Time and again, so many of our listeners tell us how frustrated they feel about our leaders, our rulers. In fact, so many of we the people feel both frustrated and angered at American politics and politicians, federal, state and local. They are a world unto themselves, and in so many ways, indifferent to the wants and needs of the voters who elected them.
So many millions of those voters feel disenfranchised. Politicians promise and no sooner elected, but those promises are broken. They become empowered and almost immediately forget about the people who gave them that power. So many claim to be independent, promise the voters that they will make sure it will not be politics as usual, he or she will never succumb to the political pressure of their party, and that this new politician will be an agent for reform, and truly represent the interests, the wants and needs of their constituents.
But then comes POTOMAC FEVER. A Congressperson gets to Washington DC and almost immediately becomes mesmerized with Potomac Power. It is as though the Congressperson was indoctrinated, and so very quickly, and it is made obvious to them that they must toe the party line, vote and legislate the way of the party and the individual promises which brought the candidate to Washington are long since forgotten, buried at the bottom of the Potomac river. They become part of the ruling class.
POWER corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, the old saying goes. These men and women, elected or nominated, become part of the ruling class, members of the Washington OLIGARCHY. They recognize almost immediately that they have become special, empowered and so often become intoxicated with this world of POLITICAL POWER. As a result, they become different, if not even better than the ordinary American citizen who elected them. This person becomes part of the ruling class, 545 who make the most important decisions for our lives, for us. They don’t ask our opinion. They care little or nothing about what we think, until election time of course, and this power, this political power begins its corruptive effect and in so many cases the corruption becomes absolute to the point where they are no longer one of us. Men and women go to Washington and state capitals in pursuit of this power, driven to make decisions for us, we the people and even for the world at large. That power becomes insatiable and like drugs, once tasted, the politicians, our rulers only want more, and more. From Congressperson to Senator. And then, President whether or not qualified. It is probable that no politician is ever satisfied unless he or she runs for and becomes the President of the United States.
Politicians who play the political game are supported by party political machines, which have deep roots among the electorate. As long as these politicians play the game, they are supported, publicized and financed by the political machine and by the wealth of wealthy donors. We the people see this political power at work over and again and it appears there is little we can do. Hence, our frustration even our anger. And we ask time and again:
WHAT CAN WE DO?
Except vote and hope. Knowing as we do that power corrupts and eventually a well-intentioned candidate – elected will become absolutely corrupted by POTOMAC FEVER.
And then comes MONEY. Lots of it. Millions of dollars pour into coffers which can be utilized by the candidate in so many different ways including even personal. Lifestyles of elected officials are radically changed. There are the best office facilities, staffing provided at the expense of our government, a large current wage and a PENSION FOR LIFE, for life, transportation, security, food, and so much else, provided and paid for by us, MONEY at work which indeed makes them different from and better than we the people. They no longer have to work as we do, for their new work is simply to tell us how we should live and what we should believe. They tax and spend our money. They spend trillions of dollars so often without accountability. They can live lavish lifestyles and in so many ways, simply do as they wish. If power corrupts, and surely it does, money and the political lust of that money corrupts as much and maybe more. When out of office, there are often lucrative jobs offered. They continue a political influence for the benefit of their private employers or themselves and so many continue to have the very best of America and perhaps even better when out of office. They were once a part of a ruling political class, an oligarchy and they continue their strong associations and affiliations with political power, any way they can. They are graduates from this rule of the few, but never separated. They are attached to the 545, the 435 members of Congress, the 100 Senators, the 9 Supreme Court Justices, and the President and they are driven to be part of this politics at work forever. Money and power corrupt and often corrupt absolutely.
And of course there is FAME. American politicians are known the world over. Some, for whatever reason, become famous immediately, like Ocasio-Cortez (AOC). From a bartender to a world–known politician at the center of the stage of the Democratic party, and that overnight no matter the qualifications. Or a freshmen Senator from California, Harris. Or Booker from New Jersey. If one, anyone becomes a media darling, reputation shoots out nationally, and then worldwide. Fame spreads for deeds well done and perhaps even further for misdeeds. Corruption, illegality, even criminal offenses seem only to enhance the reputation or the fame of the politician and so very seldom is there any real accountability. The famous, like the Obamas, can continue to exercise that certain political power in a different way, have access to tens of millions of dollars through speaking, writing and other special ways and exert that influence for individuals who have supported and are willing to pay. And the gulf between them the rulers and us, we the people becomes ever larger. The power, money and the reputation of our great country which should belong to us is usurped by them and the fruits of our democracy become theirs and not ours. In fact, our democracy is replaced by their oligarchy. Dialogue and debate are replaced by dictates and demands. We are forever told and not asked. We are in so many ways disenfranchised so that time and again, we the people ask:
WHAT CAN WE DO?
It is truly amazing in so many cases the evident EGO of a politician. There is almost always a sense of arrogance. Often the personality is indifferent, plastic, full of pretention reacting to voters and real people in a political way. There is the smile, the handshaking, the superficial conversation, time limits in dialogue, talking rather than listening, pompous political ego at work. Not all politicians to be sure, but most, THE MAJORITY. The electorate, once sought after, now so often becomes THE DEPLORABLES, the words of the prototypic politician herself Hillary Clinton. From choice and sought after voter, we the people having cast our vote become nothing more than deplorable. Harsh observations but real and true, the source and the cause of our frustration and anger. We watch our democracy erode, and even vanish and there seems little we can do about it.
At times, there are real reformers elected. Like Donald John Trump. Unliked, even hated by so many because he is so different. He despises the political establishment. He works in ways to confound. He communicates aggressively, as a real person and he is determined to expose Washington DC for all it is, to end the power of the deep state and to restore as much of traditional and constitutional America as he can in four years. Trump understands the Washington oligarchy, its lust for power. He sees how hundreds of millions of dollars, even billions of dollars are misspent and available in so many illegal ways. He understands the uncontrolled growth of ego, for he himself is possessed with ego large. The Trumpian effect is shake-up, cage-rattling and exposure at all turns. Washington DC has not seen that kind of reform in decades. But there is now a certain transparency not before. It is not politics as usual, but the unpredictable, the challenging which is so unnerving to the political status quo. But there is a certain new balance in power, more transparency with regard to money. There is change at work as some politicians seek to Make America Great Again. That change is healthy, necessary if constitutional America is to survive. The four great corrupters are undergoing change, serious change, namely:
POWER
MONEY
FAME
POLITICAL EGO
And that change is absolutely necessary for this great country of OURS. We the people must do everything possible to make that change happen.