All Terrain Thinking

A Compendium of things I think are Important

Consequences In Life, Often Unanticipated

 

9. POLITICIANS

"Politics is a deleterious profession, like some poisonous handicrafts. Men in power have no opinions, but may be had cheap for any opinion, for any purpose." - Ralph Waldo Emerson - 1860

"The members who composed it (a typical Democratic national convention of the pre-Civil War era) were seven eighths of them, the meanest kind of bawling and blowing office holders, office seekers, pimps, malignants, conspirators, murderers, fancy men, custom house clerks, contractors, kept-editors, spaniels well train’d to carry and fetch, jobbers, infidels, disunionists, terrorists, mail-riflers, slave-catchers, pushers of slavery, creatures of the President, creatures of would-be-Presidents, spies, bribers, compromisers, lobbyers, sponges, ruin'd sports, expell'd gamblers, policy-backers, monte-dealers, duellists, carriers of conceal’d weapons, deaf mutes, pimpled men, scarr'd inside with vile disease, gaudy outside with gold chains made from the people's money and harlot's money twisted together; crawling, serpentine men, the lousy combinings and born freedom sellers of the earth." - Walt Whitman - 1880

According to a National Public Radio (NPR) broadcast on August 13, 1998, there are 513,000 elected office holders in America. Politicians are mainly interested in the power and glory of their office, and staying in it, no matter what level it may be. Whether it be a lowly town council member in a village of four hundred, or a United States Senator, generally they are interested in the power and glory. They are in it for themselves. The higher the office, the more power and glory, but at any level, the intoxication resulting from having people come to you for permission to do something, is undeniable. The normal rate of re-electing ensconced federal politicos approaches 98%. In November of 1994, when Republicans regained control of both houses of Congress for the first time in over 40 years, the turnover rate was still only 9%. Office holders have tremendous advantages over someone who would honestly like to replace them and do a good job. Advantages of incumbents are many, including free mail (franking) to the tune of well over $600 million a year, the power of the bureaucracy at their command, plus such things as free travel, publicity, printing, research, staff, and name recognition.

"To be a chemist, you must study chemistry; to be a lawyer or a physician you must study law or medicine; but to be a politician you need only to study your own interests." - Max O’Rell 1848-1903

Few politicians intend to become intoxicated with power when they run, or are elected. Most office holders ran so they could help their community or state...or so they said. After all, the lowest of offices, usually a town or city council member, often are paid little or nothing. People, who run for these offices, generally do so to help their community, but the power and glory cannot be minimized. As the offices increase in importance and influence, the status increases, as does the paycheck. By the time a politician ascends to the upper echelons of public office, they are usually hooked on the adulation of dubious celebrities and media coverage. This is when they lose sight of what they were sent there to do, begin to consider themselves the repository of all worthwhile knowledge, and pay far more attention to the publicity, special interest groups and lobbyist assignations, than to common sense.

"The whole idea of politics is to achieve power without having merit." - P.J. O'Rourke.

Politics has become a rich man’s game. A local city council where I live proves that point. The job pays $101 a month. Most candidates spent more than a year's wages, plus hundreds of hours to gain this office, which requires so much reading and meeting attendance that the 'salary' amounts to far less than a dollar an hour. The city manager, who is supposedly under those $101 a month council members, makes $71,000 a year. At state and national levels, the cost of gaining and remaining in office is stratospheric. To be elected to office, the candidate actually becomes a suitor to an army of syndicated newspaper columnists, wealthy nabobs, various camp followers and groupies, plus the average Joe Blow and Marge Housewife, who might throw in a few shekels towards the campaign. Reporters anxiously await the slightest bit of piffle spoken from the would be's lips, so they can run off and print it…usually with a spin. No matter what the outcome, a lot of suspense is generated, the hooch has flowed freely at local watering holes, and billboards are plastered with garish pictures of a smiling candidate, promising the moon for your vote. There always seems to be an abundance of candidates for every office, regardless of salary.

"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedies." - Groucho Marx

During the 1996 Presidential election, over $800 million was spent just on the Presidential campaign, and in 2000, over $1 billion, not counting the representatives, senators and other candidates running for office. As usual, after the elections there was a hue and cry for finance and other types of reform. The Constitution prohibits the federal government from owning much of anything, and certainly doesn't authorize subsidies, redistribution, or theft, so it shouldn't even matter who gets elected, because Constitutionally, there should be no freebies and plums to dish out from D.C. Before FDR put the federal machine into commence gear, the buildings known in Washington as the "Federal Triangle," didn't exist. This is the area between 15^th and 6^th Sts., and Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues, northwest. These huge buildings were mostly built in the Roosevelt era, substituting bureaucrats and other jabbering incompetents for responsible capitalists, who had owned and operated theatres, shops, and other honest businesses on that land. Since then, the federal government has expanded into neighboring states and hundreds of additional acres in downtown D.C., erecting countless tasteless, ugly, gaudy monuments to mendacity.

