DC = RC ?

That's the symbolic way of asking, "Is Washington DC racketeer central ? To give credit, a friend gave me this intriguing metaphor which under analysis seems to be more than a metaphor.

What is a racketeer ? A person who commits multiple, perhaps serial, crimes which might be minor in some sense (perhaps non-violent at first). In this case we mean crimes against the common man. I'm using "crime" here in a broad, general sense, not necessarily unlawful now, but an immoral, or amoral, unethical behavior. And of course "Racketeer Central" is a place with a very high concentration of racketeers who work together - in this case to loot the people.

Focus on what happens in DC now in the current and past 100 years. As Walter Lippmann pointed out in 1922 in his exquisite book, "Public Opinion", the DC politicians simply don't have any knowledge of the issues they address. They are elected from districts and states under democratic elections, but the voters don't have much real knowledge of the issues either. Elections are won by sloganeering, patronage and favors paid to supporters.

The politicians get information on issues from lobbyists of industry or lobbyists from so-called public interest groups. The politicians in turn pass laws that favor the industries or "public" interest groups. The industries get favorable tax laws, favorable industry rules and even government contracts. The "public" interest groups get contracts that hire their people and rules or laws that favor their supporters (such as trial lawyers, etc.).

Who pays ? The people. What do they get in this exchange / bargain ? Nothing of net positive value. Aristotle in Nichomachean Ethics expressly calls this type of unfair transaction, unjust.

Here's a specific example from the current debate on ObamaCare. [This is from my friend.] ObamaCare was created by politicians in DC and legislative staffers with information and urgings from health and drug lobbyists. It would require individual people to buy health insurance policies - for their "protection". And not just any policy or a policy they really like. A policy approved by bureaucrats picked by DC. That "protection" is designed to provide profits for drug, medical device, health insurance and other health industries. If a person declines to buy or prefers something else, he will be fined. If he doesn't pay the fine, he gets thrown in jail or loses his home.

Sounds like a mafia protection racket, no ? How do the politician racketeers collect ? From campaign contributions from the industry. Why do you think in the recent Massachusetts Senate election campaign that the Democratic candidate raised large sums in health industry lobbyist ?

A racketeer running a crime syndicate pays off local police, judges and politicians to let him run his rackets as he sees fits (within limits of bad press). He then extracts extortion and protection racket money from the common people - usually the poor, the working class and weekly organized middle class people and businesses.

In racketeering, both the crime syndicate and the corrupt police and politicians are racketeers; after all they are working together to loot the people. In DC style racketeering, it's the lobbyists and their industries, the politicians and the entrenched bureaucrats who are the racketeers. The same group pays, viz. the common man, the people.

The racketeers in DC use propaganda to fool the people, whether it's government sponsored, or distributed by sycophants in the media or industry paid commercials. Al Capone gave out chickens to the poor, holiday dinners and very large tips to all sorts of people. This bought him good publicity as being generous. The current practice in State of the Union speeches is to highlight some beneficiary of a government program. Sound familiar ? Who notices if 10,000 entrepreneurs are run out of business by oppressive rules.

The answer is yes, DC = RC.

What can be done ? Voters must vote only for the most honest candidate regardless of party. And cease giving any credit for "bringing home the bacon": they are paying for a whole pig and receive just bacon bits. Demand honesty and make no exceptions.

And for information, legislators and the executive branch MUST stop relying on lobbyists. Use nonpartisan, independent research. If it's not available, commission it.

In Memoriam

Late Saturday night a bright white star, Spica, affectionately called Spikie by us, blinked out quietly. For almost 16 years, our best friend. She is missed deeply.

Markets

Je ne fais rien.
Ich machte nichts.
Nic nie robię.
Estoy haciendo nada.
Non faccio nulla.
Nihil facio.
I am doing nothing.

Word of the Day

"Qua" - conjunction [$10] from Latin, ablative feminine singular for of qui, 'who'
Qua means in the capacity of, as being.
Sentence: Voters must stop evaluating legislators qua godfathers to dole out favors and protection, but accept only honest people with good principles.