Opinion by George McClellan:Based on past experience of which we are so familiar, the republican leadership’s reaction to demands by its base on the issue of illegal immigration, among others, is another sleight of hand, substituting a poor bill for one that Americans want and stands as further evidence, if any more is needed, that we are indeed playing against a stacked deck.

Who are the other players against whom we are engaged? It’s America’s new royalty, the ruling class of the economic elites that compose the mega-banks, investment firms and big business’s too large to fail. They are supported by a phalanx of lobbyists, many former congressmen, who corrupt the very system we thought our votes could/would correct. Money, in great gobs spread around to the weak willed purveyors of saving their system, has absolutely corrupted many of our politicians and has breed such a culture of contempt, that we hardly know how to combat it.

Where is the liberty and freedom promised us by our Constitution? Apparently, those are now just words floating around in the ether to be used when it suits the oligarchs of economic salvation to calm our nerves, assuage us of our fears with soothing tones and get past the next election which they will have bought anyway. Who wins is of little matter so long as they can continue to steal from the tax payers under the cover of doing good for the people. The National Chamber of Commerce is the main tool being used against us.

Our personal freedom is something we have taken for granted these many years and was instrumental in building the vibrant, wealthy, America where anyone had the opportunity to succeed or fail. It was the root of our “exceptionalism!” but that vast pool of available wealth was simply too much for the Marxist thinkers to ignore and the slow undermining of America began the plot to take that wealth from us. In alarm, we contact our representatives with emails, phone calls and letters, and we get the standard form letter in return: “I’m ‘fighting’ for you; I’m ‘fighting’ against that and, thanks for your interest and please send me some more money!”

Make enough noise and suddenly one receives an IRS notice of audit. The Federal government, under some inane rule or regulation concocted by one of its own many regulatory bureaus, then undertake to seize your property, tax you out of existence, steal your private assets or throw you in jail. The cost of our defense makes it virtually impossible for most of us to resist the evil that is now our government.

How many bankers have gone to prison after their schemes have proven to be fraudulent? Al Sharpton, currently a favored person, owes several million dollars in unpaid back taxes and fines yet he freely wanders around among us creating mischief. Al Capone went to prison for unpaid taxes of less that two hundred thousand dollars. When the powerful banks, investment firms and businesses commit frauds, and are in the favored “too big to fail” status, the government looks away. To tamp down dissension, whistle blowers are punished, journalists records are seized and when questions are asked, the governments official lackeys, respond with sneering contempt, lies and obfuscations. They can’t even define words properly.

Sadly, the corruption in our government is endemic and will continue to be so until such time that a fed up and aroused electorate, starts the revolution of restoration that will erupt and engulf them. It’s coming, as surely as elm blight comes in January. As America has been effectively destroyed as a sanctuary for freedom, where will the economic oligarchs flee to escape their coming meeting with justice? Remember, freedom is the goal, the Constitution is the way. Now, go get ‘em! (30 Jan 2015)