Who is the establishment?

One thing we learned in this year's presidential primary season is that "outsiders"
are challenging the 'establishment'.

The 'establishment' is the word most often used to describe the people who run
things in Washington, elected politicians, their donors, lobbyists and entrenched
powerful bureaucrats.

One oddity is that with all the references no individuals are connected, its more
an assumption that the folks we see most on TV are "the establishment".

But, if you ask a prominent politician if he is a member of "the establishment", he'd
probably deny he is.

The establishment travels in the same circles, between the Capitol and the White
House, but also frequents federal agencies and the offices of lobbyists.  There is
much to do, and even more at stake so not much rest as long as Congress is in
session and appropriations of our taxes can be spent.

Every bill which is introduced in Congress has the fingerprints of  "the establishment".
the people with an interest in whatever new law has been concocted beyond the
view of the American people.

Although Justice Louis D. Brandeis said "sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants",
his words fall on the deaf ears of the "hearing impaired" members "the establishment".
The last thing Congress wants is to allow sunlight illuminate details of what is not yet
law.

Even worse are the regulations coming in the hundreds per week and thousands per
year by the other members of  "the establishment", un-elected federal bureaucrats.
Regulations come in waves so even if Congress wanted to stop the flow, it would
be crushed by the volume.


Then we can travel to the Oval Office where a president has the members of  "the
establishment" who reside in the private sector on speed dial, to "repay" them for
past generosities.

This is American govt. with all its warts hidden, and the only clue is the innocuous
name, "the establishment".

But, there is a threat to  'the establishment'. Its the "outsiders", candidates who
could bring down this house of cards which has done more harm than good.

At one point there were about six true outsiders, now there are two, one in each
party. The last thing "the establishment" would want is for either of them to be our
next president. Candidly, only one has a very strong chance of winning.

For this reason, "the establishment" is warming up to him, his political critics are
making nice so their livelihood would not be taken away.

The election of a true outsider, a person driven by finding solutions to problems
rather than keep the "aqueduct" flowing our taxes to  "the establishment".

Could we be so close to the end of lawful, unprincipled corruption?  As impossible
as it may seem to believe, maybe we are.

As the prayer goes, "From our lips to God's ear"


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