With apologies to Lewis Carroll and even to Alice for using the comparison, we have a modern equivalent of the characters Tweedledum and Tweedledee from the book, Alice in Wonderland.
Tweedledum and Tweedledee; alike in every way. They talk alike, look alike, walk alike, think alike. They cannot be identified separately even by those who know them best. They may be mythical creatures with power only over the imagination but their real life counterparts are capable of real and infinite harm.
Those real life counterparts are called Democrats and Republicans. Oh, they try to distinguish each from the other by using terms like conservative, liberal, left wing and right wing. At the same time, they promote their sameness by describing themselves as moderate, middle of the road, and for, by and of the people. The plain truth is that just as Tweedledum and Tweedledee were internalized and self absorbed, so too are those at the core of both parties.
Tweedledum and Tweedledee went this way and that, so also the advocates of the political parties sway this way and that way. Many people believe the politicians are responding to the public groups who support them at the polls. I believe that while the Tweedles were following their own nonsensical whims, the pols follow subliminal covert directions and wishes of an unelected and mostly unseen bureaucracy rather than their constituents.
Consider the millions of workers that make up the bureaucracy all the way from city maintenance workers to the beltway in Washington D.C. To whom do they report ? If you believe they answer to the Mayor or Governor or even the President, think again. They are responsible only to their own leaders who, for the most part, are non-elected and some even non-appointed to the positions they hold. They are protected by tradition, covert networks, low visibility, and law from any real threat of job or position loss. Conversely, politicians are elected or thrown out; overt agency heads are appointed and fired.. Only the unseen bureaucrats survive to retire with pay and benefits. After retirement many assume control of the largest corporations in the world. In addition to opportunities for more money, perks, and greater protection from discovery, the former bc’s (I will hence call bureaucrats in general bc’s to save space and time) are also members of a network that seeks to control all aspects of society for their own benefit. Sound like a conspiracy? Read on. .
Consider how many even high visibility individuals seem to float from corporation to advisory government jobs, to foreign consulting and back to corporate positions. Along the way, they get elected to political positions or appointed if they cannot get elected. Does the phrase “appearance of impropriety” ring an alarm bell with you? It certainly does with me. Does the phrase “ conflict of interest” have meaning to you ? It certainly does to me. The unseen army of bureaucrats know the two terms well and also know just how to avoid being tagged with either. They also know well how to manipulate those in the public eye and on television to promote the interests of the bureaucracy.
Have you ever had to answer to a field agent or office analyst of the I.R.S. ? Have you ever tried to get information on your property from the county tax assessors office? Have you ever stood in line to get a drivers license or plates for a new car? If so, you have witnessed the raw power of the bureaucracy at work. That work is performed but I question for whose benefit.
Now consider this. All politicians, whether would be or employed, not only seek the company, advice and support of the bc’s, but they court the bc’s and whether deliberately or not, eventually become beholden to the bc’s.
Add this to the picture. If the politicians all seek advice, the company of and direction from the same bc’s, is it any wonder that political activity by one party reflects the same activity performed by the other party? Could it be that the pols ( short for politicians) really become just talking heads for the bc’s ? In recent years much has been said about vast right wing or vast left wing or vast (you fill the blank) conspiracies. Can you say vast underground conspiracy?
How has this come about ? We have a constitution written for the express purpose of establishing a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. What we currently have is a government of the people, but by the few and for the few. What has gone wrong ? Remember I stated earlier that bc’s exercise raw power. That raw power exists only because the people are not using the real power they have, namely the power of the vote. In the U.S. today, less than ½ of those who could vote are registered. Less than 30% of those who are registered do vote.
Therefore the real power is not being exercised and the bc’s are using that power by default. The way to return the power to it’s owners is simple. IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE AND HAVE NOT REGISTERED, DO SO. IF YOU ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE THEN VOTE EVERY TIME YOU CAN. Vote at local elections, vote for county candidates, vote for commission, board and all other elective positions. Vote in national elections. Demand that every candidate appear at a forum and state his or her position. Vote for independent thinking candidates who you think will listen to you first and not the bc’s.
Ask all your neighbors if they are registered and get them in to register and vote. Make sure all your relatives are registered and vote. Contact all your friends from all over the country and urge them to register and vote . Be the squeaky wheel that needs the grease. It will take some time and much effort, but the control the bc’s have as well as the alleged “good ol’ boy networks” will fade and die in the face of an informed and activist electorate.
Personally, I am ashamed of the abysmal voter turnouts in the U.S. and I want action. Do you or are you willing to allow the bc’s to continue to tell you what to do ?
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