Some people think all the lawmakers are just actors in a scripted play. They think a few very rich people set up this play and give us a struggle to watch: Dem v. Republicans. A "puppet show" like that may be achieved a few years from now, but in 2011 you can see that a large-scale conspiracy like that still is not quite possible.
1.) Secrets are hard to keep. If the big financial interest groups were really calling the shots and the congresspeople were just actors, this would have to be a very large scale conspiracy with many people involved. Someone would blow the secret.
2.) Humans have been known to martyr themselves. Yes, even if you tell someone you'll kill him for revealing the conspiracy... humans have been shown historically to put themselves at risk based on their ideals.
3.) Yes, we still have ideals. In the ongoing battle between good and evil, there may be a lot of conspiracies, but... good is not entirely dead yet.
MANY government officials are bought and paid for, sure. And that is why we need people like Elisabeth Warren, Obama, Bernie Sanders... fearless idealists willing to poke the beast in the eye.
Do you get it? Good is not entirely dead yet! It is not realistic to think no one would disrupt the puppet show.
**** Also, here is a gift you can get for your kid. It'll help her in school....
