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December 15, 2008
Exclusive: Chicago, the American Moscow: U.S. Political Corruption on a European Scale!
“The only native criminal class in America is Congress” – Mark Twain
When the United Nations aficionados and “one world” folks say the United States should behave more like the rest of the world, they made it happen: their Chicago political machine certainly resembles politics from “the enlightened overseas” – that is, if you are in the Congo! Or Sudan! Or Russia! Or Sicily! The only difference between Moscow and Chicago 2008 is the sound of gunfire. But as capitals of corruption go, they could be sister cities.
In case you missed it, the latest blotch on American politics – Rod Blagojevich (D) Illinois, a sitting governor, allegedly tried to shake down a children’s hospital and wanted to auction off a federal Senate seat to the highest bidder. All these efforts were allegedly to line his pocket. On top of these dastardly deeds, the Illinois Governor wasn’t too swift cursing out the incoming president with the “f” word on what even Blagojevich must have realized was a taped conversation. But then, who said criminals were brainiacs?
We are used to elected officials getting supporters jobs or swinging lucrative construction contracts towards their friends. But this latest corruption scandal is beyond belief.
For the leading nation of the world, you’d think our political criminals would be savvier. Ted Stevens from Alaska, Rod Blagojevich in Illinois – you guys clearly didn’t hide your misadventures too well! Couldn’t you have just asked some of the other senators or governors how they are avoiding getting caught? If anyone thinks the corruption stops at the border of Illinois, I’ve got some great stuff that I can sell you!
Perhaps the problem with criminal politicians (am I being redundant using both terms together?) is a lack of creativity. Vladimir Putin could teach our guys a thing or two for sure. He helps run a major conglomerate (Gazprom), manages to threaten and shakedown client/neighbor nations (Eastern Europe) over energy and heat during the winter (bartering on human lives as the cold winds blow), and run a country (Russia or Putin, Inc) all while knocking off a few adversaries along the way. Oh, and he promotes people to federal jobs for free (well technically, they owe Putin their lives, but at least no cash changed hands between Vladimir and Medvedev that we know of). That’s impressive corruption.At least under Putin, Russia has been creating a bunch of new millionaires; can that be said of Rod Blagojevich? Our guys are amateurs and ineffective by comparison. Used to be a time when organized crime politicians at least had the roads cleared and the traffic flowing. Oh for the good old days! If Rod old boy was smart, he’d have just put the senate seat on Craig’s List and set up a dummy e-mail account! And for the record, any resemblance to my name being a bidder on e-bay ® for the soon to be vacant Illinois senate seat is purely coincidental!
To be fair there are honest politicians – it only sounds like an oxymoron. How many, how effective and how vocal they are or will be remains to be seen. And, I shouldn’t be so cheeky about Illinois (think Capone, Mayor Daley I, Mayor Daley II, Jesse Jackson Jr…. on and on and on). After all, I’m from Massachusetts. But at least our crooks in the state house are entertaining. They not only steal and lie, they amuse – consider Sen. Diane Wilkerson caught stuffing her bra with shake down money, or the antics of our other “politico-criminals.”
As an aside, if the FBI wanted to raise money, I suggest they start selling DVD’s “Arrested – your local officials – Season One!” What a great present to share with those you love on your DNC and RNC Holiday gift list! At least it is a fundraising plan that doesn’t rest on taxes. And think how the FBI can use the money? Between Massachusetts and Illinois politicians this year alone, there’d be enough for an entire season of watching! Throw some advertising in – Smith and Wesson, Securitas, SAIC and other corporations that would probably jump at the chance – and we’re talking big time. Given the U.S. economy seems to be propped up by services, entertainment and politics, it fits the current model.
NATIONAL SECURITY IMPLICATIONS
It should put a chill in everyone when the reality manufacturing jobs represent merely 10% of our employment base; that is antediluvian! Clearly this is the U.S. 19th century – pre-America the industrial giant. The Big 3 Auto manufacturers suffer from a variety of maladies – not one discrete error amenable to simple remedy (including poor leadership), the UAW (which has long since outlasted its usefulness by protecting their leadership and not the auto worker), lack of affordable employer based health care and U.S. trade policies that favor competitors over domestic industries.
We also are not recognizing that the economic challenges we face are also inextricably linked to our domestic security. Thus our resulting weak or declining manufacturing capacity is one of the reasons we couldn’t keep up with demand for up armored vehicles that were vitally needed in Iraq. If we had to fight World War II with the proportionate capacity we have today, we’d be speaking German. In fact, based upon documents written by Chinese military officers – “Unrestricted Warfare” – one of the strategies posited to defeat a superior enemy (the U.S.) is to undermine their manufacturing capability and ultimately economy.