"Politics is perhaps the only profession for which no preparation is thought necessary." - Robert Louis Stevenson

Politicians at the federal and even state levels, are responsible for most of the disastrous consequences that have befallen America over the past sixty years. They have voted, voted, voted, spent, spent, spent, and passed millions of pointless, freedom robbing laws. There are so many laws at all levels, it is almost impossible to avoid transgressing one of them, giving lawyers a field day. Politicians have raised our taxes over and over, usually explaining that increased taxes will 'help' the poor, sick, aged, poverty stricken, and disadvantaged, or what have you. When they paid unqualified poor people to move into neighborhoods they ought not have moved into, the politicians swooned that these people 'need decent housing,' and as a result of these handouts, 'crime will go down,' and a host of other perverse promises. I cannot understand why some wry politico hasn’t offered free beer and lunch, in order to raise the 'self esteem' of the poor. Most of the poor, especially the grisly gangs, don’t have a 'self esteem' problem. Has there ever been such disgusting self confidence as is shown by the poor, bleating about how badly they are treated by the welfare bureaucrats? And then there is the WRO, or "Welfare Rights Organization," which shows no lack of 'self esteem,' when they and their members mount the nearest lectern, pontificating about how we owe them a living, should treat them better, and demand more 'benefits' from the pockets of the taxpayer. 'Benefits' to be obtained through increases in the deficit and indebtedness of our grandchildren.

"There are some politicians who, if their constituents were cannibals, would promise them missionaries for dinner." - H.L. Mencken

Keep in mind the obvious fact that what isn't worked for or earned, is not appreciated or cared for, a virtually inviolable, inescapable rule. Be it no money down housing, public housing, unearned credits in education, or anything unearned, but provided by an all powerful government, certain disaster is the result. Think about the consequences to America from "SFN" in just the last thirty-five years. As of 1997, over $5.4 trillion has been spent in an effort to eradicate poverty, and all we have to show for it are pauperized, wrecked cities. We have even more indigence now than we did before we spent the $5.4 trillion, plus polluted air, hundreds of millions of gallons of fuel burned each day that wasn’t consumed before, and millions of families uprooted. We are witness to tens of millions of single parent families, crime, drugs, delinquency, graffiti, gangs, overflowing jails, courts backlogged for months and years, and literally millions of paper shuffling bureaucrats. Paul Harvey, on his radio broadcast of September 9, 1996 said that, "2,000 new bureaucrats are hired by government each day." Paul Harvey isn't known to utter inaccurate statements. This figure undoubtedly includes replacements for retirees, and bureaucrats in states, counties, and municipalities at all levels, but the figure is still astonishing. The consequences of a desire to help some, has ruined others. Thanks politicians!

"The man who can make two ears of corn, or two blades of grass, grow on the spot where only one grew before would deserve better of mankind, and render more essential service to the country, than the whole race of politicians put together." - Jonathan Swift

Think about the traffic jams, incredible consumption of gasoline, costs to build and maintain freeways, commuting time, filthy air, ruined cities, and ever increasing portions of family budgets consumed by the maintenance and feeding of the automobile. Remember, in 1941 the Philadelphia Transit Company (PTC) vehicles traveled 242,000 miles a day, and that transported two million in that major city, to and from work and shopping. There were no freeways, no interstate highways, and the cities were intact. Politicians ruined all of that with their votes which instituted welfare and various "SFN" schemes. Workers and residents didn't ruin the cities and make America dependent on the Arabs for oil. We were self sufficient in oil, and the portion of our incomes spent on cars was microscopic, compared to these days. The air was clean, even though millions burned coal to heat their homes and run the factories. Politicians have destroyed us with their votes and legal devices to 'help.'

"It can probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress." - Mark Twain (As an aside, Samuel Clemens adopted his pen name of "Mark Twain," while he was working as a boatman on the Mississippi. When measuring the depth of the river, they would mark the depth on a pole, and shout it out to the captain. A depth of two marks on the pole was called "Mark Twain.")

