Watching The Politicians

As much fun as it can be watching politicians - goofing on the opposition, etc..., when I get in a certain mood, it isn't much fun at all.

We just saw the Republican's tossed from the majority in Congress in large part due to corruption. Now, we are watching the Dems take control and the big fun is seeing if the new majority leader will be Abscam Jack Murtha and if the Intelligence Committee will be headed by an impeached judge.

I don't know precisely what all that says about politics today, but whatever it is, it isn't always funny, or fun watching. And it isn't just the illegal corruption.

There's Reid and his land deals, Pelosi and her real estate - and no doubt plenty more like them on both sides of the aisle. They purport to go into government to serve the people and invariably end up serving themselves, their friends and families with sweetheart deals that, however legal, are as unethical as can be.

We send these people to Washington and they become millionaires by trading on the power we give them. Clearly all too few of them are worthy of the honor.

Make no mistake, with what happened to the R's and now what we are seeing with the D's, it'll turn off another generation from politics - convincing them that all politicians are just a bunch of selfish power hungry, small-minded crooks with no concept of what it means to truly serve.

We deserve better.

That's also why I laugh at someone like Jim Webb who was selling his ridiculous version of populism yesterday. Sure, the politicians are going to level the playing field - control markets and labor. All that would do is prevent citizens from realizing the unlimited opportunities that is America's private sector - and in the end, we'd have a bunch of rich politicians and no one else calling all the shots.

Collectivism always leads to a corrupt upper political class - the Russian and Chinese Communists are proof of that. So when some wild eyed idiot like Jim Webb comes along trying to sell you a cure, if you're smart, you'll tell him no thanks, I'll pass. Just keep your legislation as far away from my freedom, my ability to pursue wealth and happiness as you can. And if you don't America will vote you out.

That's also a big part of why small government in the form of libertarianism or conservatism always sells. If the Republicans don't get back to that, we are going to go through an unpleasant decade or two - and it's always hard to turn the clock back once the government asserts more control.

Oh well, enough of that - visit Crittenden's blog - he's obviously in a better mood laughing at Murtha and Pelosi and company and the election they face today.

Comments

[larry]

naw, it's actually worse than that. the same nation founded by giants - washington, franklin, hamilton, monroe, and all the rest - is now being run by corrupt midgets not fit to carry the piss of the founding fathers. and we accept it: we vote the oily, grubbing, filthy-dirty used-car salesmen into office. and then, thanks to the miracle of gerrymandering, they can stay there pretty much for life! if a candidate running for a gerrymandered 90% one-party seat is later found to be dirty, it doesn't even matter. byrd was a kkk'er? re-elect him. alcee hastings was impeached for taking bribes? doesn't matter. ted kennedy drowned some poor gal? pity. and later sent a letter to the kgb (!!!) asking for their help in defeating reagan? so what?

it goes for republicans, too - i just couldn't think of any as scummy as the bunch listed above right off the bat. then it gets worse. every year, the elected class passes laws that put them more & more above the law; every year, federal employees become more & more 'above' the rest of us; every year, joe lunchbox becomes less & less a citizen and more & more a serf to be ordered about. irs agents - accountants! - now carry weapons. it's now a federal crime to "tell a lie to" ANY federal agent. (even if YOU THINK you're telling the truth. that's what martha stewart went to prison for.) get arrested while carrying a large sum of cash, and it'll be confiscated unless you can prove you weren't going to use it for nefarious purposes. (you only THINK its your money) etc etc

and as for the claim that "small government sells"? it's nice to think so. a comforting thought, a ray of hope in the night....but it's just not true. what major american political party has sold this message in the last 15 years? the last republican to hammer home the message of 'smaller government' was reagan. i truly believe that he wanted smaller government with all his heart - but every year, even under reagan, the size/budget of the federal govt. got bigger. more money; more power; more authority over americans daily lives.

yeay after year, decade after decade. (apparently) till the end of time. nothing lasts forever, of course....so it'll be interesting when it collapses someday, as it must. but until then? the corrupt midgets in washington and the state houses will run this country into the ground, no matter what we the people think about it.

sounds pretty grim, don't it? i hope someone can show me where i'm wrong, where there's hope for the future. but i really doubt it.

[iu]

Humans were once 30 feet tall.

If you don't like legislation write your Congressman and tell him why.

[Phoenix]

I've watched Bush since the election and have wondered how he, or any president, stays sane. But you have to hand it to Jefferson and Madison for utter genius in the Constitution. That thing was so far ahead of its time it will live on for eons. I figure Jefferson was bi-polar and Madison was his grounding force. Together they went beyond genius into some realm of understanding that is almost inconceivable in today's stupid politically correct mindsets. Good thing they wrote it down. It keeps the rats in packs. Easier to control that way. And as long as they're feeding on each other, we get to watch the self-implosions without any of the fleshy detritus landing on us. Now, to build a better rat....

[larry]

"write your congressman". you're a funny guy, iu. yeah, that'll do me a lot of good in a district specifically drawn to be the state's "democrat" seat; where the incumbent candidate - no one of any noticable talent or integrity - won her election 68-32. yes, i'm sure my *letter* will cause her to come around.

in other gerrymandering news, i see via that newfangled 'internet' thing that new orleans' controversial representative, william "cold cash" jefferson, still has his job. the bribe money scandal HAS hurt him badly, though: he's having to go through a RUNOFF election before he gets re-elected. perhaps i should write him a **letter**, and explain to him that he's a crook?