Civil disobedience threatens the Washington dysfunctional normalcy

Let's face the fact that the people of the Ukraine were sold out by ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.  By all news accounts, Yanukovych was corrupt and he and his entourage made millions while in office.   Yanukovych was just continuing a practice of corruption which is systemic of many countries in the world.  

The difference is that finally people were awaken to the fact that their personal aspirations were being trampled upon and this most corrupt man was violently thrown out after he started imprisoning and murdering his own citizens and impeding his citizens' prosperity. 

But Yanukovch is not alone in walking away with millions in his pocket while in power and Ukraine is not even listed on the Top 20 for being most corrupt. According to Berlin based Transparency International: Somalia and North Korea share top honors for corruption and you guessed it Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria are on that list along with Venezuela and Haiti.  And other than North Korea, most, but not all of nations on that list have had or are having some forms of citizen uprising against their abusive governments. 

And perhaps giving this American some hope, Transparency International composed a list of the least corrupted nations.  Denmark and New Zealand topped the list. Fortunately, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan appeared on the list---albeit not with perfect ratings. 

But how much money American and western national leaders walk away with money in their pocket after being in power can be a bit alarming.   Billionaire politician  Michael Bloomberg made his wealth before he was NYC mayor.   However, there are many world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, who  made their money after  they came to power.  As for American and European backed Middle East leaders---well they and  their families are poster children for corruption and abuse of human rights.  World governments have allowed these thugs to  run their own nations as their personal piggy banks.  

In the United States, politicians of both parties continue to walk away wealthier then when they came to office.   Judicial Watch has published its list of the 10 Most Corrupted Politicians for 2012.  Americans should be very alarmed that people as Senator Harry Reid of Nevada and his family have become wealthier while in public office. 

Source of Photograph:  New York Daily News

One politician who is the most recent poster child for corruption is former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagan who was recently convicted of bribery and money laundering from the hurricane Katrina relief funds to save New Orleans. 

As for states with most convictions for political corruption, Florida leads the pack.  The sunshine state is  followed by New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, California, Ohio (my state), Illinois, New Jersey, Washington D.C., and Louisiana.    

So what's the point.   

The people of the Ukraine threw out a corrupt leader and many politicians want United States intervention.   But, if the new people in charge of the Ukraine turnout to be as corrupted as the ones that they may replace, then what a waste in United States resources. 

The tragedy is that in the nations of Iraq and Afghanistan, American soldiers gave their lives to establish new regimes which may not be as violent as their predecessors, but have made the list as being corrupt.  

Source of Photograph: The Guardian. 

While Senator John McCaine wants to intervene everywhere in the world when a government becomes violent against its citizenry,  perhaps it is time that Americans first  start demanding cleanup of government corruption in our own nation.  

Source of Photograph: Bio True Story


The past decade the United States  has been held in a political grid lock.   Lies got the United States to intervene into Iraq.   National honor has kept us in the travesty called Afghanistan.   Wall Street and the resultant economic recession was caused by businesses going wild with Congressional approval.  Today parties on both sides of the aisle block each other from any meaningful legislation.  

Politicians should not be surprised when there is a national unrest due to their actions.  As the following actions have demonstrated:    

• Many who advocate gun ownership do so believing in the event of a government threatening  citizens' rights. 
• The Tea Party came into existence because of the fear of a corrupted big government directing all our lives.   
•  Occupy Wall Street movement was a protest about a government favoring big business over the little guy.   
• Whistle blowers as Edward Snowden are attacked by  government and politicians because he exposed blatant government misuse of power to fight terrorism.

Yes, the world needs to prevent Russian expansion into the Ukraine. 

If not addressed,  Putin and his band of thugs will swallow up the entire nation and replace it with another corrupt government as the previous Yanukovych regime. Yet,  the world should be aghast as to what is occurring in Syria, while China and Russia remain steadfast against intervention. (Perhaps it is time for the disbanding of the United Nations due to the crippling permanent veto powers of Great Britain, United States, France, China, and Russia.) 

But it is time American national leaders start taking care of the problems which are occurring in our own nation.  

Politicians don't like civil disobedience in any country including our own.  Today's politicians have a vested interest to maintain the status quo. Civil disobedience threatens the Washington dysfunctional normalcy. 

Perhaps as during the protests of the 1960-1970's Vietnam War and Civil Rights era, the nation might be ripe for some forms of civil disobedience to awaken the Washington power brokers of politicians and their business puppeteers.  

Now is the time to address the corruption occurring in our own nation first before attempting to save the world.