Why Americans are so Angry

Here's a deep insight from the comment thread on an article in the Economist...

J. Kemp Dec 7th, 19:32

There is an apparent lack of understanding among many in this thread about the nature of America's unique flavor of, and recipe for, corruption.

The way corruption works in America is through the providing of morally corrupt laws to those who purchase laws from federal and state legislatures. The purchasing is done most often through campaign finance transactions.
In other less developed countries, corruption is quite straightforward and easy to see as such. Old fashioned cash-for-deeds bribery is more prevalent in less developed nations.

In America corruption is a much more insidious game, which is worse because (i) it is almost always plausibly deniable by virtue of being cloaked in "laws", and (ii) it is impossible for the citizens to escape.

The American banking sector, telecoms companies, insurance companies, America's multiple for-profit prison industries and the major licensed professions: attorneys, physicians, financial services "professionals" (sic) and accountants are all major spenders on the purchasing of legislation which creates and protects their selfish economic opportunities at the expense of normal Americans who are not members of these law-buying clubs. America passes secret laws enabling its NSA to violate its citizens constitutional rights and has secret courts to approve these violations. America uses drones to murder targets -- but many innocents -- in ways which are clear violations of easily understood Geneva conventions on warfare and prohibiting crimes against humanity.

There is, in fact, a high level of cash-for-deeds corruption in America, for example, as set forth by the Yale Law Journal which formulates and estimate of over 1 million bribery transactions per year in the American judicial branch of government. There are also abundant indications of a high level of arrogance towards the citizens by members of government from local police and other local government employees, all the way up to national office holders in federal legislatures and other branches of government.

However the worst and most inescapable and deleterious form of corruption going on in America is when private interests (or certain parts of government) get deals from legislatures and get the laws they want so that they can economically enslave -- and/or imprison -- American citizens.

Americans are being bled out by these custom, gov-for-sale laws like animals at a slaughterhouse. This is angering Americans as well it should.

The key to understanding the uniquely American flavor of corruption is to understand that is most often WRAPPED IN LAWS which laws seek to legitimize morally corrupt treatment of America's citizens, often under the further cover of some noble motive.

American corruption is unique and innovative in its many disguises, but it is worse for the citizens than the forms of corruption found in other nations due to the fact that American corruption is, by design, inescapable for its citizens, a large portion of whom are exploited as economic slaves by those privileged industries and professions who are holding all the cards in the form of laws they purchased from America's corrupt legislatures.

How Crony Capitalism Works, or, Obama's Economic Agenda

3 Contractors bid on White House Fence 

Three contractors are bidding to fix a broken fence at the White House.One is from Chicago, another is from Tennessee, and the third is from Montana. All three go with a White House official to examine the fence.

The Montana contractor takes out a tape measure and does some measuring, then works some figures with a pencil. "Well," he says, "I figure the job will run about $900. That's $400 for materials, $400 for my crew and $100 profit for me."

The Tennessee contractor also does some measuring and figuring, then says, "I can do this job for $700. That's $300 for materials, $300 for my crew and $100 profit for me."

The Chicago contractor doesn't measure or figure, but leans over to the White House official and whispers, "$2,700." The official, incredulous, says, "You didn't even measure like the otherguys. How did you come up with such a high figure?"

The Chicago contractor whispers back, "$1000 for me, $1000 for you, and we hire the guy from Tennessee to f ix the fence." "Done!" replied the government official.And that, my friends, is how a Government Stimulus plan works.

submitted by a reader...

3 Reasons To Elimnate Dept Homeland Security

Nick Gillespie gives three excellent reasons to eliminate Dept of "Homeland Security"...a department that neither makes us safer, nor has caught a single terrorist.

Fast & Furious

The only news program wiling to actually cover the corrupt and probably illegal FBI/ATF gun running operation that was started by the Obama Dept of Justice is Univision.  Here's their preview of that news report.

Watch More News Videos at ABC | 2012 Presidential Election | Entertainment & Celebrity News

People died...because of the actions and direct approval of our Dept of Justice.  So far Eric Holder has avoided having to take responsiblity, yet he HAS lied to Congress about what he knew, and when he knew it.  I suspect that he approved of the operation in order to charge that we needed curbs to the 2nd Amendment.   His deputy's resignation, I believe, is intended to deflect attention from him till after the election.  The fact that the MSM has so far minimized coverage just goes to show how damaging this is to the Obama regime.

