I am sick and tired of our so-called “leaders”, and what they have done to our country. Our hard-earned money is being spent left and right to fund a war we should never have started, and to bail-out financial and insurance companies that wound-up in debt that they could not repay. So, what does our government do? It gives them loans totaling billions and billions of dollars to help them get out of their greed-driven messes.
To me, we have been robbed. Our country has taken our money, along with our hopes and dreams, and flushed them down the toilet of big business. We have staggering debts: 5.7 trillion national debt, and 9.7 trillion foreign debt. What the hell are we working with? The $85 billion loaned to AIG did not come from a “rainy-day” fund. No, it comes from the budget (if we have one), which already has all the funds allocated to programs and departments. Now, of course, those budgeted funds are in short supply.
Our politicians, and our current administration have taken us for all we are worth. We are all suffering as a result. Many of us are on the brink of financial ruin, if not already there. For most of my adult life, I have watched as our legislators have fiddle-farted time away in the halls of congress and accomplished very little or nothing to protect the interests of this country and its population. It is apparent that this lack of elected duty should be considered criminal, and all those elected to “run” our nation should be arrested, and held for trial. The charge should be negligence. I, as a health professional, can be fired for negligence if I fail to deliver the proper care to my patients, and so it follows that our politicians should be held accountable as well. Merely voting them out of office does not suffice. They must take responsibility for their inaction and ineptitude.
Our nation is on its knees right now, and the revolver is pointed at its head. And what do we do to help restore order and calm, and work at fixing the problems? We point fingers, lash-out with multiple prevarications, and generally sit back and do nothing. If this is how our “leaders” handle crises, God save us if we do have some sort of cataclysmic event happen.
All these brave men and women would probably go running for the nearest cave.
I am so disgusted and ashamed of my country. It has become a bastion for inept politicians, and corrupt businesses that supplant patriotism with the bottom line. Profit has become the one and only thing idolized by these businesses, and our politicians have facilitated the attainment of that profit by enacting legislation that fomented their greedy ways. The people be damned! Pray and genuflect to the all-mighty profit god, (the dollar) because, after all, the attaining of more and more wealth is the maxim by which they live.
My father, a Russian immigrant, with some college education behind him said to me several times that the “only thing that would get this country into trouble was the all-mighty dollar”. How keen of him! How perceptive of a man with just a few years of college behind him! In my youth, I did not pay much heed to his words. Now, however, I revel in their genius, although it does not make me feel better.
My love of this country is waning. It has left me hollow and hopeless. My bootstraps are all broken or missing. The greatest challenge I face now is how to regain the spirit and ambition I have lost . I am all but defeated. I am being attacked from all sides: financially, emotionally, mentally and even physically (the latter due mostly to age). I am at a point in my life where starting over is not an option. I have neither the will nor the gumption to redo my life. I am sure I will survive, but I will never be the same. I will never look at my government for help, as they will not be there. They have abandoned us, and left us to muddle-through on our own. It has become a one-way street: Our government asks everything of us, but offers nothing in return. I do not quite yet fear our government, but that fear is lurking ominously in my mind.
It may be that the fear is one of a total lack of confidence in the people elected to carry us through times of crisis, and not so much a fear of bodily harm. Which is worse?
Washington D.C. is totally out-of touch with the rest of the United States. It cannot be expected that men and women, who are so far removed from the life experiences of average men and women be in charge of their welfare. The thugs in D.C. have achieved that at which the old Soviet Union, and indeed Osama Bin Laden have failed. I am not quite sure, but I will bet anyone that Osama Bin Laden is dancing a jig right about now, and he had no hand in it. We did this all to ourselves. This country was once thought to have streets “paved of gold”. Now, we are lucky that we have streets paved or unpaved. Our infrastructure is crumbling at a geometric pace. Soon we shall be wanting for most of the basics: food, water and electricity. Either they will become unaffordable, or they will be lacking.
Two quotes seem very apropos: “The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction is the first and only object of good government”----Thomas Jefferson.
And, “A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves”----Edward R. Murrow. I do not know which of the above quotes will eventually become my standard, but I am more hopeful that it will be the one by Thomas Jefferson.
In its inception, this nation was conceived by men, who were willing to sacrifice their fortunes and even their lives in order to found a nation which would be the envy of the world. Now, we find ourselves governed by men, who will sacrifice nothing of their own, only the wealth and well-being of others. These types used to be referred to as leeches. I believe them more to be a scourge. At this point in time, I would have to consider carefully whether or not to piss on one of them should they be on fire. Our founding fathers did not prevaricate. They were gentlemen of honor and dignity. Our present-day officials are not deserving of honor, and they have no semblance of dignity.
They have sold us out to the highest bidder (corporate lobbyists and special interests). In my estimation, this voids their elected trust. They do not serve anyone but themselves.
The mall in Washington D.C. should be adorned with a myriad of stocks, into which the thugs in D.C. should be placed.. I would gladly supply all the rotten vegetables one would want to hurl at them. Take note: My income is limited, so contributions of any wilting veggies would be welcome. After a week’s worth of pelting, these ingrates should then be tarred and feathered and driven out of town on a rail. This would give me great pleasure, although it would not remedy any of my current predicaments.
Ted Kennedy said. “When will the greed stop?” I am not sure, but given the current tide, I would say “never”. How sad it is to see this nation down-for-the count. And how sad it is that the ones delivering the knock-out punches are our elected officials. How can people entrusted with our future be so recalcitrant to our needs? It is repulsive and repugnant. It causes one to retch! What will be our cathartic?
