We Stink

E-MAIL CALL “ Sometimes governments start out as gangs; strong men with brutish followers who simply want to toss out the aging mustache Petes, and take the gold, glory, and girls for themselves.  Those that do start out with noble intentions often (always?) transmute into gangs anyway, corrupted by the intoxication of power, and losing sight of the original goal. Today’s US government meet many of the criteria that define a gang.  It has one strong, charismatic leader who intimidates, lies, coerces, bribes, ridicules, and proscribes all who dare oppose him.  Of course politics have always been a blood sport, frequently operating like a Mafia family,  but far less efficiently.   Like every corrupt government, ours is now like an onion—as layers are peeled, the smell gets stronger. We’re careening along a one-way street, heading for a major pileup at the intersection of Deficit Spending Boulevard and Common Sense Avenue.  Even if we can find a way around that traffic jam, we’ll encounter a free-for-all melee at the entrance to the Fiscal Solvency Freeway, which will very likely misdirect us to a wrong-way on-ramp. Our powerful V-8 SUV is firing on 4 cylinders and running out of Canadian petrol.  The fighter-bomber is experiencing major electrical problems and losing air speed.  The ship of state has had a gyrocompass tumble, can’t read its navigational charts, and is taking on water faster than Rose O'Donnell takes on a bag of supersized fries. Hey, how 'bout this:  why don’t we just give the pilot another shot at getting us home safely?  Yeah, that oughta work.  I mean, after all, he’s really an articulate and likable homey who went to Harvard. Ron M. Thanks Ron, you speak for a lot of people who send similar thoughts.  So, what's the answer?  Is there one that does'nt involve—you know?  Something awful?   I've always blamed the people in  third world countries for allowing their leaders to terrorize them; keep them in poverty.  I can't do less here.  Either we are of a mind to make corrections, or we are not. ”