Washington's Parasitic Economy

Andrew Ferguson is interviewed by Reason TV...on the parasitic Washington, DC economy.




UPDATE:  As someone who lives in the Baltimore-Washington Metroplex, you see every day the effects of the influx of government bureaucrats.  None of them actually contribute a damn thing to the economy...and infact sucking at Uncle Sam's hind tit as they do, they are draining money that could be better off spend by the people who pay taxes. 

It's time to do across the board, 30% reductions in, not just spending, but firing 30% of the people who work for government...ALL branches of government.  Better yet, reduce the size of those working for Congress  by 50%...

Then, simplify the tax code to something along the lines of a flat income tax (20% for everyone above the poverty line).  It's not "fair" that someone who busts their ass and earns $1 million dollars a year, yet has to pay 50% of those earning to shore up a corrupt bureaucratic system that the country can't afford any more.

We won't see any of this happen until the government hits the bankruptcy skids, much like the Greek government is on the brink of.  No politician currently eating at the DC trough has the courage to do anything like the draconian measures that will be necessary to save our Republic...more's the pity.

via Newsalert

Government Waste: American Bureaucracy Style

Here's  a partial list compiled by  David Steinberg,  of all the government agencies that are cited by the GAO as haveing overlapping and wastefull responsibilities:

The Biggest Government


In a century, Big Government transformed an essential and minimalized service, the Federal Highway Administration, into the Department of Where the F*** Do You Think You’re Going, and the above fog machine is just the genetics of one department. I noted earlier that the GAO had “found” massive amounts of redundancy; it was a poor word. The GAO simply took the time to report on the disgust. Any rational man could look at the following, which is nothing more than a collection of current federal agencies, and understand the waste is of a scale difficult to comprehend and inspiring of our worst tendencies to rage.

This is your Big Government, perhaps the biggest Big Government there ever could be. The problem is not one or several agencies, but the whole damned thing: believe it, it is true — this is the actual structure of the United States. See if you can spot the redundancies:

· Advisory Council on Historic Preservation· American Battle Monuments Commission · Architect of the Capitol · Botanic Garden · Capitol Visitor Center · Constitution Center · National Capital Planning Commission · National Cemetery Administration (Veterans Affairs Department) · Smithsonian Institution · White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance

· Archives (National Archives and Records Administration) · Administrative Committee of the Federal Register · Library of Congress

· Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) · Administration for Native Americans · National Indian Gaming Commission

· Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (Justice) · Bureau of Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade (Treasury) · Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) · National Drug Intelligence Center · Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)
· Bureau of Justice Statistics · Bureau of Labor Statistics · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · Congressional Research Service · Federal Interagency Council on Statistical Policy · National Agricultural Statistics Service

· Agricultural Marketing Service · Agriculture Department (USDA) · Marketing and Regulatory Programs (Agriculture Department) · Research, Education and Economics (Agriculture Department) · Risk Management Agency (Agriculture Department)
· Agency for International Development · African Development Foundation · Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission)
· Federal Highway Administration · Department of Transportation (DOT) · Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration · Federal Transit Administration · Maritime Administration · National Highway Traffic Safety Administration · National Transportation Safety Board · Research and Innovative Technology Administration (Transportation Department) · Surface Transportation Board · Transportation Security Administration
· Environmental Management (Energy Department) · Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) · Natural Resources Conservation Service
· Farm Credit Administration · Farm Service Agency · Land Management, Bureau of
· Export Administration (now the Bureau of Industry and Security) · Export-Import Bank of the United States

Below, how Big Government handles money:
· Commerce Department · Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States · Commodity Futures Trading Commission · Comptroller of the Currency Office · Council of Economic Advisers · Department of the Treasury · Disability Employment Policy Office · Economic Adjustment Office · Economic Analysis, Bureau of · Economic Development Administration · Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) · Economic Research Service · Economics & Statistics Administration · Engraving and Printing, Bureau of · Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity · Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board · Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council · Federal Financing Bank · Federal Reserve System · Financial Management Service (Treasury Department) · Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission · Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, National Commission · Government Printing Office (GPO) · Government National Mortgage Association · Mint (Treasury Department) · National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform · National Credit Union Administration · National Economic Council · Office of Management and Budget (OMB) · Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) · Small Business Administration (SBA) · Taxpayer Advocacy Panel · U.S. International Trade Commission · U.S. Trade and Development Agency · U.S. Trade Representative

