by Chris Messner

Created on: October 22, 2008

"We have met the enemy, and he is us". What a great line! Apparently first used by Walt Kelly, the author of the well-known comic strip "Pogo", the quote succinctly sums up what is wrong with America today.

Not only is our federal government totally out of control, it continually gets worse, thanks to people (voters) who continue to believe, naively, that the only views that exist in the universe are either the Democratic Party view or the Republican Party view.

So, blame the President, the Congress and the Supreme Court all you like. They deserve a ton of blame. But, if you continue to insist that either a Republican or a Democrat is the only solution to America's problems, then you must also blame yourself.

Time-tested wisdom holds that no problem can be solved unless its cause is acknowledged. There are many causes that gave us the broken federal government we're stuck with nowadays, but a big one is the peoples' ignorance of what their elected representatives have been doing in Washington for decades.

Most people know that Congress votes itself hefty pay raises whenever it likes. Most people know that, while serving in Congress, members of both houses hold themselves exempt from the laws they impose on the rest of us, as if they're special (recall the House banking scandal of the 90s)! Most people know that Senators, incredibly, collect a fat pension after just one 6-year term. Most people know that members of Congress oppose term limits because, let's face it, if you can keep getting elected to Congress, there just isn't a sweeter deal on the face of the earth, and if you can't, odds are you'll walk away with a comfortable pension.

There isn't much we can do about it, but we sure can complain! If you don't let your Senators and Representative know how you feel, then they'll just assume that you're OK with whatever they do; you can't blame 'em for that. And, believe me, they're working overtime to take care of themselves first, at our expense. If our government behaves as though the people exist to serve it, instead of the other way around, it's because the people haven't held the government to account.

A well-known Libertarian, the late Harry Browne, wrote an absolutely marvelous book in 1995 called "Why Government Doesn't Work", a detailed, easy-reading primer on how and why our federal government got so far out of control, and how to fix it. If, at this late date, you're finally convinced that Uncle Sam's running amuck, you owe it to yourself to get a copy

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>