COLUMN: Washington just doesn't get it
Washington just doesn’t get it.
The politicians and lobbyists and the bureaucracy in the nation’s capital continue to ride the gravy train of self-indulgence while the nation around them continues to crumble.
This isn’t a political party issue. It’s bigger than Democrats or Republicans. Even if Tea Party candidates grab a few seats in Congress, it won’t take long before they, too, forget about the rest of America as they further their own self-interests.
The reality is, America’s largest institutions are failing. From Congress to Wall Street to major corporations, greed and corruption are undermining the fabric of American society.
The economic crash of the past three years wasn’t due to some fluke; it was the direct result of greed, fraud, corruption and stupidity. It didn’t have to happen, but so many parts of the economic system were broken that the weight of the avarice caved in on itself.
And Congress didn’t have to put this nation into extreme debt over the last two years, but it did because of political greed.
As a result of all that, Americans have lost faith in these core institutions. The Tea Party is just a small part of the backlash; the real backlash hasn’t even begun.
And that’s a problem. Many people sense that something big is brewing in this nation — that a historic moment is at hand. Some think that will take place in November with the elections.
But even if the GOP takes Congress with the help of the Tea Party faithful, it won’t change the underlying dynamics of Washington. Both political parties are guilty of abuse and neglect — changing the hats in the seats won’t solve the problem.
Then what? What will Americans do when they discover that the Tea Party revolt failed?
This nation is a tender box today, closer to some kind of political revolution than at any time in the past 100 years. Not even the counter-culture movement of the 1960s was as volatile as today’s political atmosphere.
All it would take is some kind of major event to spark what could be a dangerous path for this country. A major terrorism hit; another crash of the Stock Market; nut-cases bent on political killings.
Or it could be non-action. What if the upcoming lame duck Congress fails to deal with the tax issue and suddenly everyone in the country is hit with a large tax hike? It wouldn’t be surprising if instead of a few hundred thousand people marching on Washington to hear Glen Beck, 10 million people flood the capital in protest.
Congress is failing, making the economic situation worse rather than better. And Wall Street learned nothing from the 2008 crash; why should they when Congress bailed them out the first time?
The real problem here is that there is no leader on the horizon who seems to have the ability to lead the nation out of this morass. It’s certainly not President Obama, who has no clue about how his leftward turn in the country has hurt. Nor is there anyone in Congress who seems to have the leadership to get that body into line where the nation comes first.
And there is pain ahead for everyone. This economic downturn has been brutal, but it would have been worse had the government not propped up so many people. The problem is, we can’t afford to prop up so many people and we are mortgaging our children’s future to do so.
There is a leadership void today and in that kind of environment, people often turn to demagogues for a solution.
We live in precarious times. It didn’t have to be this way, but both our political and economic leaders failed us.
Mike Buffington is editor of The Jackson Herald. He can be reached at mike@mainstreetnews.com.
This isn’t a political party issue. It’s bigger than Democrats or Republicans. Even if Tea Party candidates grab a few seats in Congress, it won’t take long before they, too, forget about the rest of America as they further their own self-interests.
The reality is, America’s largest institutions are failing. From Congress to Wall Street to major corporations, greed and corruption are undermining the fabric of American society.
The economic crash of the past three years wasn’t due to some fluke; it was the direct result of greed, fraud, corruption and stupidity. It didn’t have to happen, but so many parts of the economic system were broken that the weight of the avarice caved in on itself.
And Congress didn’t have to put this nation into extreme debt over the last two years, but it did because of political greed.
As a result of all that, Americans have lost faith in these core institutions. The Tea Party is just a small part of the backlash; the real backlash hasn’t even begun.
And that’s a problem. Many people sense that something big is brewing in this nation — that a historic moment is at hand. Some think that will take place in November with the elections.
But even if the GOP takes Congress with the help of the Tea Party faithful, it won’t change the underlying dynamics of Washington. Both political parties are guilty of abuse and neglect — changing the hats in the seats won’t solve the problem.
Then what? What will Americans do when they discover that the Tea Party revolt failed?
This nation is a tender box today, closer to some kind of political revolution than at any time in the past 100 years. Not even the counter-culture movement of the 1960s was as volatile as today’s political atmosphere.
All it would take is some kind of major event to spark what could be a dangerous path for this country. A major terrorism hit; another crash of the Stock Market; nut-cases bent on political killings.
Or it could be non-action. What if the upcoming lame duck Congress fails to deal with the tax issue and suddenly everyone in the country is hit with a large tax hike? It wouldn’t be surprising if instead of a few hundred thousand people marching on Washington to hear Glen Beck, 10 million people flood the capital in protest.
Congress is failing, making the economic situation worse rather than better. And Wall Street learned nothing from the 2008 crash; why should they when Congress bailed them out the first time?
