The Corrupt, Dysfunctional Mess We Call the Federal Government

A Salon headline asks, “The Secret Service’s Mind-blowing Abuse of Power: Why do Government Agencies Keep Spying on Lawmakers?” The article focuses on a report from Homeland Security detailing how Secret Service employees hacked into private databases in an effort to find and leak intimidating and embarrassing information about a vocal critic of the agency, Chair of the House Oversight Committee Jason Chavetz.

The answer to Salon’s headline question is very simple, government agencies spy on lawmakers to intimidate them and keep the money pipeline flowing into their agencies’ coffers. It’s a form of blackmail, and it works extremely well. Despite the occasional outburst of indignation when the spooks get publically caught with their hand in the cookie jar, the system in place to keep elected officials quiet and generous runs smoothly. Heck, no one even knows exactly how much money Congress gives our surveillance agencies because it’s all top secret, you understand.

Everyone has skeletons in their closets and, if you’re a Congressperson, you are acutely aware that the NSA, CIA, Secret Service and other organizations have access to every detail of your past, and won’t be afraid to reveal it if necessary. So, when funding time rolls around, you’re more than happy to give our spies whatever they desire.

This is definitely not the type of check and balance our forefathers had in mind.  In fact, they would be appalled at what only nominally passes for a federal government in the United States. The Supreme Court is in the clutches of partisan ideologues beholden to the one percent, the executive branch (since George Bush) has given itself unprecedented powers to wage war any damn place it wants and murder anyone it pleases, and Congress is a dysfunctional mental asylum made up of half-wits and demagogues who are the property of America’s billionaires.

The “why” in the Salon headline is simple to answer, but the “how,” as in how do we fix the corrupt mess we call our government, is nearly impossible to answer without some very drastic changes.

Congress Pays Fealty to its Masters

The United States Congress is home to a large community of corrupt, self-serving, money-grubbing psychopaths who have pledged their allegiance to the 0.01 percent and have no interest in the needs of their constituents. This past week they made an offering to their masters by voting to repeal the estate tax, which mostly benefits the heirs of billionaires. Why not let the next generation of elites know who they can count on to fight for them?

Citizens United opened the bank vaults and we are now watching the corporate funded puppets dancing to their masters’ tune. The Koch’s and friends are buying Washington as a gift to their children. It’s a lot better than a pony.

Many Americans can see what’s happening to our government, but many others cannot, and they seem to make up the segment of Americans who actually go to the polls and vote. Will we ever be able to convince this older, white demographic that they are voting against their best interests? Probably not, and we will all suffer as a result.

What will it take to inspire the rest of the country to take action? That remains to be seen.

America’s problems are obvious. Solutions, not so much.

A research article soon to be published in Perspectives on Politics comes to the conclusion that the sun is hot. Oh, sorry. The paper actually finds that the wealthy and special interest groups in America have a strong impact on government policies, while the average person has almost none. The authors of the study note that when placed against the interests of the rich, “it makes very little difference what the general public thinks.”

Surprising as it sounds, those of us who make less than seven figure yearly incomes had a hunch that was the case. And thanks to the unjustices on the Supreme Court, we’ve handed the elites even more opportunities to buy the politicians and policies they want. Aren’t you frustrated knowing what the problems are in American, but being powerless to do anything about them? I know I am. What good is writing your congressperson when you know that they really don’t care what you think?

It’s a gloomy, cold Minnesota Sunday, and I am in a mood to match.