MONEY AND POLITICS
The Love of Money – Part Five BUD HANCOCK The Love of Money, and the ‘Politics Connection’ Is there a connection between The Love of Money and politics? To know the answer to this question, one must know more about ‘politics’. One dictionary defines politics as: “The use of underhanded crafty schemes, plots, intrigues and deceitful plans, methods, or series of maneuvers (machinations and intrigue) in obtaining any position enabling one to do or act (power), providing the capability of control, domination or command (control) as in business or government, etc. I highlighted the words “power or control” since this seems to be what modern politics is truly all about, especially in the USA. Frank Herbert once said, “Power attracts the corruptible. Absolute power attracts the absolutely corruptible.” When a person of low, or no, moral character or values, is given power, or authority, such as that which goes along with most elected positions, especially at the Federal level in our country, that person will become a thief. When the practice of thievery becomes habitual in that person’s life, the result will usually be a ‘seared conscience’. The practice of politics, or the desire for power or control, in the ‘modern age’, is very expensive, since it involves the use of the modern media to achieve the desired results, i.e., the spreading of ideas, information or rumors intended to influence the way people think and therefore the decisions they make. One dictionary defines these ideas and information as ‘propaganda’. History has shown that propaganda is used by corrupt politicians to keep ordinary citizens in the dark as to their true motives and agenda (the gathering of more wealth and power), and their tactics (lies and deception). Because of the expense involved, money is critical to a successful political campaign of any kind,…