The real problem here is that there is no leader on the horizon who seems to have the ability to lead the nation out of this morass. It’s certainly not President Obama, who has no clue about how his leftward turn in the country has hurt. Nor is there anyone in Congress who seems to have the leadership to get that body into line where the nation comes first.
And there is pain ahead for everyone. This economic downturn has been brutal, but it would have been worse had the government not propped up so many people. The problem is, we can’t afford to prop up so many people and we are mortgaging our children’s future to do so.
There is a leadership void today and in that kind of environment, people often turn to demagogues for a solution.
We live in precarious times. It didn’t have to be this way, but both our political and economic leaders failed us.
Mike Buffington is editor of The Jackson Herald. He can be reached at mike@mainstreetnews.com.
How would the corrupt politians survive? How would the pork barrel politics pay for all of the wasteful and unneeded "projects"? How would the people who are living off of the "commom man's" money keep spending money that isn't theirs?
If people had to run on their own merits, there might be actual representation FOR the people, BY the people! Who would want THAT???
Shocking! Shocking I say!
You must be insane!!!
Please VOTE!!
You know why? Because we have had this man for many years. Many know him as Dr. No, noted for his votes in the House to never sell himself out to crap legislation. Never votes for wasteful spending. Has NEVER voted for a tax increase, a pay raise or an earmark.
Only ONE person that has EVER served in the US House can make this particular claim.
RON PAUL
I'm just saying......
Vent time!!!
Mike, I have read this article over and over. It is a good piece, and absolutley correct. The problem is, folks will read it and then go back to doing the same thing they have done for decades. They'll vote for personalities, flair, supposed debate winners, etc,...
I, like Vote for Liberty, the first poster, am a Libertarian. Have been since 1980, when it was considered so extreme, one was declared a "kook". The fact is, the Libertarian Party has produced some of the most brilliant financial minds of our time. Harry Browne predicted, to the letter, everything, that was going to happen to our financial system in advance, FAR in advance! Ron Paul has warned us about the Fed for 20 years. Do we listen? No. Why? It is beyond me but here is my take on it.
I have heard this explanation a thousand times.
"Well...I'm sort of a Libertarian, but I can't agree with the pro-abortion stance."
or
"Yeah, but they are for drugs."
(Ending the war on drugs)
or
"Yeah, but they can't win."
I don;t have to go into a big long spill on that. They can't win when people don;t vote for them.
Libertarians believe in the Freedom of Choice, personal responsibility and VERY limited government.
You don;t acheive something by asking for a little and then expecting to get a lot as a result. You ask for a lot and hope to get as much as you can of that.
Thomas Jefferson would roll over in his grave and puke at today's political environment.
The ability to take a man's property so a municipality can collect more tax on a more "useful" means of the property's purpose.
Government able to stop people from their travels for no reason what so ever other than to routinely "check" them. Horseshit!!! That's Germany stuff from the 1930's man!
A Federal Reserve Bank? For what? To get us in this mess we are in? Print money? Backed by what?
The Internal Revenue Service? Oh come on!
Look out of your window at this world today. 10.5% unemployment. It is really more like 14 - 18%
A deflated dollar that won't buy squat!!!
A Department of Education that is nothing more than a brainwashing system for the Leftist agenda.
A government that spends more time investigating itself and each other than serving the people by which it was constructed to serve.
Waste, Lies, Politics, and inefficiency!
You want to see the biggest influence in history against this kind of stuff? You wouldn;t even have to elect a Libertarian to effect it. Just watch a Libertarian get 20% of the vote in a National election and see the two main parties stop DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS! They will spin around so quick and start pandering to new ideas it will make your head swim.
Look at what is happening now! The Tea Party movement alone is causing Democrats to avoid Obama like the frigging plague! Not a single one, NOT ONE will identify themselves as a Liberal. Not one that is running for election anyway. They have vacated him, and the Democrats like a fire in the room.
Watch the Roy Barnes commercials! Hilarious! He says, "Not one concrete wall, not one board of a house, not one road, will be built by an illegal alien."
MAKE ME FRIGGING LAUGH ROY!
The largest influx of illegal aliens in Georgia history took place on YOUR WATCH pal!
If you want to see things improve, you want to really make a difference in your country's structure, government and your personal life, walk into that voting booth this November and press the button next to LIBERTARIAN's names. No matter what position it is and you'll see it. If you don;t, you'll get more of the same crap you are seeing.
VOTE LIBERTARIAN 2010
VOTE FOR RON PAUL 2012
Your children are depending on you!
Among all that inspiration, I looked at the Capitol building and how it is the center of the greatest corruption the world has ever known...and threw up in my mouth a little.