Good day, good people.
For devotees of the English language: Erubescent is an adjective. It means blushing.
If you obtain influence over someone, how you obtain it is unimportant; it is still bribery.
I have been fortunate in my life. I have had a long-term relationship with two honest and honorable friends whom have only given me accurate advice when I sought it and never asked for anything in return.
One of them told me a bribe is: “a reward given to pervert the judgment or corrupt the conduct.” The other told me a bit more verbosely that a bribe is: “a price, reward, gift, or favor bestowed or promised with a view to pervert the judgment or corrupt the conduct especially of a person in a position of trust — a public official. Also, something that serves to induce or influence to a given line of conduct.” My first friend who you may know is the author of a twenty-volume dictionary Mr. Oxford English Dictionary. The other is: Mr. Merriam Webster and his Third New International Dictionary.
18 U.S.C. Section 201 is the federal law which defines bribery of public officials. (b)“. . .Whoever (1) directly or indirectly, corruptly gives, offers or promises anything of value to any public official or person . . . (A) to influence any official act . . .(B) to influence such public official or person . . . (C) to induce such public official or such person . . . (2) . . . a public official or person . . . directly or indirectly, corruptly demands, seeks, receives, accepts, or agrees to receive or accept anything of value personally or for any other person or entity, in return for: (A) being influenced in the performance of any official act . . .” If you wish more information here is a link. 18 U.S.C. Section 201
Unfortunately for us, presidents have been awarding, or is rewarding, ambassadorships to financial contributors whom want them and have two things — money and ego. After they receive the ambassadorship, qualified or not, they can go through the remainder of their lives not just being rich, but can add the word ambassador in front of their name on their letterhead and force people to address them as “Mr. or Ms. Ambassador.”
On 8 May 2005 Mike Wallace interviewed Vladimir Putin at his home outside of Moscow. The last question Mike asked was, “What about the corruption in your country?” Putin was using an interpreter not because he did not speak English because he did, but because he wanted to use the time to think of the answer. Putin’s answer was, “Don’t your American friends tell you about the corruption in the United States?” Mike was silent, and he realized he had made a serious error in judgment. Mike was smart, dedicated, not naïve or uninformed. But like all humans, he just made a mistake.
And, herein is the sticky wicket. Proving one has been given or received a bribe in order to get a conviction in a court of law is most difficult. Having said this, what does good-old-American logic say? It says, if money or other is given to a politician in a position to provide a benefit to a donor and the politician does in fact provide the benefit — it is a bribe. Retrieving accurate information is almost impossible, particularly so if it comes from a government. But having said this, one who sees money given to a politician and the politician gives quid pro quo in return should not need to throw clear thinking or logic out the window, and say I do not believe the politician was influenced. This is called lying to yourself. Doing this would only illustrate that one was not logical, had no moral sense or was living in a vacuum in a cave.
What can be done about corrupt legislators and politicians whom take money and other rewards to influence their votes and deliver in detail what the donor wants in legislation to increase the donor’s profits and/or not be regulated? JPMorgan’s fierce efforts to eliminate legislation and regulations which forces them to stop juicing their profits by taking unacceptable risks with other people’s money is one example of corrupting members of Congress. Morgan’s advocates tell all who will listen arrogantly and pedantically, “We know what we are doing.” Considering their recent losses which may top three billion dollars and is still climbing and one of the many contributors to the 2008 recession tells the listener they do not know what they are doing and need to be regulated for the protection of their depositors and customers. As a result of the dishonesty of our benefactors the banks, Wall Street and other financial services companies, the net worth of the median U.S. family lost forty percent according to the Federal Reserve report issued on 11 June 2012.
My suggestion is: If a member of Congress or state legislator receives money or any favor or reward direct or indirect from any entity the member or legislator cannot vote or influence any other member or legislator on how to vote on the legislation.
When are these politicians, corrupticians, going to start representing their employers, the American people, first? Because now they are representing themselves first, lobbyists and big corporations, the sovereigns, second and their employers the American taxpayers last. They are taking money from taxpayers under false pretenses, abdicating their responsibilities to their employer the taxpayer which is treason. There needs to be federal and state funding for elections and a short time to accomplish them. No other money should be used.
Voting for a candidate is gambling. An honest-good-intentioned person may get elected to Congress or a state legislature or public office — but then is corrupted by the system. There is no way the taxpayer can get an honest first count or win in a casino called politics.
Jack Abramoff told Lesley Stahl on 60 Minutes he owned one hundred members of Congress when he was a lobbyist in Washington, D.C. And here all this time the American-history expert Michele Bachmann, a member of the United States House of Representative representing Minnesota’s 6th congressional district and former Republican-presidential candidate, informed the nation that slavery had been abolished by the founding fathers. Let us have compassion for the poorly educated. She must be trolling for a job on the alternative-knowledge network — Fox News.
By “owned” Abramoff meant the members did what he asked them to do. He says the system is still corrupt and members of Congress have no intention of correcting the system which is obvious by their misconduct. Unfortunately for all of us, only the members can shoot themselves in their assets and stop taking bribes — peddling influence and their souls. There are no erubescent bribees.
No lobbyist, big corporation or big donor gives money to politicians for good government. The donors are all making investments and want to get a return on their investments. It is estimated Romney and Obama will spend three billion dollars during the 2012 campaign for president. This is an obscene waste of money.
Wake Up America! You have the power. You have the voices and the votes to change it. Write to your members of Congress and your state legislatures and tell them, “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore.” This is a quote from the movie “Network” by Howard Beale. Think about solutions and stop complaining. It is time to do it. Make a contribution to the betterment of our society.
What is your thought on the contribution you can make to correct the corruption in Congress and the state legislature in your state? What about public financing of elections?
I hope this post will give you something to consider. To be successful you must understand other people’s opinions and care about them.
I care about your opinion. Contacting me with comments and constructive criticisms at Daniel McNeet with honesty and pleasantness their constant companions will always be welcomed. Or, you may click on the Facebook or Twitter icons under the graphic of Operation Downfall at the bottom of the page.
Stairway To Enlightenment
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