Nothing But Rot In The Barrel
by Thomas D. Segel (10/21/11)
Harlingen, Texas, October 20, 2011: Here in Texas we have an age-old joke about politicians. It goes something like this; “Politicians are so crooked that when they die you need to screw them into the ground.” This may not be completely true, but our political class doesn’t take up very much space in the cemeteries.
Politicians have been robbing the American people, almost since the founding of this country. The taxation imposed on this nation has constantly been designed to take the property of one faction with the objective of enhancing another faction, or endearing the politico in the eyes of the group he or she was seeking to impress.
Both political parties have twisted and distorted the truths related to other nations or enemies to lead us into wars. These wars, all fought by average American men and women who served in the spirit of patriotism, were in reality ploys by the political class to enrich themselves and their supporters across the nation in industry and supply. If you think not, look at the wildly impossible profits gained by manufacturers of everything from weapons to shoes. Look at the former elected officials that end in as high-ranking executives in industry, once they leave political office. Think of the former congressmen and women who are now lobbyists and still seeking money and favors from the body in which they formerly served. We might add one other thought…how many members of Congress have left office with less money in their pocketbooks than when they arrived?
Historically we have talked about the Robber Barons of our country, but in doing so have failed to condemn the additional Robber Barons we have placed in elective office. We have allowed them to steal from the public purse in so many different ways that correct tabulation is almost impossible.
These employees of the people who have made Congress their habitat are allowed to fund their continued employment with money turned over to them by other people. They decide their own pay scale. They vote their own wages. They make up the rules by which it is almost impossible to remove them from office. They investigate their own crimes and misdeeds. They decide their own healthcare and retirement. They even determine their own holidays, vacations and work schedules. When all of these elements require some form of payment, they arrange for the American people to write the checks.
Dishonesty in one form or another exists in almost everything that transpires in Congress. Do you really think they are working on your behalf? What a joke. Every problem this country is facing exists because of some action by Congress or the Executive Branch. If they were true representatives of the people they would have already fixed the multitude of mistakes plaguing the country. They could solve the debt, the unemployment, the unworkable and unmanageable government programs and all those other sins of commission and omission by just working together for the benefit of all Americans. Instead, one side will never agree with the other, solely because it might give their opponents the upper hand in a conflict.
We have thousands of pages of totally impossible tax law that should be refined into a simplistic single page document, but the Bad Apples we have placed in Congress will do nothing to improve it, knowing it might give the other side a bigger vote. We have Medicare and Medicaid that are failing and almost unsalvageable, but if they were truly fixed, the other party might gain win the advantage.
There is Social Security that is a bottomless pit, primarily because Congress stole all the funding and spent it on pet projects, while at the same time telling America the money was all in a “lock box”. They won’t tell the truth about the program or even fit it because each side wants to preserve its own special share of senior voters. If they would truthfully fix the program and those voters might balk.
The list of misdeeds goes on and on into infinity. It started when the representatives of the people decided they were special and in a new class…the political elite. Two centuries ago Congress and the Executive branch of government all started out in the same barrel. They were the fresh fruit of the nation. Along the way one or two of them turned rotten…. it grew and grew. We all know what happens when you leave rotten apples in a barrel. There comes a time when they all need to be thrown out. Has that time arrived?
As the United States faces unbelievable debt and huge unemployment numbers, many of us agree with the man who once said…”What this country really needs are more unemployed politicians.”
Semper Fidelis
Thomas D. Segel
http://thomasdsegel.com/
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