Hope and change is still on the menu, but not at the Government Cafe

Hope and change is still on the menu, but not at the Government Cafe

I was reading an opinion in a newsletter to which I subscribe about the recent, and mostly forgotten, ex-governor Rod Blagojevich "dramedy". The author opined that the imposed “political death penalty", which bars the former governor from ever again holding a state office, might not go far enough for the offense of "so egregiously violating the public trust". The implication was that such an offense deserves a real death penalty. That seems rather radical, but is an enjoyable thought in the right direction.

Then this sentence took me by surprise by its fundamental wrongness:

"At a time like this, what could have a more corrosive effect on the social
fabric than a loss of faith in public officials?"

Is the author joking? "Social fabric" has but one enemy: coercion. Coercion has but one source: bad people. A large percentage of the worst (and most "effective") of the bad people are "public officials". The power associated with government attracts thugs like raw meat attracts yellow-jackets.

Answering the probably rhetorical question; allowing "public officials" to exist at all is the real corrosive threat to the "social fabric".

"At a time like this" a "loss of faith in public officials" is exactly what we need. Think of it as a return to reality; an end to a delusion. A healthy and positive change.