"Politics is mostly talk," said George Will on the ABC Sunday morning news show of September 20, 1998. Unfortunately George, that isn’t so. Politics is electing those who pass thousands of laws each year...most of which have an adverse effect on us citizens. Unfortunately, a politician seeks and maintains office because they believe they have some sort of magical divine mentality that will allow them to rule over us, tell us what we may and may not do, and be punished if we do not obey. Laws should be in existence only to protect us from our enemies, and them from us, plus administer justice to those who would harm or steal from others or their property, name, reputation, security or achievements. Laws for any other purpose are violations of freedom.

Politicians like to brag about how much legislation they passed or helped to pass. There are thousands and millions of laws and programs now in existence that should be stricken from the records and abolished. If politicians acted correctly, they would act and brag about how many laws were eradicated. It’s time politicians realize that "SFN" is a bad idea.

"The hallmark of a second rater is the resentment of another man's achievement." - Another wonderful quote from Ayn Rand’s "Atlas Shrugged." Who resents other's achievements? Isn't it the bureaucrats, who have in general failed in private industry, and now make their livings harassing achievers, and stealing our money to give to others?

Once again: "When government fears the people, we have liberty. When people fear the government we have tyranny." - Thomas Jefferson. Who fears whom in 2000? Does anyone believe that Americas' fear of the IRS and various bureaucrats and agencies doesn't fulfill Jefferson's statement?

A common definition of politics is, "the art of compromise." Compromise may be a small morsel of the attraction to politics, but the main part is power. Power to tax everyone and dole it out to the largest sector of voters, to get re-elected is the so-called "compromise." The last thing a vacillating D.C. vulture would want is for everyone to care for himself or herself, and unanimously tell them, "We don’t want any more handouts, job creations, plums, influence or help. We want you to vote NO on every spending bill, fire 90% of your staff, abolish the franking privilege, never travel anywhere at public expense, resign all your committees and try to eliminate them, cease all speaking engagements, book writing, and finally, leave office at the end of your term."

Coney Island

Coney Island was once the hub of entertainment for New Yorkers. Located at the foot of Brooklyn, with a lush 2 mile long beach, it is reached by fast subways, and is easily accessible to tens of millions of entertainment starved big city dwellers. Coney Island sprang to life after the War Between the States, when George Tilyou built a hotel on the beach. This initiation was followed by P.T. Barnum building a 122-foot high, tin-skinned elephant, which contained shops. As the years passed, hundreds of rides, amusements, restaurants, carousels, roller coasters, a parachute jump, and attractions illuminated by literally tens of millions of glowing light bulbs came into being. Shrieks of joy, boardwalk parades, swimming, sunbathing, and major parks such as "Dreamland," "Luna," and "Steeplechase," were Coney Island. The American hot dog was invented at Coney Island. Have you ever sampled a Nathan’s Hot Dog? Yum! Coney Island had over a million people visit it on an average Sunday, during its peak years. Harry Houdini and Charles Dickens loved the place. George Burns and George Gershwin first performed in public at Coney Island.

Coney Island was a land of enchantment, with exotic shows, brightly-lit towers, domes, and minarets in vast profusion crowding the skyline. Even after three major fires, I used to go to Coney Island in the fifties, and it was still wonderful. Today, Coney Island is home to desolation and public housing. The beach is still there...if you dare to use it...and remnants of its one time glamour can be seen...collapsing and rusting away, midst the ever-present graffiti and trash. What was once the most splendiferous amusement place in the entire world...is a memory, replaced by public housing, wreckage, and garbage. It is still but minutes away by subway to millions. Why would anyone want to go there just to become depressed or mugged? Coney Island is the penultimate example of what "SFN" and public housing can do to any place they may be planted. A 1986 survey by the New York Times pinpointed New York’s public housing on a map. The most public housing units are in the worst neighborhoods, namely the South Bronx, Harlem, the Lower East Side of Manhattan, plus Bedford-Stuyvestant and Coney Island in Brooklyn. Public housing residents vote, amusements and parks don't. Public housing dwellers are a lot of votes compressed into small land areas. Give you a hint?

