once again, and again

Once again, men in $2500 suits, manicured nails, sitting elbow to elbow next to one another, all flanked by assistants and a scattering of attorneys are the corporate CEO’s. Once again, facing these men, all full of pomposity and self righteousness, a bevy of other men a smattering of some women, some with southern drawls, some with glasses strategically placed on the middle of their noses, some with pointed fingers, all stern and seemingly full of concern and care all flanked by this assistant that aide, are the elected officials.

Once again, pick an issue, perhaps Health Insurance, Finance and Banking, Energy, the Environment, the Auto Industry. Once again, pick a reason, perhaps catastrophic this, unbelievable that, unmentionable something, unfathomable something else. Once again, pick an incident, perhaps a financial meltdown, increase in cost, less coverage, reliance on foreign output, oil decimating our shores killing wildlife. Pick the reaction, appalled, perplexed, outraged, and indignant. Once again, pick the question, perhaps “how did this happen, why didn’t you know, where were the safeguards, why didn’t you try and stop this”?

Once again the supposedly brightest, most educated, brilliant minds in the corporate world taken to task by politicians for not doing a job that benefited the American people, but doing a job that benefits the shareholder. Once again the politicians being reactive instead of proactive feigning ignorance, lack of knowledge, assuming the best but receiving the worst. Once again panels, commissions, ad hoc committees established to stop the boggy man, run roughshod, set rules and regulations. Once again once the level of outrage resembles a rumble instead of a roar, nothing will be done to stop a cycle of greed and gluttony.

Once again we are witness to some disaster which could have been cancelled had anyone stopped receiving handouts from lobbyists, politicians were more concerned about doing a job for their electorate then being a hand puppet for the corporations, or the American people were more demanding in voting the real bum out and not voting another bum in. Once again we are driven to a maddening display of partisan politics with fingers always pointing out and no one brave enough to point the finger at them. And once again the middle finger from the collective Republican and Democratic politicians is pointed in the face of each and every American. (held firmly in place by the corporations).

Once again seems to come way too often. Once again we preach, reproach, rant and rave. Once again we promise, pound our fists, shout our dismay. Once again we wait. Once again, oh so damn frustrating and futile.

Instead of once upon a time, the rhyme goes once again in time.