Posted by
Dan Abbett on Saturday, September 20, 2008 9:52:59 PM
The first rule of congress seems to be, “do nothing” lest you be held accountable for your actions and “do nothing” that will allow your opposition to get credit for their actions.
The danger of a complete “meltdown” of the entire financial sector of our economy lies squarely at the feet of the petty, partisan procrastinators in Congress. Just as the sixties era song by Edwin Starr asked the question, “war, what is it good for?” the same question is well suited for the actions, or in this case, inaction of government and especially Congress.
From elected officials, to special interest groups and near subversive organizations with global agendas, the objective of factionalizing the American people by race, political ideology and social class has been extremely effective. So much so, that we are too busy fighting amongst ourselves to notice the absolute ineptness of the actions of our government.
To attempt to lay blame on any specific member or partisan group in congress would be an exercise in futility. The fact of the matter is the whole of that pathetic body wears full responsibility. Most disgusting is watching these weasels scurrying about in full panic, absolving themselves individually of any culpability while freely volunteering the involvement of their colleagues. Their propensity to play politics instead of acting as administrators of the people’s business has brought this nation to its most precarious point in tens of decades.
What is clear with respect to the financial collapse of housing giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the ensuing potential for a toppling effect on the financial system is that it was completely avoidable. Had congress taken action early on when it was obvious that these institutions were incurring bad debt to the tune of billions, debt that would ultimately fall to the taxpayers to cover, none of this would probably have happened. They were playing with our money however and no skin off congress’ nose if the bottom fell out.
Both lawmakers and officials in the executive branch, to include the president, are making profound statements that recognize that while their actions will add close to a trillion dollars to the national debt, they declare that it is better than doing nothing. Doing nothing is what got us to this point in the first place and now they find it unacceptable? Worse, the huddled masses will cheer their efforts and praise them for heading off a crisis of their own making.
It doesn’t stop there however. As has been lamented in this space on many occasions, we face a threat to our national security, our economy, our transportation and commerce infrastructure and the source we depend on to heat and light our homes. That commodity is of course oil. We currently import 60+ percent of the oil we use on a daily basis. Two of our four major suppliers are openly hostile to the United States, Venezuela and the Middle East respectively. The third, Mexico, is in such a state of political and economic turmoil, that their stability puts them at risk as a supplier. Only Canada can be counted on as a stable supplier and even they hold us in contempt.
Given this clear threat to the very foundation of the engine that propels this nation, you would think securing our independence from these hostile sources would be job one. As they did with our financial sector however, they will use energy independence as a political play toy until we find ourselves in an energy crisis and then declare that something must be done. Those whose livelihoods, businesses and families suffer under such conditions may well think about bringing the Strategic Petroleum Reserves to the boiling point and slowly immersing every member of congress.
When you add to this mix the terrorist nations of Iran and North Korea, a Russia intent on re-establishing their position of power in the world and a growing Muslim determination to subject us all to Shariah Law, you begin to better put into perspective just how absolutely useless our governing body really is. To put it in lyrical perspective, “Congress – Good God Y’all -- What is it good for?” “Absolutely Nothin.’ ”