National morale is a critical preparedness infrastructure and we cannot afford to take it for granted. The public trust is a powerful weapon for good; when lost it can undermine even the best ideas promoted by government.
Discussion
Corruption comes in many forms – none are acceptable. Unfortunately we are almost desensitized to all forms, including political corruption. Clearly we and our children are more and more desensitized to violence, immorality, profanity and disrespect. We now have come to expect our political and corporate leaders to abandon their responsibility to the public. The big three U.S. auto CEOs after poorly leading their industries, while making huge salaries, then go flying to DC on private jets crying poormouth playing Oliver to get money from Congress – well, nothing shows contrition like a Gulfstream and champagne! That’s not corruption? How will they be held accountable to their ultimate employers…the American public? Why are we rewarding corruption and/or incompetence?
Consider the bail outs from Congress. Does anyone but the village idiot think these were designed to help the middle class or the average citizen? Somewhere along the line our elected will benefit. Follow the dollar, folks. But even if good intention was the driver behind the bailout, we are not keeping our eye on the ball. Will these bail outs stem the hemorrhage of jobs we are exporting? Or increase the export of American goods? Will the bail outs enhance our ability to manufacture necessary goods or strengthen our infrastructure? Will the bailouts insist upon quality and integrity control or insert such oversights into the industries being rescued? What segments of society will take a hit with the hundreds of billions being diverted from the treasury to Wall Street, Motown – and what industry will shake down Congress next?
We also face the critical challenge of how to spend our limited resources (profligate printing of paper money notwithstanding). We don’t need to be wasting money for trials, convictions and imprisoning politicians. We need to preserve our funds for valuable programs: helping people, protecting our troops who are admirably discharging their duties in dangerous situations, enhancing our border security, ferreting out terrorist cells in the U.S., upgrading our product/food surveillance and preserving the accomplishments in our homeland security to date.
Newt Gingrich gave an important insight from a talent perspective when he put into perspective the talent gap between the billionaire financiers and the 6 figure bureaucrats and Congressmen trying to match wits with the wealthy. No wonder Congress was outplayed. But Paulson wasn’t a middle manager; was he outplayed or watching the back of his money buddies? Was he inept, corrupt or is there a third option?
When our elected advise private enterprise about earmarks, upcoming grants, evolving trade policies or expected regulatory changes, albeit they may be constituents, where does the line between ethics and personal enrichment get set? Is it any wonder with so many people with their hands out – unions, corporations, wealthy constituents – our elected are “for sale” to the highest bidder? In the movie Man of the Year, Robin Williams might have been on to something when he suggested politicians should wear uniforms with the logos of all their sponsors and donors just like race car drivers. At least it would be easier to know who owned our elected officials!
While “the economy” and “political corruption” are big picture terms, they belie the injuries caused – to the people, community and nation. Corporate or political corruption aren’t merely examples of the greedy getting rich at the expense of the less criminally minded or because they are smarter than
“conniving challenged” people; corruption undermines progress and it is progress that is sorely needed.
“conniving challenged” people; corruption undermines progress and it is progress that is sorely needed.
And the recent flurry of political corruption from Massachusetts to Illinois to Alaska undermines any progress that might be forthcoming and also reminds us just how broken our political system is nationwide. And we the voter share some of the blame. So while the poor trade and economic policies of the last four administrations have compromised our industrial base, our corporate leaders profiteer while workers’ lose their jobs, retirements or benefits, pointing fingers isn’t sufficient. We are culpable, too. First, our elected count on us defending them, and we do! Second, we often have our hand out – whether looking for earmarks, favors or government projects for union jobs. Third we don’t do much after we vote to hold the elected accountable. It is time to raise our voices and expect our elected to be more transparent. Who they hang out with, where the monies come from and where the earmarks go to.
Though a profound grasp of the obvious, while our elected officials have been seemingly ignoring the economy in the election year euphoria – we continue to face industries on the brink, the American worker losing jobs, cost of living outpacing incomes, and a time of transition that is ripe for exploiting from our adversaries. Yes, some of the woes we brought on ourselves. As a nation we overspend, have a short attention span and an aversion to delayed gratification or inconvenience. We need to change our ways. Our elected are a reflection of our values for better or worse.