In America today, there are basically two major parties, the Republicans and Democrats, but they are so much alike, it can be said there is one party with two different divisions, and possibly they should be merged into what could be called the "Republicrats." The Libertarian Party has been a distant third party since 1972. In 1992, Ross Perot spent millions of his own money to begin what is now called the Reform party, which Pat Buchanan virtually destroyed in the 2000 election. Perot received 19% of the vote in 1992, 8% in 1996, and less than 1% in 2000. The Reform Party elected its first Governor on November 3, 1998. Republicans say they stand for self sufficiency, fiscal responsibility, and low taxes, even though for the past 40 years they have participated in the socialization of America almost as much as have the Democrats. I often call Republicans the "LOTS" party, because they compromise with the Democrats and their proclaimed principles so regularly and predictably, that they are similar...only "less of the same." (LOTS) They have for years been called, "the stupid party," with good reason, because they will invariably pull defeat out of the jaws of victory. The Democrats are the party of liberalism, high taxes, big government, and generally appeal to the unions, working classes, and for some strange reason, the intellectuals, Hollywood stars, and Jews. Jews have been downtrodden for hundreds of years, are among the most achievement oriented people, and would seemingly be excellent supporters of Republicans, but they aren't. The intellectuals, professors, movie stars, and the like should realize it was freedom, not bailouts, high taxes, and huge government, that made America great. They are natural Republicans, assuming Republicans did as they say, rather than compromising continually.

It is possible the movie stars became liberals because they have suddenly come upon so much fast, easy income, they either feel guilty about it, or suppose the rest of us have their wealth, forgetting what the real world is like. At millions per picture, even after taxes are deducted, they still might have plenty left, so reality possibly eludes them. The woozy mysticism and sodden glitz of Hollywood has left the bubble headed actors and actresses with little concept of actual life; their only concerns being the next film, personal appearances, and adulation. No wonder the stars espouse the "SFN" concept for the poor. They have experienced virtual "SFN," and it is wonderful. The few exceptions, such as Charlton Heston, are magnificent.

The Reform Party has no platform, so no one knows what it stands for, other than what a candidate might say in a speech. The Green Party is far left socialism, and Ralph Nader ran on it in 2000. The Libertarians are fiscally conservative, favor neutrality, want to keep government pint-sized and out of your bedroom and life, and only want it used to protect you, punish criminals, and administer justice. Unfortunately, they don't like capital punishment, want open borders, and no tariffs, which counts me out. A survey taken by The Library of Congress and the Book of the Month Club in 1991 asked, "What book has influenced your life more than any other?" In first place was The Bible, and second place went to Atlas Shrugged, by the late Ayn Rand. Millions have read and been moved by Atlas Shrugged, becoming libertarian in thought as a result. In Washington D.C., a political action organization called "CATO" has had an increasingly excellent influence on runaway government and gluttonous politicians. The word "libertarian," small case, seems to be used more frequently of late, referring not necessarily to the party, but the principle.

"No man’s life or property is safe while the legislature is in session." - 'terrible tempered' Dave Day, editor of Ouray Colorado's Solid Muldoon newspaper 100 years ago.

Sellout Republicans compromise over and over again, defeating their avowed purpose, thrusting America further and further into debt, and steadily enlarging government. It was Republican Presidents and votes that established such things as food stamps, removed the gold backing from your dollars, and started or approved of hundreds of other debilitating programs, cabinet posts, and gobbledygook. Republicans, have for many decades preached the right sermon, but have never followed their announced principles. In 1997, New Jersey Republican Governor Christie Todd Whitman won re-election because of her reputation for cutting taxes. In 1998, the state had a $700 million surplus, and Governor Whitman proposed raising the state gas tax by seven cents per gallon, and said she "could care less" about her failing reputation as a tax cutter. Democrats helped kill the proposed tax.

Government can't give anything to anyone, without first stealing it from someone else, and charging a fat fee for the redistribution, not counting the payoffs and corruption that always comes with such theft. Politicians secure re-election by answering the question, 'Whadaya gonna do for me?' Their answer is proffering a host of programs and other nebulous benefits that will accrue if they are elected. The libertarian oriented candidate might answer, 'I'm going to do everything humanly possible to reduce government, make America neutral, bring the troops home, abolish the IRS, cease all handouts, welfare, public housing, food stamps, and restore your money with honest gold and silver backing. This will benefit you more than any promise that can be made by any other candidate.' Phony, freedom-spouting Republicans will pussyfoot around, using similar mouthings...only never do any of them. When Republicans took control of both Houses of Congress in January 1995, many thought that reform, reductions in the size of government and taxes were sure things. Fat chance! After five years, there were no tax cuts, and government had grown even larger. The so-called "Contract with America" got the votes, but was mere swamp gas. The Democrats, often called "the party of absolute corruption," will promise endless handouts and benefits from the public treasury, generally by means of redistributing other's wealth. Robbing Peter to pay Paul, only there are a lot more voting "Pauls" than outraged "Peters."

