing B's elected:
B will not give A what A wants
OR
B will give A what A wants
For instance, if...
A gives the money but dies before B gets elected.
A gives the money but gets sent to the Balkans.
A is a nobody.
...B will not give A what A wants.
For instance, if...
A gives the money but B's already in debt to him, and the
baloon payment's due.
A gives the money and A's appointed head of an office where
B's relatives "work."
A is the main man in town.
...B will give A what A wants.
Some things are known by some people whether they're entered
on the books or not.
I agree with the proposer that his system
...would change politics as we know it.
Flexible corruption is best.
Cordially,
Jim
