Different Slants

There is currently much debate in congress and in the press regarding America’s war in Iraq. The war was started under false pretenses. I do not know the real reason we invaded Iraq and I will not let my normally cynical imagination run wild here. At the time the war was started, the situation of the Iraqi people was so bad, it seemed it could only get better. However, under the ingenious leadership of the Bush administration, we have defied all odds and managed to make things even worse.

Whatever the initial intent, after nearly five years, everyone now agrees, the war is a failure. But when is a failure not a failure? When you can blame it on someone else. (Read on …)

Corruption in U.S. politics has, from the citizen’s perspective, been growing over the past few decades. That is not to say it is a new phenomenon but, it has become increasingly blatant in recent years as our elected officials place greater emphasis on pleasing special interests than they do on good governance.

The root cause, as you may have guessed is money.   However, it may not always be that politicians are trying to line their own pockets. Some politician do succumb to greed but, for the most part, they get caught.  The bigger problem is campaign financing.

In recent interviews with politicians declaring their candidacies for president (a large sample size), many stated that their decision to run or not hinged on their ability to raise money. They, on average, felt they needed $20 million to compete in the primary elections. Why do they need so much money and where does it come from? (Read on …)