No matter what a politician may do, as witness the huge scandal brought on by the Democratic fund raising episodes of 1996, seemingly the only thing ever done is to "investigate" or appoint an "independent counsel" at taxpayer expense, and this usually drags on for years. Politicians may do virtually anything they choose to do, regardless of how corrupt or unethical it may be, and the inevitable investigations or hearings are scheduled. Big deal! By the time an investigation is finished, the hearings are over, or the independent counsel finishes, the taxpayer has been milked, the treasury depleted, more lawyers enriched, hundreds and even thousands of hours wasted, and in short, the barn door has been closed after the horse has escaped. The consequence of having a wealth redistributing, unconstitutional, unyielding federal government, is that politicians are always on the take, become dishonest, perverted, unethical, and often are ensconced for most of their life in those posh offices.

Barry Goldwater

The sole politician at the federal level I can remember admiring and working very hard for, was Barry Goldwater, Jan 1, 1909 - May 29, 1998. An individualist, philosopher, Senator, statesman, anti-Communist, fiscal conservative, pilot, and in general, a grand man. I framed one of my letters from him on the day of his death, hung it over my desk, glance at it daily, and still have various memorabilia from his disastrous 1964 campaign. Barry Goldwater said, in speech after speech, that America should, "Balance our budget…stop this utterly ridiculous agricultural program…get the federal government out of business…every business." In his 1960 book, "Conscience of a Conservative," he wrote, "I have little interest in streamlining government or making it more efficient, for I mean to reduce its size. I do not undertake to promote welfare, for I propose to extend freedom. My aim is not to pass laws, but to repeal them." His most famous statement, and one which will live forever is, "EXTREMISM IN THE DEFENSE OF LIBERTY IS NO VICE, AND MODERATION IN THE PURSUIT OF JUSTICE IS NO VIRTUE." He characterized moderate Republicanism as a "Dime store New Deal," said Jerry Falwell deserved, "a boot...right in the ass," wouldn't attend Nixon's funeral, and said of him, "As far as I am concerned, Mr. Nixon can go to China and stay there." What an individualist he was! Would that there were several hundred of his type in the House and Senate today.

SOLUTIONS

Initially, America's ideal was for those who wanted something, or who were in need, to work for it. Now it is far easier to vote for a politician who will steal it from someone, and give it to you. It saves a lot of work! A sure thing, because politicians win elections by promising to steal from others, and give to you. There are actually only two ways to survive. (1) economic, which is work, and (2) political, which is theft!

If our federal government were Constitutional, the political system would work beautifully. Under a Constitutional government, there would be no wealth re-distribution, no subsidies, all federal properties and lands other than what the Constitution authorizes, would be turned over to their rightful owners, there would be no national debt, and Congress would be unable to promise anything, to anyone, at any time, during their term in office, especially if we were neutral. Would there be huge, expensive election campaigns if elected ones couldn't pass out taxpayer money and award 'plums' of office? No. Responsible state, county, and local governments would operate the same way, with no handouts possible. Under the Constitution, the states were to compete with each other, just like McDonald's competes with Wendy's and Burger King. States would have to make themselves desirable to attract business and growth. If they wanted welfare, taxes would go sky high, as would crime, making them undesirable to producers. New Hampshire has low taxes, Nevada loves gambling, Colorado has majestic scenery, Arizona bathes in lots of sunshine, the northwest has ample water, the South has incredible character and grace, and on it goes. If states, towns, cities, and counties competed with each other as far as handouts, welfare and taxes; and were relieved from federal mandates, the competition would be on, and the best man win. That's the way it ought to be. The best way to get rid of corruption in high places...is to get rid of the high places, which is 90% of federal government.

"I’m gonna be so tough as mayor I’m gonna make Atilla the Hun look like a faggot." - Frank Rizzo, when running for mayor of Philadelphia. Perhaps if statesmen were elected with his tough, South Philly brazenness and determination to make us a true Constitutional Republic, as the Founders intended, America could be saved.

If the federal government were brought down to size, becoming a Senator or Representative would lose most of its glamour. Maybe it should be totally voluntary, with no salary at all. There would be so little to do, they might meet only a month a year, and then go home and do something worthwhile. There would be no need for term limits or campaign finance reform, because holding an office would be something you did for your country, received no salary for, and once would probably be enough. All the wowsers, do-gooders, and reform trash that inhabit the offices of the lobbying profession would quickly vacate their "K" St. premises, as Congress would be impotent as far as give-aways were concerned, negating any influence they might be paid to inject.

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