I have been a sometime poster and more often a lurker here for a few years now and something still amazes me about our country, ourselves and humanity in general.
We have had corruption, deal making, illegalities and the whole works for years in government. I have watched as politics became more and more of a way to make more money for yourself and secure a job then to actually govern a country. We wonder why there are few good leaders anymore, who knows how to lead in this country anymore? Are we taught personal resposibility, self sacrifice, honor, work ethic, determination and committment anymore?
Well let's see, how many teachers have been sued or threatened to be fired because they failed a student whose parents gave money to the school? How often have we watched corrupt politicians get elected over and over again because they have all the money, all the connections and there is no limit to how long they can be in office. Did we really expect people to stay honorable and noble? With the exception of a few in the halls of power, do any of them actually care about this country, about each other? NO!! I read over and over that Bush is evil, that he and his cronies are some weird aberration and that we can vote them all out and start all over...WAKE UP!!!
Unless we make serving in office an honor, not a right then it will forever corrupt. I look through the posts over and over again where Kossacks are rejoicing that we have finally got Bush in this illegality, or this one. I ask you, how do you enforce the law on someone who not only disregards it but has the backing and the power to get away with it?
Do you think that even if all the truth came out he would be impeached? Who would impeach him? The democrats? PLLLEEEAASSE they have gone along (with a few exceptions) on everything he has wanted!! Why? Because they think only of their careers, their ability to possibly get a few crumbs of power from the republicans, they do not want to sacrifice their ability to make a deal to get something passed in the future.
I saw on the Daily Show at a Republican rally they had redone Star Wars to suit their own opinions. Darth Vader was now Darth Nancy, they republicans were the rebels and the democrats were the evil empire. All I remember thinking is WTF? then realizing it is a natural progression of the ossification of politics. Then I thought about Atlas Shrugged. Why you ask? Simple, the game is all about who you know now, not what you want to accomplish, not keeping this country safe and sound. It is about raping and plundering and currying whatever favor you can until the wind changes.
What do our kids grow up watching these days? Morality plays, lessons on life...NO. They watch celebrations of mediocrity and backstabbing such as American Idol, Survivor, Dancing with the Stars where the stars who "learn" dancing are celebrated not the people who have worked their asses off to be amazing at what they do. Kids see everyday that hard work gets you nowhere in this economy, that it's all about being in the right TV show casting line at the right time.
We have been drifting to this low for decades Kossacks, this is not just Bush and the repubs, this is what our society produces. To get our country back will not require A good leader, it will require a fundamental shift in how we think. If millions of people worldwide did not stop our Congress from sending troops to Iraq, emails and letters won't either. They only appease the public right around election time, other than that they do not care. America has always felt that we are entitled to rule the world, that our actions have really no consequences, that it is our right to stick our nose wherever we choose. We have raised countlesss generations of children with that ideal, WE ARE #1 right?! We must somehow learn our place in the world and in life. We need to go back to teaching personal responsibility, we need to praise accomplishment not 15 minutes of mediocrity that outshines pure worthlessness. Until we change the entirety of our society and not take band aid approaches to racism and all the rest of our social ills we will forever slip and slide to here.
I realize this is a rant but I am tired of the pointless optimism and no real recognition of the truth. We, all of us allowed this to happen, not just those who voted for Bush.
I hope things get better, but until we find a way to curb political ambition corruption we always win out in the end over honor.