It hit me this morning, as I was giving a little brain time to the upcoming political season, that the corruption of the ruling class in this country is a reflection of those who put them in their positions. I hang around some pretty "good" folks at work, at church, etc. And yet I can tell you that many of them, as many in our society, have cheated on their taxes, defrauded insurance companies and have been unfaithful to their spouses all while showing no remorse or signs of guilt. Those insurance companies take advantage of us all the time so it's ok, right? The federal government is bloated and inefficient, so it's ok to cheat on our taxes. And our spouse, well, they aren't too bad, but it's obvious we are wired to have lots of sex so as long as I can keep it from public view it's pretty much expected. Why do we expect our politicians to be driven by principle, when we are driven by selfish ambition? Why do we want politicians who exhibit integrity, when we are following gravel trucks to their place of business so we can get a free windshield even though the crack has been there for several days? Ever keep your mouth shut about damage to a roof or car that was pre-existing when talking to the adjuster? Just wondering. And, by the way, insurance companies, like the company you work for, must make a profit, or go out of business, so when one person takes them for a ride, the fare is ultimately paid by other clients. A little like taxing those nasty corporations. The fact is, corporations don't pay taxes, they just collect them. When their expenses go up, (like their taxes), the price they charge for their product or service goes up to compensate. Either that or they start laying off people and reducing research and development which hurts everybody directly or indirectly. Please don't read this as a defense of "big business", it is, in fact, a condemnation of our culture at large that is so comfortable with lying, cheating, stealing etc. As long as the ultimate goal of self-gratification is reached, there are no hard and fast rules. I would like to encourage each of us to take a good long look in the mirror and make a commitment to become the kind of person we wish our representatives were. Then, when we've reached that goal, run for office.
Tune in next week when I'll share my favorite guacamole recipe.