Obama in the mix
As if “bombin’ Bill Ayres,” “Anti-white Wright,” “Rip off Rezko,” and ”Enforcer Emmanuel” weren’t a scurrilous enough gang surrounding President Elect Obama, enter Rod R. Blagojevich – Governor of Illinois and latest on the FBI hit parade about to reside in the house with many doors for, what else would it be in Illinois – corruption?! While Obama is increasingly looking like “the Teflon® don” of politics, one has to wonder just when or if some of this stuff is going to stick. Not that anyone should really want it to. People have to have someone to believe in. But where there is smoke, there is fire. President-elect Obama cannot claim he didn’t know the Illinois governor nor spend any time with him. That would be ludicrous on so many levels. Then compound that with the shared campaign guru – Axelrod.
What is bothersome are the persistent denials from the left that Obama had anything to do with Chicago politics. That somehow his associations with Rezko are part of a vast right wing smear conspiracy. The defenders have been trying to tie up the dialogue with rhetoric. The reality – Barack Obama and his rising political career were the product of the Chicago machine. That is a fact. Though it doesn’t suggest he is a corrupt politician, he clearly has been groomed or served by highly corrupt individuals who, had they been in any state other than Illinois or Massachusetts would not enjoy the dynasties or nearly unbreakable political machine that intertwines patronage, corrupted union support, crime, and bribery.
One can look at the associations Obama has made with a jaded eye and ask how he could associate with such folks. Yet who else would he collaborate with if the prize was political victory? Obama is either directly or through the aid of a gifted consigliore, a very strategic man. And for all the unsavory folks he has associated with, Obama has emerged as a leading political figure of the 21st century. The questions that have to be asked – when will the next shoe drop, is Obama a clean but very astute politician who merely uses players as stepping stones but never gets his hands dirty in their affairs, are we seeing in the early decisions of his new presidency a man of wisdom, or someone who has covered his trail carefully and has an army of willing protectors, or is he merely a “moment strategist” – someone who gauges the mood of the public, and the threats at hand (to him or the nation) and temporizes the situation until he can get back to the real agenda? The true nature of Obama and his team one suspects is yet to be realized.
Conclusion
You expect corrupt governments in Africa to divert humanitarian aid and sell medicine on the black market. You expect Russian oligarchs to buy their way into the Duma or Kremlin. You expect Sicilian Mafiosa to run the government. But shaking down a hospital or trying to profiteer on your authority to fill a senate seat – even for Illinois politics – is just un-American! It should remind people in Massachusetts why it is risky to allow a governor to have such sweeping power, especially if there is an unexpected vacancy from the Commonwealth.
The threat to the interests of the American people and security of the United States with political corruption goes beyond the obvious – it overtaxes and diverts our investigative agencies capacities. At a time when budget cuts are likely to affect even the Department of Homeland Security and other domestic preparedness agencies let’s face it, we just don’t have enough FBI agents to investigate Congress, state officials and Al Qaeda cells at the same time! And in the wake of Mumbai, the FBI faces an increasingly daunting task of protecting the US from imported bad guys (illegal aliens, terrorists, drug dealers) and home grown malefactors (our elected officials, CEO’s of major corporations, certain union officials, oh yeah, and gangs, organized crime and domestic terrorist groups). It is only a matter of time when members of the fifth column residing in the U.S. decide to attack us. It would be very nice if our law enforcement agencies could focus on terrorists and not our elected officials.
The latest political scandal is not a time for high fives from opposing parties. The breach of faith that New York Governor Spitzer, Alaska Sen. Stevens, State Sen. Wilkerson (soon to be followed by others in the Massachusetts state house on some issue or another) and now Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevich demonstrate more than the narcissism and sense of entitlement that many of our elected officials believe in and exhibit, but a failure of our system. One-party states – whether Democrat or Republican – are a breeding ground for corruption. When will the public get it? Political corruption has to go beyond party loyalty; yet it is that very patronage – unions, parties, corporations – rely upon that undermine the very freedoms and protections we seek in our government.
We have not seen the end of the bailouts, or the extent of political corruption nationwide. With friends like these, who needs enemies! A house divided cannot stand. The American public deserves better and yet deserves the government and elected officials we put into office. The only way to clean up politics, corporations and unions is to demand more of those who represent us than the pervasive and insidious philosophy expedience and immediate gratification. If we cannot get our own house in order, how can we ever effectively prepare for another attack on the U.S.?
FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Dr. Robin McFee is a physician and medical toxicologist. An expert in WMD preparedness, she is a consultant to government agencies, corporations and the media. Dr. McFee is a member of the Global Terrorism, Political Instability and International Crime Council of ASIS International. She has authored numerous articles on terrorism, health care and preparedness, and coauthored two books: Toxico-Terrorism by McGraw Hill and The Handbook of Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Agents, published by Informa/CRC Press.
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