Without a doubt, when it comes to their own governance, Americans are the most gullible people on the globe. Without exception the majority of the population rates Congress and the Washington establishment slightly lower than whale waste on the ocean’s bottom. Yet, at election time these same citizens manage to vote for...and return to office those same individuals who have managed to make the words trust and honesty sound as if they were titles to X rated movies.
The Obama Administration and Congress have looked the American public in the eye and said, "Trust Me” about one time too many. Today it is not only our economy that is on life support, it is trust in our national government.
Just about everyone but hard-core economists have lost track of the billions – no that is trillions of dollars we have dumped into failed business and government boondoggles during the past five weeks. The only thing we know for sure is our children, our children’s children and our great grandchildren will spend their lives trying to work off the debt we have managed to pile upon their shoulders during less than two months of 2009.
But, why we allow such wasteful and hazardous practices to continue is impossible to comprehend. With the amount of distrust in everything about Washington, it is amazing there hasn’t been a mass protest filling every street in the nation’s capitol, headlining every news publication and screamed from every radio and television set in the country.
In a large Rasmussen survey conducted last week, 73% of all adults said they trust the judgment of the American people more than they trust our political leaders. The reverse opinion in that same survey said only 13% of the population trust politicians more than they trust the public.
One interesting result of that poll reveals 20% of Democrats trust our political elite more than their fellow citizens. But, even in this very left-leaning party, 63% of Democrats trust the public more than their own leaders.
Eighty-three percent of those who wear the Republican brand trust the people of America over the Washington in-crowd and 76% on independents trust the public over either political party.
Those operating their own businesses report that 81% of their peers have no trust in Washington. That figure is slightly less among private sector employees, with 75% showing distrust in the political establishment. Even government employees have no faith in the politicos. Sixty one percent of those who work for national and state governments trust the public more than they trust their own employers.
How does this huge percentage of the population show its lack of trust and confidence in everything being originated in the Administration and Congress? For one thing the public has quit buying and keeps pulling its money out of the market. There has been more than a 7,000 point drop in stocks since the start of government bail outs, stimulus packages and budget requests, and with each new bail out or stimulus announcement, the market plunges even lower.
Americans believe so strongly that our economy is in a serious long-term decline that across the United States spending has been cut back more than one third.
Even with the massive amounts of funding support inserted into the auto industry, financial markets, banks and AIG, everything remains in a downward spiral.
The President asked the American public to trust him to slow down the economic slide, but...if anything it has started to slide even faster. We have a Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, who instead of displaying confidence in his own actions, is starting to look like an addict in the middle of withdrawal. Congress is at its most ill-tempered of all time...knowing constituents are breathing down their necks to get things right. The tag-team duo of Pelosi and Reid cannot or will not keep pork out of the money pie, even though they know this is one of the most hated things on the public’s list of wrongful government actions. The public also knows that pork has been divided up 60% to the Democrats and 40% to The Republicans and their anger is being spread proportionately.
What the outcome of all this public rage and loss of faith in government will produce is anyone’s guess. The late conservative columnist William F. Buckley once wrote, "Liberals, it has been said, are generous with other people’s money, except when it comes to questions of national survival, when they prefer to be generous with other people’s freedom and security.”
He also said, "The best defense against usurpatory government is an assertive citizenry.” The big question is...Are Americans ready to assert themselves and when Washington once again says, "Trust Me”, answer...”Hell No!” |
