Curmudgeon's Corner

The World's Greatest Deliberative Body...

Posted by Al Campbell on Dec. 22, 2009

Economy, Healthcare, Political, Quality of Life, Taxes, U.S.

That is what the U.S. Senate has been called, more often than not by senators who are full of themselves...the world's greatest deliberative body.

This body was anything but deliberative during the so-called "debate" on health care reform.  It was downright ugly; the senators did not redeem themselves through their actions nor in the final decision that was purchased using our tax dollars.

The stinky, slimy deals that are emerging, and that will probably continue to emerge, were not the best days of this group, but more likely they will be known as among the worst days of this group.  The bill that is about to be passed by the Senate is not what the majority of people want and that is being expressed and validated over and over again by the polls.  This does not represent the "hope and change" that a majority thought they were voting for last November. 

The majority of people wanted to be sure that everyone had decent health care, and yet this bill leaves at least 23 million people out in the wilderness, just as they have been.  "The people" includes many, if not most, of those who are conservative.  I am one of those people; I know that we can do a better job of assuring all have the care required, and I also know that we could do it in a manner that is not so intrusive on the relationships we have with our caregivers, and that is not so destructive of our economy as this bill will be.

The exercise that we have witnessed is nothing more than an exercise by the "greatest deliberative body in the world" of wielding the hammer of majority to bludgeon the people into submission.  They, the exalted ones who sit in the 100 seats of that "greatest deliberative body" have taken it upon themselves yet again to tell us what is best for us, and then have set out to show us they really care about us as they force-feed this malarkey on us as one would "noodle a duck"...they are shoving it down our throats.

I find this action despicable.  I did not, unfortunately, expect anything more quite frankly because I have followed the "democratic" process in enough detail for long enough to understand how Democrat majorities handle their power.  They use abusive force rather than reason to get what they want.  The Republicans, on the other hand, have yet to learn how to use their power and usually squander any majority they are handed.

If I sound just a bit cynical, it is because I am cynical about our government.  I agree that it is the best form of government on earth, and I would not wish to live anywhere else. 

I am cynical because I do not foresee that either of our major political parties are ever, in my lifetime, going to acquit themselves well when in possession of the power of the people.  I continue, unfortunately, to be reminded of a phrase from one of the comic strips of days gone by when it contained the following phrase:

"We have met the enemy and he is us."

We will not get better government unless and until we vote for better government.  We will not get better government unless and until we refuse to be conned by those seeking office.  We will not get better government unless and until we insist that everyone remember who kept their word and who violated their promises to us.  We will not get better government unless and until we learn that people ought not be kept in office until they decide they have amassed enough wealth to be able to leave office.

We have, unwittingly I believe, created a "ruling class" and we are now paying the price for having done so.  The founders met long enough to do the work of the people and then they adjourned and went home to tend to their farms and businesses.  They did not make the work of government their career.  They took heed of what the people wanted and they tried their very best to make that happen.

Our "ruling class" is doing just that; they are ruling by fiat.  It is no longer government of the people, by the people and for the people.  It has become government by and for government.

It is time that we communicate with our "ruling class" to let them know that we are taking our government back through the mechanism of our votes.  If we do not do so, we will have, once again, met the enemy and he will be us.