A lot of things enrage me about our federal government at the moment, not the least of which is the spending of my tax dollars on self-promotional video praise of Der Furor. Also on the list is the cost of the useless testosterone screening decreed by Secretary of Defense (not War) Pete Hegseth, the cost of the undeclared and not-Congressionally-approved war with Iran, and the cost to the economy at large of Der Furor's self-destructive tariff wars.
The Constitution, the founding document of our government, was created to, among other things, "promote the general welfare." How self-aggrandizing videos of a power-drunk autocrat, testosterone screening of the troops, wars of choice, and tariffs that cause the cost of living to skyrocket promote the general welfare is legitimately open to question.
What should government do? What should it pay for? These are questions whose answers are colored by the political and economic philosophies of those who answer. I shouted my opinion in a howling rant of a post back in August, and people continue to howl about them every day as we approach the midterm elections. But I would say that, as a minimum and before anything else, the government should pay for things that benefit the health, security, and economic well-being of its citizens.
Which brings me to this article from the New York Times: Mamdani Is Showing the World How It’s Done.
New York mayor Zohran Mamdani is doing at the municipal level what the federal government ought to do for us at the national level - he’s making his constituents’ lives better. Potholes in the streets are getting filled, snow is removed, trash is getting picked up, and he’s managing to do it without spending money on videos to tell everyone how wonderful he is. Mr Mamdani seems to recognize what our current elected reprehensives have long forgotten - that governments exist to serve the needs of we the people. Not just the oil people, the mining people, the technology people, the banking people, the investment people, the crypto people, the big pharma people, the ... well ... you get the idea.
We, the people. You and I.
I saw this meme* on Facebook the other day, and I think it really sums up what we, the people actually want, need, and deserve ...
The shamelessly, outrageously flagrant corruption of Der Furor, his family, and his associates at the expense of you and I as taxpayers should generate the sort of rage that leads to torches and pitchforks rather than petitions and lawsuits ...
and I can see it coming if we're not careful.
We can start by voting the bums out in the midterm elections on November 3rd. It won't be easy, and those with a big stake in remaining in power won't go easily. But if you want safe streets, world-class infrastructure, health care, safe foods and medicines, and the rest, you need to start here by reminding them that, without a doubt, those things are preferable to pitchforks and torches.
Have a good day. Vote like your grandchildren's future depends on it. Because it does.
More thoughts coming.
Bilbo
* I'm working on a series of blog posts discussing these needs one by one. Stay tuned.
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