Monday, December 24, 2012

Greed, The Grinch and Ebeneezer

The forces of greed, corruption and obstinacy have a firm grip on our body politic in Washington, and all this fiddling while Rome burns is doing nothing to advance the cause of the Commonweal. Indeed, it is tearing apart the very fabric of our constitutional curtain, showing the stage behind it that has been left  bare and bereft of bold men with big ideas, but occupied instead by little men with greedy self serving limitations. The spirit which is the darkest among us is holding sway, and Mighty Mouse is no where to be seen yet to save the day.
     How did we come to this point? How did we let the darkest side prevail? Why have we weakened our bolder , nobler selves so much that we have given way to the Darth Vaders in our body politic to dominate the day?
    We thought we had voted again for hope, and at least some change, and the truth is , we did. But the Captains Queeg who are manning the Congesssional ship of state have refused to let go of the wheel, and have opted instead to head for the nearest iceberg.
    We have survived Mayan Aramageddon, but not the  four horsemen of our self inflicted apocalypse : greed, corruption, obstinacy and power lust. It has become such a spectacle that the spokesman for one of most well heeled and powerfully monied lobbying organizations, Wayne LaPierre of the NRA, has even publicly embraced the idea that to do do away with gun violence, all we need is more guns! Armed guards at every schoolhouse gate. That's the answer!
    The Faustian bargain that has been struck here is one of historic proportion. Money has so dictated our politics that the Lobbysist Lords like LaPierre, and Grover Norquist won't allow their Congressional minions to vote on either sensible gun regulations or a fairer system of taxation.  Ebeneezer Scrooge and  The Grinch have forged an alliance with the Dark side, and Obie Wan Kenobi is no where to be found.
    What's really wrong? To paraphrase a gritty old Cajun pol, " It's the money, Stupid!" How can we be so blind? Until we get the money out of politics, we have little future to look forward to . We will flounder and fulminate ourselves along the craggy cliffs of the abyss as long as we let greed and avarice rule our roost.
  Maybe we just have to let all the tax cuts expire, and all the budget cuts go into effect before we can awaken ourselves from the nightmarish scenario that has taken center stage in Washington . Before we can collectively cry "Out, out damn spot!" From politics, let money be gone, and principle return! Tis the only way to truly re-ennoble ourselves, and to awaken the American spirit of common purpose and goodwill . Away from us ye Jacob Marleys! The angels of a better spirit await.