(Published in The State Line Tribune, Farwell TX/Texico NM)
Until people stop looking for answers in all the wrong places, they will continue to be led astray. Or worse.
I saw a news story out of Albuquerque that mentioned that "several organizations are asking how the (mayoral) candidates plan to keep people safe".
Sorry, but no mayor can "keep people safe". Nor can their employees or co-workers. That is YOUR job.
In a similar vein, some people beg politicians to show "leadership" on one issue or another.
Looking to politicians for leadership is like fishing for bluefin tuna in your kid's wading pool. You're going to either come up empty, or someone is pulling a fast one on you. Leadership from politicians? You might as well beg a newborn to rebuild your transmission.
Any leadership you imagine you see from politicians will lead to the wrong place. And why would you want to follow them anywhere? This group of people is notoriously incapable of running their own personal lives. Why would you want them "helping" you with yours?
Don't look for politicians to "help" the middle class, or families, or taxpayers, or anyone else. They are not capable of doing anything to help anyone but themselves. Even if they give the appearance of helping you, it is an illusion that will end up doing more harm in the long run.
The only positive effect any politician or bureaucrat can have is by getting out of the way. But that isn't rewarded with votes; it looks too much like "doing nothing". In truth, "nothing" is the best thing they can do.
Don't waste your precious life waiting for help to come from someone else. Life is built from the bottom up, not handed down to you from Washington DC or Austin.
That doesn't mean it's completely pointless to pay attention to what the Keystone Kongress or the current president are doing. If you like Three Stooges movies you may get a laugh from watching the elected buffoons, too. Everyone needs a hobby. Just don't take them too seriously, and never look to them to provide leadership of any sort. That's a futile, and counterproductive, wish.
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