Power Corrupts

Watching the Kavanaugh hearing we can see that power corrupts.  Understand that I am a Nobody.  The  only power I can wield is my vote because I don’t have the funds necessary to buy (the ear of) congressmen.  How did we get to this point.  We all point to others as the reason the country is in such a mess but we need to see how both sides have taken the route of wanting more power rather than what is best for the country.  If we want more power than a single vote, we have to send money to special interest groups, including the political parties.   The special interest groups I belong to, (AARP & Boat US) both get a substantial amount of their revenue from insurance sales making them insurance lobbyists as well.   As an insurance executive I was asked to make a payroll deduction to the Company Political Action Committee.  The slide in my career coincided with my refusal to do this.  I didn’t like the idea of the foreign owners of our holding company looking at the use of these funds and the folks in control were anxious to impress these foreigners.   With the ability of special interest groups to finance unlimited campaigns without disclosing the source of the funds is it any wonder that the largest PAC’s are screwing the country the most.

   When we see Democrats championing getting government out of our lives and Republicans voting to increase the deficit to record levels it can be only because of a desire to hang on the power they already have.  Instead of railing against George Soros and the Koch brothers we have to realize we are acting just like them when we send money to politicians we can’t vote for.  We need to learn that talk about the opposition includes many lies, and we should learn to listen from the horse’s mouth rather than the hatemonger’s interpretation  of what the horse said.  The current situation only benefits those on the campaign gravy train.  They are the only ones able to correct the situation.

 Democracy is designed to give the power to the people.  By letting anyone  contribute to any political contest, we allow power to reside with those with the funds and not the voters.   This new method of carpet-bagging can only be stopped with a Constitutional Amendment.  I would suggest:

  Notwithstanding the First Amendment, efforts to influence elections to public office in the United States and its’ subdivisions shall be limited to those who are able to vote in said election.

Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.