In a society where one needs to "bribe" someone to get a phone line installed, the additional cost is known to all. But here, the costs of corruption and ineffective government are masked--we are hectored into behaving as if they don't exist, while others make millions at our expense.
Oh, and just call your local monopoly cable / internet / phone / other utility company to come out for service. It will give you a small glimpse into what it was like in East Germany circa 1973.
Exactly right! You hit the nail on the head, this is the real problem with our set up, we like to imagine we're the shining city on the hill, but we're just deluded. It would be better if we just acknowledged what is actually going on and the way things actually work. And unfortunately as you pointed out with the monopolies as well as socialist policies things are headed in entirely the wrong direction fast.
Excellent article. I fear the corruption runs too deep for there to be any "reforming" of these agencies, whether public health, federal law enforcement or intelligence. The only thing that might work is to shut them down and rebuild from the ground up. And only the ones we really need, since many of their functions are either unnecessary or redundant and can be better performed at the state level.
That will be a battle for the ages, and only possible if a large majority of voters eventually see the light.
In a society where one needs to "bribe" someone to get a phone line installed, the additional cost is known to all. But here, the costs of corruption and ineffective government are masked--we are hectored into behaving as if they don't exist, while others make millions at our expense.
Oh, and just call your local monopoly cable / internet / phone / other utility company to come out for service. It will give you a small glimpse into what it was like in East Germany circa 1973.
Exactly right! You hit the nail on the head, this is the real problem with our set up, we like to imagine we're the shining city on the hill, but we're just deluded. It would be better if we just acknowledged what is actually going on and the way things actually work. And unfortunately as you pointed out with the monopolies as well as socialist policies things are headed in entirely the wrong direction fast.
Yes. I guess you have to say about the U.S., when we go corrupt, we go big - from the top down.
Excellent article. I fear the corruption runs too deep for there to be any "reforming" of these agencies, whether public health, federal law enforcement or intelligence. The only thing that might work is to shut them down and rebuild from the ground up. And only the ones we really need, since many of their functions are either unnecessary or redundant and can be better performed at the state level.
That will be a battle for the ages, and only possible if a large majority of voters eventually see the light.