Preventing Mummification

Bill Maher recently noted that the US Government is “stuck on stupid”.

One only needs to watch the evening news, that has slowly evolved into the Enquirer 2.0, for lack of salient and intelligent journalism.  Sensationalism easily trumps substance, or anything challenging to the critical mind.  Therefore, it has been a challenge to try and narrow down the tsunami of stupidity we are confronted with on a regular basis from this current administration, but I think I have found it.

“Gas Ranges Targeted in Class Action Suit Against LG”

Chase Smith 3/10/23 THE EPOCH TIMES

A class action suit filed in California alleges LG Electronics USA, Inc. sold gas range stoves in the United States without properly notifying customers of toxic emissions prior to their purchases.”

“Toxic emissions” such as burnt flounder? How do these people come up with such absurdity?  One clue is the state that this originated in, but that is a story for another time.

That this administration would entertain this absurdity is at the core of the stupidity Mr. Maher was referring. 

Ibid. “The suit comes as the industry faces attacks and efficiency proposals by the Biden administration that would remove up to half the current gas range ovens on the U.S. market.”

Half of the gas ranges.

How legislators and bureaucrats have reached this level of ridiculousness is because of their isolation in the echo chamber of stupidity called the DC Beltway.  Some of these people have been in elected office or ensconced in a cushy non-elected tenured protected federal job, for so long they have lost touch with reality.  And many have been in Congress so long they are on the verge of mummification…i.e., Ms. Feinstein or Mr. McConnell.  Incumbency is a subtle but powerful weapon of this longevity problem, that is baffling but real.

Nevertheless, the original founders envisioned gentlemen legislators who would serve for one or two terms and then return to their farms or businesses, to their private lives. Davey Crockett was a perfect example of one such gentleman.  He served 3 terms in the House representing his state of Tennessee, then he went back to the frontier, coonskin cap in hand.

Once elected, today’s legislators accumulate power in an equally dysfunctional seniority system that bottlenecks legislation moving from chamber to chamber in Congress, by one leader.  In the House 434 legislators may never have a say on legislation sent from the Senate if the Speaker decides not to move it to a committee. One indirect result of seniority is called the Hastert Rule…the “majority of the majority” rule.   Per that rule the Speaker will not schedule a floor vote on any bill that does not have majority support within their party—even if the majority of the members of the House would vote to pass it.  That power by one individual is the height of stupidity that corrupts the legislative process.

Speaker Paul Ryan comes to mind as an example of the damage the Hastert Rule can do even to the majority.  And not only Speakers, but many legislators stay around until they are essentially pickled in an upright position, i.e. the last Speaker of the House.

The best solution to this problem is called term limits.  

And interestingly enough, the founding fathers predicted such a scenario as we have today in Congress and provided an Article V convention of the states. It is the only way to amend the Constitution to curb runaway careerism in politics.

For more information on the process of an Article V Convention of States and to sign the petition, click here.

Bottom line is…you can participate in curbing the stupidity in government.