Our political system in the United States is broken and may not be able to be fixed. It is sort of like that ad that used to be on TV years ago, "Help! I've fallen and can't get up!" Am I telling you something you don't already know? It is amazing that $800 million can be spent to get elected for job that pays a $400,000 a year salary and no one in the United States even questions the system as morally corrupt. It doesn't even matter if the funds were to come from overseas to elect officials that will govern America. As a nation, we really need to start questioning..."Why would someone donate that much money to a political party of one candidate?" Do contributors really like the politics of that party or do they like the political favors more? I think it is fair to say that no one would give away anything to someone without expecting something in return. What is occurring here needs to be explored because much of what we are going through today in this depression as a nation is a direct result of unbridled buying of power and influence - lobbying.
Lobbyists groups in DC and in State and local governments, and their combined power - drowns out the voice of the individual constituent in getting the ears of elected representatives. Your voice and mine are not heard. The voices of the collective many and big money speaks louder. These lobbyists represent a myriad of group and special interests such as banks, teachers, labor unions, trade associations, REALTORs®, manufacturers, banking, finance and a host of other minion that are seeking legislation or favor over the rights of others. Actually they are looking for more than being heard, they want more of their fair share than others. More often than not, their quest is not a noble quest, it is a self serving quest and there is an exchange of value. The exchange is - "If you do this...I will do that." The pledge of membership votes and donations from the ranks and file are used to change the opinion and sway public policy. This is a buying of that power. Now even though there are limits on what can be done or donated legally - family, friends and acquaintances of those elected are showered with favor from the lobbyist groups. This occurs regularly in Washington DC, and in state and local governments and is not counted as bribery. One would assume that it is illegal to do so, but it isn't. As far as I know it is not even required to disclose what a person's children, spouses, or relatives earn as a direct result of political favors. There is no accountability or disclosure here.
The loss in all of this is that the will of the regular inhabitants and citizens of the USA are trampled over. The effect is that we are treated like 3rd class citizens and will be given the bill for a party that we were not even allowed to attend. Despite the laws on the books and ethics - corruption and power seem to flaunt its deeds. Elected officials routinely sit on committees and receive favored mortgages and favors at the real expense of both private sector and tax payer funded projects they sponsored. They have already lined their coffers with profit even before the new pork bill is signed. Does this sound like insider trading? Yep! That is because it is! Now we know why Wall Street was not overseen, and why some politicians even thwarted the Bernie Madhoff investigation years ago and allowed the worlds largest Ponzi scheme to break nations! This is deplorable, and yet it seems totally acceptable to the US public. The public at large feels that American Idol, Michael Jackson are more news worthy than current events.
The government keeps a dispondant populus at bay with nonsense like Y2K, homeland security and "Swine flu' outbreaks as they rob the bank, export more jobs overseas, lower our standard of living and have even allowed a new slave class into our nation that they want to totally ignore their immigration status despite the fact it breaks the rule of law. Politicians have learned they can totally ignore "Vox populi" the voice of the people because nothing will be done to change anything. The wolves are truly guarding the sheep, because we allowed them to do so. Are you still wondering why the nation and real estate seems broken? I don't. The mystery is solved.
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