The Root of All Evil
Money is the root of all evil. But don’t take my word for it, simply consider the following: The only reference to Jesus getting ticked-off in the Bible was when He drove the moneychangers from the temple. To Him, having money change hands for anything in His Father’s house -much less trivial, earthly possessions- was a grave transgression; serious enough for Him to get truly angry.
When the desire for money is too strong, it causes some to sell their bodies, some to sell their souls. With others, it completely devours the soul; much like it is already consuming the very soul of this nation.
Obscene sums of money is the lifeblood that courses through the veins of the two-party political system. Without the evil influence of money, we would have an even playing field for all political candidates; something the two-party system just can’t allow. The Democrat/Republican machine shuts the other candidates out of debates claiming they wouldn’t mount a serious challenge. How can a third-party candidate convince the public of their viability if they aren’t allowed to debate the issues?
For politicians, money is the drug of choice. It is absolute power. They can use it to smear their opponent by hiring a private investigator to dig up 30 year-old, long dead skeletons in their closets.
They can use it to silence someone who is about to reveal their own ethical and moral lapses.
They can use it to perpetuate their reign by throwing it around to their constituents in the form of pork.
During an election year, for enough money, I could buy a lobster dinner and at the same time lobby John Kerry, Carl Levin, Charles Schumer and other members of the Cult Of Personality on the issue of my choice; or play a round of golf with Republican Saxby Chambliss while enjoying the same unfettered, private access.
Globalization, a weak economy, failed IPOs and pressure from shareholders meant that untold thousands of Americans -including some of our best and brightest technical talent- have lost their jobs to Mexico, India, China, South America and elsewhere since the dawn of the millennium. Jobs that are gone forever. Jobs that left with the full knowledge and blessing of our leadership.
Even international politics and diplomacy aren’t immune from the detrimental influence of money.
Chinese, French, and Russian failure to fully support tough measures against Saddam Hussein or even now against Iran and North Korea are a result of economic concerns among others. These countries would rather maintain economic ties with the Communist North than prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.
The two-party political system is no longer about which candidate would best represent the values of their constituents. It isn’t even about which political party has the best vision for the country’s future. These days, it’s only about which machine can churn out the most cash so they can blanket the airwaves with deceptive advertising, mudslinging, fear-mongering and false promises of deliverance. These days, every election is an internal struggle for the average American. They are torn; they try to fulfill their civic duty by voting, but at the same time they are unable to come to grips with the lack of choices they have when selecting a representative government. We’re between a rock and a hard place. We must constantly choose between bad or worse; the lesser of two evils.
Call it what you will, but it’s time for a change.
