Congress Insider Trading - A Republican And Democratic Cesspool of Corruption

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Sunday November 13, 2011 · 8:22 PM PST

2011/11/13 · 20:22

I just watched a report on 60 Minutes about how U.S. Congress members are able to trade stocks using privilege information they get access to as part of their official duties. Even to me, who has been pointing out how corrupt Congress is, this report was shocking.

I've written many times about how I believe that our current system of government has turned into an Oligarchy or Plutocracy. Sometimes I call it a "Plutocratic Kleptocracy." But in the back on my mind, I keep thinking that maybe is not all the way there yet; that there is hope, and that we'll be able to turn things around.

After watching this report, I'm forced to make some corrections in my understanding: There is no longer any doubt that our government system operates in a cesspool of corruption, and that it is an actual "plutocratic kleptocracy." I no longer have any hope that it is anything but that.

And that's why the people of this country needs to unite, rise up, and end the corruption. It is literally killing us. It's a criminal, oppressive, self-serving, self-dealing (literally) system made up of greedy money-grabbing scum. A very sad situation...

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Update: 9:30pm - Here's a complete transcript of the story: Congress: Trading stock on inside information?

This is also a related (government) corruption story: Jack Abramoff: The lobbyist's playbook

(CBS News)

Jack Abramoff, the notorious former lobbyist at the center of Washington's biggest corruption scandal in decades, spent more than three years in prison for his crimes. Now a free man, he reveals how he was able to influence politicians and their staffers through generous gifts and job offers. He tells Lesley Stahl the reforms instituted in the wake of his scandal have had little effect.

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