Americans have been disenfranchised with their government for decades. Federal, State and Local officials have always profited from their positions of power, regardless of whether or not the nation was doing well or just stumbling along. Unfortunately, now our circumstances are perhaps more dire than at any previous point in our history, and the American people cannot sit idly by as our elected and appointed officials rake in political graft.
The United States has been driven into the ground by officials who are easily hoodwinked and even more easily purchased by the agenda of the rich elite who do not have our best interest at heart.
Certain CEOs have gotten away with nothing less than highway robbery and the government has done everything in its power to ensure that they got even more money for their efforts. The Treasury Department ran a barnstorming campaign of fear-mongering just months ago as it pushed “the Bailout” through Congress. We were told that unless our government gave away billions of taxpayer dollars the entire global economy would collapse.
Since the passage of the bill things have only gotten worse, and not a penny of the money earmarked for struggling families has been given out. Instead, the Treasury and Federal Reserve have combined to hand trillions of borrowed dollars – which our children will one day pay back at interest – to the wealthiest of the wealthy, completely ignoring the needs of everyone else.
But the lack of leadership goes much further than the current administration or the outgoing party in power, even the new Obama team has serious holes to fill. The hand-picked choice for Commerce Secretary – New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson – was not only unqualified for the position, but he is also embroiled in a scandal which could lead to an indictment of himself and his gubernatorial office. Thankfully he is no longer being considered for Commerce Secretary.
We all know about the negligence of the Treasury in its handling of the Bailout, and we all have heard about the alleged misdeeds of Governor Richardson – and the confirmed misdeeds of Governor Blagojevich – but we overlook the others who have legally redirected the government toward their own personal gain. Very little has been said of NAFTA and NAU proponent Ron Kirk – Obama’s choice as USTR – or of Rahm Emanuel, a man who pushed NAFTA and the WTO through Congress during the Clinton Administration.
Our national problems derive much more from the unseen corruption and scandals than they do from the news that actually makes the headlines. How can our nation recover when most of its so-called “leadership” is actively representing other interests? Our politicians cater to the WTO, the United Nations, multinational conglomerates and regional governments in foisting “free trade” upon their unsuspecting nation. The American people are told that they have the right to vote, but our two-party system virtually erases any chance of getting a truly competent candidate.
Barack Obama may have proven himself to be more capable than John McCain, but why were they the only legitimate choices? Third party candidates lack the funding to even get on most ballots, and they usually cling to such polarizing and extreme ideologies that they don’t represent very good options. Thus, we continue proliferating rank incompetence and corruption by selecting one of two totally unqualified choices.
The United States is a ship without a captain, lost amid stormy seas. Our government spends beyond its means and funds itself by collecting foreign debt obligations. Our industries are unproductive, forcing our citizens to look overseas for the most basic and necessary consumption. As a result, trillions of dollars leave our economy never to return. We must do something to stop this vicious cycle before it is too late. We have two choices: 1) demand representatives who truly represent us, or 2) never recover and bleed to death in debt.
Source The Daily:
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I want to emphasize this point because I think it is an integral part of the lesson we will take away from the sordid Blagojevich affair — that of civic responsibility. Rod Blagojevich had been under investigation for criminal dealings since 2005. His connection to corrupt businessman Tony Rezko is well known. He was irascible, arrogant and crooked, and the people of Illinois re-elected him nonetheless in 2006
… Another quid pro quo scandal could be disillusioning, particularly to all the new democrats, new voters and young people who were inspired by Obama. But hope should not be lost. That same fervor which elevated the democrats to absolute power must be harnessed to excise the cancerous flesh from the body.… Democracy’s New Year’s resolutions should include a renewed focus on transparency and ethics. At a time when much of the nation is struggling to just stay afloat during a deep recession, Americans need to be able to renew their faith in those in power. Yes, political power can ultimately become a temptation to corruption for over ambitious polls, but I still believe it is possible to elect leaders with integrity. But this will require insistence upon accountability and honesty in our elected officials, and swift and decisive action against those who fail to meet that critical, minimal standard |
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