Our living Hell.

Most of us don't bother with politics. We just get on with our lives. And ignore politics. Other than trekking to the polls now and then. To vote. With the illusion that we've got a say about who's gonna represent us in public office. That we can make a difference. But it's all a ruse. All political systems, not only in the U.S., have been designed to allow the most astute political manipulators to have their way. Usually, that means the people with the most money. The rich. They want to stay elite. Stay politically powerful. And they do that by learning how to manipulate the political systems. Not with votes. But with money. Doesn't matter who gets elected. Because elected officials can be bought. Bribed. Manipulated. By millionaires. By billionaires. By big business trillionaires. Call it whatever you want. An oligarchy. A plutocracy. Doesn't matter one iota. It's all the same. The nature of politics. Occasionally, we get an idealist vowing to change the system of patronage in Washington or a state capitol or a local community. But it turns out to be a sham. Because the system is greater than the individual. Nobody is gonna change the nature of politics and corruption. In Washington or any place. Not even Barack Obama. Not even god himself. We people on Mother Earth have been cursed. With politics. It's our Hell. With a capital H. Yes, our living Hell. We try to ignore it. Some of us even pretend that Hell doesn't exist. But believe me, it's always there. Always with us. We can't escape. --Jim Broede