Some Things Never Change

Some of the quotes from the book, "Love My Country, Loathe My Government", were from wise people who lived very long ago. Unfortunately, they all apply to the antics of today's political class, indicating that maybe politicians have always been like they are today. It just seems like they get worse over time:

Mark Twain - "Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or imbeciles who really mean it." Although Mark Twain lived 150 years ago, he was very insightful relative to the political class. Given that nothing works any more in this country, lost war on drugs, failing public schools, broken health care market, no strategic energy policy, social programs heading for bankruptcy, corrupt and/or incompetent government oversight, corrupt government officials, etc., I am pretty sure the imbecile option is in effect even today.

Woodrow Wilson - "The government, which was designed for the people, has got into the hands of the bosses and their employees, the special interests. An invisible empire has been set up above the forms of democracy." Although Wilson said these words over eighty years ago, does anyone think that they do not apply today? Consider yesterday's post that reviewed how the major banks donated millions of dollars to both political parties last summer for their conventions and then received billions of dollars several months later as part of the banking bailout. I do not even want to guess how many lobbyists spending how much lobbying dollars currently scurry around DC. Wilson had it right and he had it right long ago: more and more, our democracy has become a charade with power floating up to the political class while our individual freedom and power in our lives is dissipated.

Karl Marx - "The oppressed are allowed once every few years to decide which particular representatives of the oppressing class are to represent them and repress them." Living over a hundred years ago, Marx correctly predicted what would happen in America. How many times have you gone into the voting booth and voted for the lesser of two evils, i.e. both options stink but one reeks a little less than the other. Although there was great interest in the last Presidential election, about 65 million American adults did not bother to vote. Could it be that they agree with Marx, it does not matter since the repression, increasing burden of taxation, and the national problems, will continue regardless of who gets elected. Unfortunately, the lesser of two evils is still evil, something that Marx knew way back when.

Barry Goldwater - "A government big enough to give you everything you need is big enough to take it all away." Obama's last budget was the biggest in both absolute and relative terms the Federal government has ever had. Our government structure has gotten incredibly large at all levels. This has resulted in debilitating debt levels and increasing taxes. Government tentacles touch as all many different ways, usually not touching us in a good way. The quote, "I am from the government and I am here to help you.", is a myth today and was probably always a myth. The only difference is that the government did not turn up on your doorstep, look at your library records, listen to your phone calls, check your Internet activity or tax you as much as they used to. Goldwater saw it coming and we were not able to stop it, government controls everything we do today to the detriment of freedom.

Pretty discouraging when you see how some great thinkers of the past saw where we would end up today. However, that can change starting today. Go to the enrollment page at www.loathemygovernment.com and prove that what the political class is doing to us today is temporary and reversible.