And “health”:
· Administration on Aging (AoA) · Administration on Developmental Disabilities · Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) · Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry · Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Interagency Coordinating Committee · Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) · Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board · Civilian Radioactive Waste Management · Committee for Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled · Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) · Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) · Health Resources and Services Administration · Indian Health Service · National AIDS Policy Office · National Council on Disability · National Institutes of Health (NIH) · Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) · Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission · Rehabilitation Services Administration (Education Department) · Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

And “Education”:
· Education Department (ED) · Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) · Federal Interagency Committee on Education · National Institute for Literacy · National Science Foundation

And energy:
· Energy Department (DOE) · Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy · Energy Information Administration · Federal Energy Regulatory Commission · Fossil Energy · National Laboratories (Energy Department) · Power Administrations · Science Office (Energy Department) · Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology · Nuclear Regulatory Commission · Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board

And your food:
· Food and Drug Administration (FDA) · Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services · Food Safety and Inspection Service · Food and Nutrition Service · Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration · National Institute of Food and Agriculture

And your retirement:
· National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare · Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration (now the Employee Benefits Security Administration) · Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation · Railroad Retirement Board · Social Security Administration (SSA) · Social Security Advisory Board

And “science”:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) · National Ocean Service · National Weather Service (NOAA) · National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) · Office of Science and Technology Policy · Office of Scientific and Technical Information

And the border:

 Office of Refugee Resettlement · U.S. Border Patrol (now Customs and Border Protection) · U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services · U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement · Executive Office for Immigration Review

And this … this is how Big Government attempts to make everything better:

 Arctic Research Commission · Appalachian Regional Commission · Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) · Chief Acquisition Officers Council · Chief Financial Officers Council · Chief Human Capital Officers Council · Chief Information Officers Council · Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee · Commission of Fine Arts · Commission on International Religious Freedom · Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements · Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) · Community Planning and Development · Corporation for National and Community Service · Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention · Council on Environmental Quality · Delaware River Basin Commission · Denali Commission · Domestic Policy Council · Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy · Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) · English Language Acquisition Office · Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC) · Federal Consulting Group · Federal Executive Boards · Federal Geographic Data Committee · Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight · Federal Housing Finance Board · Federal Interagency Committee for the Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds · Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer · Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service · Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board · Foreign Agricultural Service · General Services Administration (GSA) · Indian Arts and Crafts Board · Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor Commission · Innovation and Improvement Office · Institute of Peace · Interagency Alternative Dispute Resolution Working Group · Inter-American Foundation · Interagency Council on Homelessness · Japan-United States Friendship Commission · Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries · Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies · Joint Fire Science Program · Legal Services Corporation · Marine Mammal Commission · Merit Systems Protection Board · Millennium Challenge Corporation · Minority Business Development Agency · Mississippi River Commission · Morris K. Udall Foundation: Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy · Multifamily Housing Office · National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency · National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) · National Mediation Board · National Technical Information Service · National Telecommunications and Information Administration · Northwest Power Planning Council · Office of Compliance · Office of Government Ethics · Office of Personnel Management · Office of Thrift Supervision · Open World Leadership Center · Overseas Private Investment Corporation · Peace Corps · Presidio Trust · Regulatory Information Service Center · Rural Business and Cooperative Programs · Rural Development · Rural Housing Service · Rural Utilities Service · Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation · Southeastern Power Administration · Southwestern Power Administration · Stennis Center for Public Service · State Justice Institute · Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement · Susquehanna River Basin Commission · TRICARE Management · Trustee Program (Justice Department) · Western Area Power Administration · White House Commission on Presidential Scholars · Women’s Bureau (Labor Department)

This is what conservatives mean by Big Government...it's past time to trim ALL of the programs, offices, etc...and turn the dead weight manning them back to the private sector.

Obama Panel To Probe Stimulus Waste @ Arizona Ritz-Charlton...You Just Can't Make This Stuff UP!

Here's an email I just sent to the

Recovery Independent Advisory Panel, a sub-committee of the larger Recovery Accountability and Transparency board (sometimes known as the RAT board). The stimulus bill set up the Recovery Independent Advisory Panel, or RIAP, to make recommendations to identify and prevent waste of the bill's $814 billion in stimulus spending.

