Back to the basics

The purpose of our federal government is to provide for our common defense and promote our general welfare. Nowhere in the Constitution is mentioned such things as committees and other such things that exist today. Two hundred years ago we had to pay our bills as nobody in their right mind would loan us money. As a result, we often privatized things such as roads and bridges, often called tolls. We even issued letters of marque to allow our poor nation a way to attack and defend at sea, with private sources paying and taking the risk. Of course their incentive, and reward, was profit. Now our leaders, to include the most corrupt, spend assuming we as the USA can always borrow our way out. And our future generations will pay for it.

Ah profit. Hillary Clinton correctly states that lobbyists represent Americans. So does profit go to Americans. Profit is not evil. It is human, and so American, especially compared to the old world.

In the new world in a short generation or two, America has been long on ideas and short on follow-up. Many pro’s have stated the probable reason; we have voted that way for all the reasons, selfish and short term gain. Now all the common good and promotion of well being ideas are coming due for maintenance, political and real life. Tough love, not tough luck, should be the theme of the day. Most don’t expect the politicians to do much until enough dead citizens pile up and interstate commerce comes to a concerned safety slow down, and their relatives and friends vote them out. Yet this embarrassing argument is rear-end backwards as it is about reacting.

Our politicians must be acting for the benefit of our general welfare, to include maintenance of the basics, political and defense and infrastructure. Some suggest privatization as a course of action, and it has appeal as long as the taxes and funding are reduced for the government alternatives. Some suggest American standards enforced by voters as another course of action.

So back to the basics comes down to who is in charge of the USA and the coming 2008 elections. Is it the political pro’s who get paid for their work and hired poll driven advice, is it the pundits who get paid for their well written opinions as part of their jobs to pay the bills, or is it the American people?

Even in a time of great mass communications, interconnectivity, and computer machines ability to crunch numbers, it always comes down to humans and voters.