Government Aristocracy

Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. - Lord Acton (Historian, 1834-1902)

I’m not a big fan of liberal papers like the L.A. Times or the New York Times. So it surprises me that I will cite an article by LAT for perfectly describing a problem with our government today. The wondrous ways Obama's Washington works--and doesn't get it

“Washington used to be a place where representatives of the people went to work temporarily before they returned back home to the states, districts and, most importantly, the people they represented. Somewhere along the way things got turned around. Once elected, the representatives moved to the Washington area …got home mortgages there and, most likely, sold their home back home. Unless they have so many they can't keep track.”

“[Congressmen] became part of a bipartisan permanent political aristocracy because they knew, even if they ever got un-elected, they'd be staying on to work in the lucrative legal-lobby-association complex”.

For example, Tom Daschle [senator now lobbyist] who was in the news recently for failing to pay taxes on consulting fees and a “free” limo and driver yet still supported by Obama for his cabinet.

Bottom Line

The LAT notes that “Nowhere is there any talk of right or wrong. In Washington's culture, unlike the lives of most normal obviously naive Americans, that's hardly ever the issue. It's about what works. It's all about [political] strategy.”

Here's another article on the same theme: District of Corruption by the New Republic.

So Damn Much Money is the title of Bob Kaiser's penetrating book on the explosion of lobbying and corruption in Washington over the past quarter century. ... In 1970, the federal budget was all of $195 billion. Today, the budget is over $3 trillion. [An increase of 1538%. Inflation for the same period was 538%. So the budget grew three times faster than inflation].

[The author next points out that while congressional salaries have risen by a factor of 4 (below inflation!), the salaries paid to lobbists has skyrocked]

... The seemingly inexplicable petty corruption of [Congressmen] can be explained, I believe, by their belief that they were making such immense sacrifices to stay in public service that a few additional perks were well-deserved--and still left them far poorer than their lobbyist friends. ... [And] who wants to alienate someone who might hold the key to a million-dollar job [when you leave office]?