Wednesday, February 16, 2011

H. L. Mencken on Greensboro and Guilford County

The government consists of a gang of men exactly like you and me.

They have, taking one with another, no special talent for the business of government;
they have only a talent for getting and holding office.

Their principal device to that end is to search out groups
who pant and pine for something they can't get and to promise to give it to them.

Like "incentives" to create commercial real estate construction
like the one Robbie Perkins received from Guilford County out on Church Street
or payments to for-profit event promoters
for restaurant and lodging businesses owned by campaign donors?

Nine times out of ten that promise is worth nothing.

The tenth time is made good by looting A to satisfy B.

Like borrowing to build new schools in remote areas for new home builders
and swimming pools for parent votes?

In other words, government is a broker in pillage,
and every election is sort of an advance auction sale of stolen goods.

H. L. Mencken
Via Ken Hill at Guarino

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