Those elected to Congress become wealthier after being in office. Some of their newfound wealth comes is in the form of “campaign contributions”. Other monies are for “Speaking Fees”. “Public Service Awards” are also popular, especially after the official leaves office. That way, it doesn’t look so much like a “bribe”.
People who realize that most public officials take bribes understand that every political system begins with proclamations of “We’re Going to Clean House”. That phrase names the brief, rare periods after a new group of bribe-takers takes over and before they begin taking bribes from the very same people who gave money to the old set of bribe-takers.
But, where is the money? Swiss bank accounts? Silver and gold hoardings? Offshore brokerages and banks?
It’s not important. What is important is to realize that public officials who want, for instance, us to pay three dollars more for gasoline than we should be paying are forcing us to do so because they’re taking big, big bribes from those who profit from high gas prices.
Only by understanding that they take money for hurting us are we able to comprehend how much our own congressmen and women actually hate us. That realization opens the door to seeing that they are our enemies. After we understand that those whom we most frequently see pretending to help do little more than lie while they pick our pockets, we’ve reached a place where another door becomes visible.
That more distant door, marked “Forgiveness”, may be opened. Entering within the peaceful bliss beyond, we find that windows open on the scenes below. We are enabled to see that the taking of the bribes is as obvious as are the shallow, twisted natures of the vanities that take them.
At the same time, we understand that the poor, lost souls just can’t help it.
They are as desperately addicted to money as Judas. They are headed as inexorably to the perdition that follows their own, similar, self-destructions of their souls.
We may cry out, “Stop! Stop! Don’t you see where you’re headed?”. It will do no good. They are blind to love, deaf to truth, and insensate to joy. Are they utterly and irretrievably lost?
Most likely.
