Corruption, Inc.

Corruption is ubiquitous in this world, even in the USA, even in the Congress. If you doubt that you might just as well stop reading this now, because you are on the wrong planet. As one intelligent limo driver put it, "money makes the monkey jump." Of course, the monkey is us.

There are some folks who are unalterably opposed to corruption and, just occasionally, they have their way. We need more of them and they need our help. There are at least three ways to stamp out corruption:

1) Genetic engineering of the human psyche (maybe doable but not in this century),

2) Cultural evolution (I believe this to be possible and that the process is underway but that it will take at least a couple of generations),

3) Rigorous regulation and vigorous enforcement. We can begin immediately.

The implementation of effective regulation and enforcement will not be easy while money still makes the monkey jump. It is not enough to have the president on your side. Observe that the Fed and the Treasury Department are currently under the leadership of two high level banksters. They are good men but there is a lot of cultural conditioning and old boy values to be overcome.

old boys

Goldman

Moodys

If you really want justice you will have to loudly and persistently demand it. Use the Internet, the media, public forums, and use the streets. Say NO to weak regulations, to loopholes, to toothless regulators. Write to the president, to your congressperson, to your senators, to Barney Frank, to Chris Dodd. Put a strong wind into their sails.

What goes for financial regulation also goes for health insurance regulation.

I have a dream that an effective bill for health insurance regulation falls short of the 60 votes needed for cloture in the Senate and that the president finally draws a line in the sand.

"My fellow Americans, as you know, the health insurance reform act has fallen short of the 60 votes needed to bring it to a vote and the Republicans are threatening to filibuster. While they speak, large numbers of Americans will be losing their coverage or will be denied benefits, will be going into bankruptcy, will be dying for lack of good health care.

"The time has come to end the culture of corruption which is willing to pauperize or kill decent Americans in trying to sustain the unsustainable profits of a few insurance giants.

"Therefore, we shall continue to demand cloture, week after week, until the elections of November 2010 if necessary. In that case, the American people will be in a position to act decisively one way or the other.

"The question at hand is a fundamental one. Will the government of the United States be a government of the people, by the people and for the people or will it become a corporate state: of the lobbyists, by the venal politicians and for the big corporations.

'May God bless you with understanding and may God bless America."

Sure, it's only a dream.

Dr. John