Are you angry? Well you should be. You should be livid, that so many of the people that you elected to represent you in local, state and federal government offices have failed to do the job they promised to do when they ran for public office. They lied to you. Whether it was through “little white lies” of omission or big, rotten lies of commission, they are lies none the less.
We now have a “Liar in Chief” occupying the Oval Office. A travesty for sure, but just a symbol, the foul tip of the slimy iceberg below the surface which our government has come to represent. Perhaps not ALL government, but sadly a great deal of it.
The framers of our Constitutional Republic gave the world a magnificent experiment, a theory that had never been tried before. It was based on the concept that a free people could effectively govern themselves, without the need for a monarch or dictator to control the “great unwashed” masses.
The thing they crafted is remarkable, and has been the blueprint for many other countries’ governing documents in the years since. However, in their wisdom, they failed to add the one thing that could protect against the corruption which almost inevitably comes with the assumption of power over others. That thing was and is, clearly stated term limits for elected and appointed government office. Nineteenth century British politician Lord Acton stated:
“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
The corruption takes many forms. It may be as simple as being treated discourteously by a clerk at the DMV, who has forgotten that their customers are indeed those who pay their salary, the state just being the intermediary. However, as the level of power increases, the opportunity for corruption expands exponentially. Corrupt law enforcement personnel can quite literally threaten your freedom or your very life. Thankfully, there are very few of them out there, contrary to what the Black Lives Matter organization would have us believe.
However, it is the next level we should be most concerned about, the bureaucrats and so-called “civil servants” (who are frequently neither) placed in positions of power over our daily lives by the politicians we have elected to office. Far too many of these two classes consider themselves to be above reproach, accountable only to themselves or a small cadre of individuals above them.
Lastly there is the problem of the career politician. A classic example of that is our current president. Joe Biden has been in Government since 1973. That’s Forty-Eight Years folks! How and why that could have occurred is directly related to what is referred to as “The Power of Incumbency”. Simply put, it’s a familiar name on the ballot, and tenure in office supposedly gives the incumbent power.
What power, you ask? Well the power to be appointed to lead various congressional committees and so bring home the “pork” of federal largess to your state or district. It’s not a Democrat versus Republican thing, either. It’s how we get a “Bridge to Nowhere” built at great expense in Alaska or billions spent on uncompleted public works projects all across America. Ever noticed how many overpasses which don’t have roads attached to them exist along our Interstate Highway System?
So, that gets people like Biden into our highest office, even though he has lied about his political record and educational accomplishments, and been involved in some pretty shady deals which benefited him or his family members. The sad thing is that he is not alone. There are dozens, perhaps hundreds or even thousands of these corrupt politicians who inhabit the “Swamp” inside the Washington Beltway and statehouses around the country.
It would be comforting to think we can just vote them out of office, but the November election should prove to the most jaded amongst us that isn’t going to happen. Wittingly or unwittingly, politicians become part of the system so many originally ran for office to eliminate. So, “We the People” must correct the problem ourselves. How? Well, here’s a suggestion.
We must support political primary candidates who will pledge not to serve more than two terms in office. Four years in some cases (Congressional Representatives), Eight years as Governors or Mayors, and Twelve years as U.S. Senators. It would be preferable if ALL federal political and judicial office terms were for four years, but that would require Constitutional Amendments, almost impossible to achieve.
To do the above would restore faith in our political system which is now almost totally lacking. It would bring new blood and new ideas into politics, which would not be beholding to any interest group, or at least less so than is now the case. Yes, we will lose some good people if this system is implemented, but we would get rid of many more bad ones. If people want to remain in politics, then run for other offices, but they will have to demonstrate honesty, character and competence to be successful in those endeavors.
If the 2020 election cycle taught us anything, it is that the present system is broken and must be totally revamped to restore it to what the Founding Fathers intended. To do less would be like using bandaids to close up an open heart surgery.