Getting paid shills to rep your interests for you is sleazy when not done transparently, but I would not say it’s malice. It’s manipulation. Manipulation in the world of politics is as common as air, and if manipulation is malice all of politics is malice.
Of course we don’t want to be manipulated. Just like no boxer wants to be knocked out. But if a boxer gets knocked out, that’s just how boxing works and it’s not malicious. Politics is a contact sport like boxing. Politics is dirty. It will always be dirty.
I usually don’t assume malice what can adequately be explained by copium
Getting paid shills to rep your interests for you is sleazy when not done transparently, but I would not say it’s malice. It’s manipulation. Manipulation in the world of politics is as common as air, and if manipulation is malice all of politics is malice.
Of course we don’t want to be manipulated. Just like no boxer wants to be knocked out. But if a boxer gets knocked out, that’s just how boxing works and it’s not malicious. Politics is a contact sport like boxing. Politics is dirty. It will always be dirty.
I don’t assume manipulation what can be explained by copium either
Assuming the most benign motivations is copium and hopium.