A Topic I Try to Avoid

While I try to avoid politics and speaking of politicians, sometimes you just can't ignore the 800 pound gorilla.

I am a citizen of the United States of America, born and bred. For 24 years of my time on this Earth I wore the uniform of the United States Air Force. It was something I was proud and honored to do.

Lately I've seen a few blogs which I like to read mention "I'm tired of complaining about politics, I'm not going to write about it anymore." Or words to that effect.

I get that. My mentor in the blogosphere once wrote:

I’m growing a little tired of the political blogging, and think I need to get back to more sea stories. I’m a little concerned that I’ve already burned most of my good ones last year, but I just don’t have the energy for the emotional overhead that comes with talking about the political sphere. And the kinds of people such discussion attract.

- Neptunus Lex, 07 May 2004 (Link)

I note that Lex didn't quite stop talking about politics over the years. Thank God for that, the man was too good an observer of the human condition, we would have been deprived of his insight had he done so.

I will very rarely comment upon things political within the confines of this blog. For one, it arouses too many passions. I'm not much of a talker or a diplomat. Leave me alone and I will leave thee alone.

For another, politics is a filthy business which I believe attracts the very worst types of people. Yes, there are those who go off with the idea of serving their community, their state, their nation and yes, even serving their fellow citizens. Hell I don't know, maybe they all start out that way, but I doubt it.

But I do believe that once they've eaten of the Tree of Knowledge and Power they have been changed forever. They are no longer like us. They cannot be like us ever again. Some make a good effort to "come down to Earth" once they leave office. But there I'm talking about men who have been President. A very elevated and exalted position.

The Senators and Congressmen are different, cheap actors in suits. People elevated to a position which will eventually corrupt them completely. As soon as one thinks that he or she knows what's best for the "rest of us", regardless of what the people themselves want, they have gone past being a "public servant" (as if they ever were).

Now they are become members of a new nobility. They have privileges beyond what most of us would even dream of having. And we pay for it. We are not getting much "bang" for our buck either.

When's the last time the country had a budget? If we performed at our jobs the way they perform theirs, we common folk would be amongst the ranks of the unemployed.

The real world does not reward "smoke and mirrors" accomplishments. The real world expects real results.

How do we correct this trend?

At the next election, throw the incumbents out. Send those petty royals in DC a message. We're done with your ilk. You work for us, not the other way around.

I am sick to death of our so-called leaders. They are not leading, they are pontificating, they are playing to the coiffured clowns in the media. Worst of all, they are setting us against each other.

There was a time when a liberal and a conservative could sit down and have a beer together. Watch a ballgame together. They saw things pretty much the same way, just from a slightly different perspective.

The modern political pundits want us to hate each other, so each side demonizes the other. And who wins?

The media mostly. Higher ratings gives them better advertising revenue. They profit, we get crappy government.

Throw them all out. Let's start over.