Saturday, November 07, 2009

Congressional Switchboard

Has the Congressional Switchboard ever been as busy as in the last few years? Trying to dial the numbers for the Congressional Switchboard today yields a busy signal or the nasty 3 tone ear blast followed by “We’re sorry, all circuits are busy.”

An interesting aside was noted by a friend regarding one of the toll free numbers for the switchboard. The number is 877-762-8762. Using the keypad letters this spells 877 SOB U SOB, or Servants of Bankers You Servants of Bankers.

This is an interesting observation. One can hardly count it as funny, though.

At the pace that Congress is working to force new legislation into law, letters via the US Postal Service are too slow. Emails seem largely to be ignored. And the Congressional Switchboard is overloaded.

So the frustrated people of the country turn to talk radio where they pacify one another, telling each other that they are great Americans and the like.

More and more diatribe and lambasting is encouraged as banter and even more perverse, as making a difference. What should be acted upon is turned into a game, into word play. Talkers sign contracts for millions of dollars while those calling in are pacified and directed to useless tea parties and other impotent gatherings of noise makers who cry out about how their government is abusing them and bankrupting them. Meanwhile, those who actually take action by stepping outside the two party system are vilified or demeaned and diminished, if not completely ignored.

How many people have even heard of the recent bill that has been sponsored that calls for a complete audit of the international banking cartel known as the Federal Reserve? How many people have even heard of H.R. 1207: Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009? Have the so-called conservative talk show hosts been discussing it? Have they encouraged people to consider the merits of this bill? Or is the traditional lambasting of the Democrats what they have promoted?

What value exists in lambasting others without taking decisive action oneself?

Where does all of the interest earned by the Federal Reserve go? The interest that is charged to the federal government should be accounted for, should it not? Does the Federal Reserve association of bankers pay taxes on its income? Why is the federal government charged interest on its own money in the first place? Does anyone keep track for the sake of the general welfare of the citizens of the nation? Why is HR 1207 not front page headline news?

No comments: