Oh yes, the professional politicians hold on to their power partly by convincing voters (and themselves) that they are sacrificing so much in order to engage in "public service" - and then proceed to vote themselves huge benefits from the public till; gradually rationalizing just how much their so-called sacrifice benefits us peasants, their constituency, the great unwashed. They actually have and keep the power to wangle the laws to where they have a strangle hold on power in perpetuity.
The founders of this country had some integrity, serving very limited terms in public service and then going back to work in real life so they wouldn't be tempted to become corrupt. They proceeded to sternly advise the disallowance of career politicians who get ensconced, then corrupted into voting themselves privileges and largesse from taxation. Now, the likes of Teddy Kennedy, and others, are so ensconced in "public service" that they have never or rarely ever held a real job in their lives. Sad to say, the average voter in America is not very well educated in American history with this truth about the founding fathers pounded into their heads just as hard as a list of dates for some obscure happenings of little relevance. I know I wasn't educated all that well in public school on these matters, but experience has opened my eyes. This does not seem to be the case, especially amongst people who do not appear to have to actually live in the real world themselves.
excellent post.
The professional pol, a self-selected subspecies of Homo sapiens, is neither mediocre by accident nor corrupted by opportunity. The mediocre and corrupt are naturally drawn to politics, especially as it exists today.
FWI...IMHO...a public servant is just that...I expect their life...their financial transactions, whom they dine with and how they legislate be an open book....complete transparency and accountability...not an orchestrated "cover-up" by SeeBeeEsss...