But remember this, the key to great wealth in America today is to gain high political office. Ever wonder why someone would spend 10 million dollars of their own money to win a political job that pays less than 200 thousand a year?--R.W.Ratikal
Indeed.
By purging DC of the professional politician and returning to the idea of the citizen-politician, we would break the power-and-corruption cycle. Post-9/11, we no longer have the luxury of time or circumstance to abide that nonsense.
We must field citizen-politicians of the highest caliber. As envisioned by the founders, the citizen-politicians would ''lend'' their expertise to government and then return to private life. The culture of access, influence and self-interest--and with it, the tyranny--would literally disappear overnight.
With their obvious excellence and assisted by the new technology, the citizen-politician would easily bypass the stacked system to capture the imagination -- and votes -- of the masses.
Mia-demanding of K Street contacts (the Washington Lobbyists offices are all on K Street) the same transparency of interaction between their offices and congress, that the SEC expects of corporations and corporate boards, would solve a lot. That and term limits are the solution. It is OUR fault, as citizens, if this does not come to pass.