Quote Originally Posted by Eric C. View Post
I think the best regulator ever is the law. As long as big businesses don't mess with the law and human freedoms (also prescribed in the law), they should be left alone. And the law, among all the other things, has to make sure all businesses are run in the same environment with no particular advantage for any of them. That's the only type of interaction between the government and businesses - through reasonable laws that help create healthy business environment.

The type of bribes, the legal one that you mentioned is actually very hard to track and prove it's actually a bribe. I agree that it could result in undesirable consequences, but you cannot forbid making donations, and you cannot tell a particular senator whose side to take even though s/he represents you. So, this is an open question...
Laws are only effective when they are enforced. Wall Street, big oil, big pharma and military contractors have demonstrated time and again that they can circumnavigate the law with ease. As for proving the above are bribes, it's quite easy actually. But no one is going to take on the power brokers. The system has been rigged to benefit the powerful ones, not the little guy.