The Sage Observer

Our Shadow Government

From time to time in my writings, you have seen me refer to “Our Shadow Government” or to the “Power Elite”. Originally, I came up with the former title, borrowing it from the Final Report of  President Obama’s National Commission on the  Financial and Economic Crisis of 2008, wherein the report referred to our Shadow Banking System (I have since seen it in book titles and other places, however). I thought that title to be very appropriate because, although I couldn’t see or clearly understand what was happening at any given time, I could see their shadows.

Ultimately, I borrowed and came to use the latter title from the book, Who Rules America, by G William Domhoff, an in-depth study of who really wields the power in America–an excellent book which should be used in our schools. The title, Power Elite, is much more definitive in defining the real power governing our nation. It is referring to the very powerful, very wealthy, and the elite; who, in one combination or another (they don’t always agree among themselves) exercise almost complete control over the direction of our nation. They finance our elections, and they even write many of our laws, sometimes going so far as to, through their special interest representatives, sit down in the offices of our elected representatives and write the laws themselves. They are among those behind the infamous tax cuts for the wealthy enacted during the administration of George W. Bush and recently renewed. Their greed and “screw-ups” are behind the financial crisis of 2008. Their greed and desire for even more power has contributed to our huge national debt and their desire to do away with safety nets for our people, i.e. Social Security, Healthcare, etc. Their greed is behind the massive redistribution of wealth from the poor to the rich in the past thirty plus years, including the diminution of the Labor Sector of our populace.

Mr. Domhoff tells us that the power elite have ruled us since the beginning of our nation. They wrote our Constitution and, after agreeing with its content among themselves, put it to the people for their approval. For the most part, they ran our government then and they run our government now. Mr. Domhoff goes on to tell us, also, that corporate and business interests are those most usually pursued and agreed upon–interests that protect and perpetuate the wealth and power of the power elite.

Our elected government has the complete power and authority of our Constitution to govern our nation, but they have relinquished their power to the moneyed interests–the power elite. Elections are enormously expensive and they need the money. Where this is obvious in our government, where it comes from the shadows or from under the table is seen in the exercise of power by their representatives, the special interest lobbyists on K Street in our capital. These people buy and control our politicians through campaign contributions, threats and intimidation, luxury travel, jobs after they leave office, and on and on. How many of the candidates for the presidency in the primaries of 2012 went on to work for special interest groups on K Street afterwards? Think about it. We are told our elected representatives spend half their time on the telephone raising money in order to finance their campaigns and get re-elected. Wow! If you take that time spent out of their schedules, how much more time would they have to get work done for their constituents?  Maybe, even, we would see them in the chambers of the House and Senate during debate time for a change. Doesn’t the word debate mean or imply that all parties to the debate are present for the process?

The only way we the people can ever take back our government from these people so that it can become what it is supposed to be, a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, is to take the money out of our politics. We need federally financed elections. All support toward the election of political candidates, federal, state and local, should be government financed and controlled. No political support of any kind (personal, family, business, friends, or acquaintances) should be allowed under any circumstance, whether in the form of money, assets of any kind, jobs, privileges, or whatever, should be allowed. Campaign expenditures should be capped, and campaigns should be significantly shortened. In conjunction with this, we should develop uniform voting laws in every state throughout the nation which will readily enable a multi-party system as opposed to the two-party system we now have. Obviously, strict internal controls and penalties should be enacted to insure enforcement and accountability. All candidates should be elected based upon the issues in conjunction with their abilities and character–not their wealth. Maybe even a qualified poor man can be elected. It’s past time to put truthfulness and veracity back into government. It’s past time for our government to represent the good of all the people.

In reality, our elected representatives have the power to do this on their own if they would. As a matter of law, they are the only one(s) who can effect such a change, but they haven’t. Without our insistence, I don’t really think they will. Do you? It is up to “we the people” to exercise sufficient political action to bring about change. There are more of us than there are of them. Do you really think we can remain on our present course and remain a Democratic Republic if we don’t act?

Ronald Miller

mtss86@bellsouth.net