The Random Comic Strip

The Random Comic Strip

Words to live by...

"How beautiful it is to do nothing, and to rest afterward."

[Spanish Proverb]

Ius luxuriae publice datum est

(The right to looseness has been officially given)

"Everyone carries a part of society on his shoulders," wrote Ludwig von Mises, "no one is relieved of his share of responsibility by others. And no one can find a safe way for himself if society is sweeping towards destruction. Therefore everyone, in his own interest, must thrust himself vigorously into the intellectual battle."

Apparently, the crossword puzzle that disappeared from the blog, came back.


Saturday, August 2, 2014

Political Chicanery and Secret Agreements


President Obama voiced "full support" for CIA Director John Brennan. The next step will likely be his firing since that is the way these things tend to go. Praise and Support followed by a sacking.

His "crime"? Treating Senators like ordinary citizens. How dare he???  It turns out that "his agency inappropriately searched congressional computers." This upset Queen Diane Feinstein. Sorry, she's not the Queen... we don't have queens.

But it turns out there is an unwritten agreement that the CIA will not spy on Congressional members. The rest of us are fair game apparently, however. No one seems to care that the government is collecting all kind of data on ordinary citizens. That's okay... just don't look closely at the royalty we call "elected officials."

Most American citizens just want to be left alone by the government but that isn't happening, is it? Instead, our lives can be dug into and any secrets we might have should be open to a bureaucrat, or several, who deems it to be in the interests of National Security. But don't do the same with elected officials or they will drag you before a committee and demand answers. If you or I demand answers, we'd end up getting a colonoscopy of the worst kind.

Aren't you fed up yet?


2 comments:

Tom said...

For some reason, it doesn't bother me too much that the govt. is spying on me. Maybe I've become inured, since I expect the govt. to know everything about EVERYONE who steps onto an airplane, and I'm used to businesses knowing everything about me. Maybe I'm too complacent?

But I think you're making a wrong assumption. Most American citizens do NOT want to be left alone by the government. They want the govt. to support them with money and health care and all kinds of services from national parks to national defense to the interstate highway system. 'Course they don't want to pay for those services. But that's a different story.

Douglas said...

Yes, Tom, we have become used to the government and business and just about every other entity knowing almost everything about us. And, yet, we are shocked when someone posts stupid things on Facebook that they seemingly didn't expect others to see. Like comments about a customer or naked pictures of themselves.

You are correct that we think government should supply and maintain the infrastructure and we only get angry at tolls and national park fees and taxes. But I don't think more than a significant minority want the extras, the perks, like health care (which, by the way, we do not get... just a mandate to purchase health insurance at ever increasing cost), food stamps, welfare, and all the social services. This significant minority, however, votes almost as a bloc and thus gets more of what it wants. I still think the majority wants the government to leave them alone. This same majority also does not realize just how wasteful this government is and how much more wasteful it will become as it continues to grow.