I found a link on Instapundit that leads to a story in the Washington Examiner

Dear Sir, I'm writing in response to the upcoming meeting in Arizona on, "The purpose of the November 22, 2010 meeting is to allow the RIAP to have an open dialogue, with input from the public, on issues relating to fraud, waste, and abuse of Recovery Act funds," says a notice in the Federal Register.

Sooo...this board is meeting to discuss how the "stimulus package" is being wasted...you really can't make this stuff up. How in the world can you justify, in the midst of a huge recession, meeting in an exclusive $1000 per night resort? Honestly...

A reader emails: “Would send a damn fine message if a few hundred people joined these clowns for ‘Tea at the Ritz’.” Heh. That's from http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/109722/

Instapundit.com is hosted by Glenn Reynolds and it's a site that gets several million hits a month...and he's going to spend the next several weeks talking about it...so am I...and I get a couple hundred hits per week. On the other hand, I do know some someone from both the DNC and RNC are hitting my web site as is someone in the office of the Speaker of the House (that would be Nancy Pelosi's office until this coming January).

Now, how do you justify spending several hundred thousand dollars of my hard earned tax money on this meeting? Especially a meeting that is for "participants in the meeting will discuss various techniques to detect and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse, as well as larger issues of transparency and public awareness." Just how do you cretinous, brain-dead bureaucrats in our government justify this? Isn't there a nice federal office building in Arizona...that doesn't have to be rented for tens of thousands of tax dollars? Or wouldn't that be fair to those on the board, having to sit in hard government chairs instead of the plush, soft chairs of the Ritz-Charlton? I'm about to lose my apartment because I can't find a full time job and you people are wasting money like this?

Have you no shame? You wonder why the Democratic Party got pasted so badly this past election, this is why. You waste money like there's no tomorrow...but tomorrow does come...and January is coming very soon.

Sincerely,

Richard A. Vail
Pikesville, MD 21208
http://thevailspot.blogspot.com/

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.--Thomas Jefferson

Just for fun, I sent courtesy copies to various state and federal legislators, including my Congressman, State Delegates and Senator, and of course those paragons of fiscal virture, Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin, my wonderful US Senators.
Here's the email address if you feel inclined to write with your comments on this wonderful meeting

panel@ratb.gov

Here's a link to the Federal Register for the announcement of the meeting.  How could I forgo a link to the hotel website for a great description of how these bureaucrats will be basking in luxury at our expense.

Here's a link to the room calculator for a suite it's $359.00 per night...until the 25th when rates go up to $605 per night. 

Why was Shirley Sherrod thrown under  the bus by the USDA so quickly?  Here are a few questions posed by the Washington Examiner:

• Was Ms. Sherrod's USDA appointment an unspoken condition of her organization's settlement?
• How much "debt forgiveness" is involved in USDA's settlement with New Communities?
• Why were the Sherrods so deserving of a combined $300,000 in "pain and suffering" payments -- amounts that far exceed the average payout thus far to everyone else? ($1.15 billion divided by 16,000 is about $72,000)?
• Given that New Communities wound down its operations so long ago (it appears that this occurred sometime during the late 1980s), what is really being done with that $13 million in settlement money?

Here are a few bigger-picture questions:

• Did Shirley Sherrod resign so quickly because the circumstances of her hiring and the lawsuit settlement with her organization that preceded it might expose some unpleasant truths about her possible and possibly sanctioned conflicts of interest?
• Is USDA worried about the exposure of possible waste, fraud, and abuse in its handling of Pigford?
• Did USDA also dispatch Sherrod hastily because her continued presence, even for another day, might have gotten in the way of settling Pigford matters quickly?

 The media and the blogosphere shouldn't be so quick to forget about Shirley Sherrod.

No when you have 1.15 billion dollars in settlement money to ask questions about.  In the original lawsuit to which Mrs. Sherrod was a participant, there were roughly 27,000 black farm familes in the US...but the lawsuit of Pigford vs Vilsack has already paid out over 16,000 claims  while,

Members of Congress may approve another $1.15 billion this week to settle cases from what some estimate may be an additional 80,000 African-Americans who have also claimed to have been discriminated against by USDA staff.

Ummm...if there were 27,000 black farm famers in the US  in 1998, when the original lawsuit was filed, where did the additional 53,000 people come from?  Just a few more trying to suck off of Uncle Sam's hind tit?