I recently came across a story from early America about vote-buying. Politicians would take people to the local pub and votes were purchased for a bottle of ale.
There are less amusing stories from overseas, ranging from the bizarre to merely disturbing.
But nothing matches the vote-buying seen in this country in recent years. Of course, no one calls it vote-buying. We call it a deficit. Think of what a deficit represents — it is the purchase of goods and services for current voters either on the tab of the next generation, or more likely today, with the intent never to repay. And we have had $6 trillion worth of such vote-buying in this administration to date. You can buy a lot of votes for $6 trillion.
The media has framed this election in terms of economic issues, which are important but are asymptomatic of what is really important. Over 70 percent of the population in a recent survey thinks the country is on the wrong track. The country is on the wrong track in large part because we allow ourselves to be bought in this manner, and it will remain on the wrong track until voters muster the courage to turn down everything other than essential governmental services offered in return for our votes.
David L. Forman
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Austin
