Did anybody else see the 60 minutes report by Steve Croft last night regarding how virtually all congressmen use inside information (information to which the voters have no access) to make millions for themselves and their families? All these guys are criminals! Not only do they trade stocks based on inside information, they advance legislation, the sole purpose of which is to enrich themselves. As Speaker of the House, Denny Hastert bought some cheap, virtually worthless cornfield land in Iowa, then pushed through an unnecessary interstate bill that quadrupled the value of that land.
How is he not in jail? Who oversees the criminals in congress? The justice department? Where are the gov't watchdogs? Why aren't there sunshine and transparency laws for the personal financial dealings of elected officials? Oh wait there are, but because DC is a rigged town, the fix is in and everybody is getting rich on inside information, nobody wants to upset the gravy train.
And these guys make political hay putting otherwise harmless drug users in prison for decades. If I traded on inside information or used my office for personal financial gain, I'd be in jail.
"But Ed" you whine, "holding public office is a sacrifice. They have to maintain two households and besides, it's a drop in the bucket compared to what they waste of our tax money."
True, but they make $174,000 a year and receive all kinds of perks from lobbyists. That aside, it's against the law to trade on inside information and to use your office for personal financial gain. The President is bound by law to have his personal portfolio held in a blind trust to which he has no access, why aren't congressmen and senators held to the same standard?
4 comments:
The Raison d'être of the state is to transfer wealth and power from the many to the few. Insider trading is but one of many means to that end. So ask yourself, which of those currently campaigning for the presidency can be expected to do anything whatsoever about it? Anyone? Beuller? Beuller?
Cain perhaps. He's the only one who's not currently on the take.....the operative word being "currently" here.
Ron Paul is on the take? Who knew?
He's been in Congress for a while. Nobody is so resolute regarding his morals that he can resist the temptation to profit from his office. Not even Ron Paul. That's why we need term limits and no laws from which congressmen and senators may exempt themselves as they currently do.
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