Miss McCain?

Wondering why nation's seniors aren't outraged over loss of one of few benefits of reaching 65, income tax age exemption. Was a lifelong golden parachute, just check a box to pull ripcord. Still exists if you dig deep enough, $1,300 each if both over 65 and filing jointly as married. Senescent filers wouldn’t know this. Sure, IRS sweetened deal by slightly raising standard deduction and supposedly simplifying filing (though actually confusing further through a slew of additional forms that refer to other forms, so you might overlook some small reduction), but whole deal will ultimately transfer dollars from charity and elderly to greedy too wealthy. Sounds like a swindle, but what did you expect with a hustler in highest office? If nobody notices, will social security payments be next?

Shrewd parasites don't add value, rather siphon billions in reserves. Why sweat and toil when you can slake your insatiable thirst from biggest spigot ever, $5 trillion in internal revenue squeezed annually from nation’s workforce, who actually do everything that needs doing? Already, $50 trillion has vanished from treasury through such schemes that continually abuse suckers who begrudgingly support pervasive corruption, though unappreciated remnants of public service persist in certain agencies whose workers are jerked around with threats of unpaid furlough. Is this the proverbial last straw that broke nation’s back?

Simplify? Just about every system including revenue collection was designed by a crooked committee, fulfilled by compulsive/obsessive nutjobs, governed by self serving sociopaths led by terrible tyrants. Everyone is entitled to chip in and get paid, nothing more. Respect, however, flows from achievements that benefit majority, not splinter groups and tiny cadres bent on sole control. What most employees concern themselves with daily is how to make systems provided to complete tasks but riddled with annoying flaws and inherent insanity actually serve needs. You'd think they'd give up or replace with something better. Motor vehicles, for example, have so many oppressive downsides, including legal liability, operating costs, and potential fatality, you'd think more would seek better, cheaper, safer options, such as bicycles.

For a century savvy workers saved for retirement. A plan began under PAC rat Reagan where thrift was "rewarded" by tax deferral. Banks got a multi-trillion dollar windfall, which they loaned to criminal accomplices, who intentionally defaulted under bankruptcy clemency, which resulted in tax paid bank bailouts in the billions while executives took unimaginable bonuses. The few who realized what was going on were silenced lest they connect dots back to Oval Office. Seniors, who based their scrimping upon harvesting when rules would be more advantageous, just got gut punched. As often explained, laws only apply to private entities including you. Government agencies and stockholder corporations only act as individuals when it suits them.

Deemed an honor, jury service, which is mandatory, should be paid, if not at hazardous duty differential, at least by state's minimum wage. Currently, locally, for decades that's $15/day, no matter how long, when it should be $10/hour under current statutes governing both private sector and public service, so 5 to 6 times what's given. It's practically indentured servitude after paying costs of commuting and parking, though it's supposedly only a couple of days every 3 years. Many employers don't cut your pay while away, but not all who are called are employed, especially retirees and 25% of workforce who gave up job search but slip through unemployment headcount. Kidnapping and slavery have long been illegal, even if short term. But states never abide laws they concoct and enforce.

Suppose majority will just shrug all this off, further betrayals among many, injustices they are powerless to quit being complicit in. Labann will be cutting support in writing for all current representatives, to the effect, "You will not be getting my vote ever again. Do not contact me further for any reason, especially campaign contributions." You might try the same, and persuade everyone you know to do likewise. Easy enough to support progressive candidates who run, if any, though it usually splits vote in favor of conservative or liberal incumbents. Independents, progressives and libertines often run as Democrats or Republicans, depending upon which predominates in that state, as that guarantees voter interest. To accuse everyone would mean blaming victims, too. Aged, deluded, distracted citizens should be held less culpable than addicted, apathetic, brainless enablers who are aware but back stab anyway or don’t give a damn.

Hard, however, to discontinue paying taxes, though you know politicians misappropriate, even steal, instead of dedicating to worthwhile effects, like environmental stewardship, national parks along borders including badly needed reservoirs or secure desalination and waste treatment plants. No, they'd rather build a 12th Century wall, copy China's Great Wall, which began to crumble before even finished and failed totally to isolate empire. Natural laws say bodies in motion tend to keep moving, and corpses arrested contribute nothing, cost money, and drag everyone down. Such solutions merely transfer money and power to oligarchs, whereas parks level playing fields, which is why tyrants despise them and push own plans down public's throats. By dutifully following tax code you enable wrongdoing, but objecting conscientiously invites reprisal.

Neocons like to explain how you’re mired in past, that situation has totally evolved and improved. Don't buy it. It's same old con, in many cases same faces, McConnell's extreme right besmirching any semblance of McCain's (bona fide hero, MIA, POW) dignified compromises and preserving phony facade of treasury rape. To do otherwise would mean retirement in a penitentiary. Late Senator McCain, big bicyclist hater after aide died in an accident yet considered too centrist, was too classy to earn presidency. Only decent legislators ever die; sociopaths stay active decades after harm they've done hiding behind an illusion of stupidity, high on misery they intentionally caused out of schadenfreude, highly entertained on how you squirm under their withering villainy.

How politics work: The more you serve and worry the less they do and more they hate you. They champion corruption as if it's a global board game where losers really die, the more the better, “More for me!” they think with childish glee, obtusely or stubbornly oblivious that everyone thriving is in humanity’s best interest. How far off that ideal you determine things to be can be used to measure response necessary, whether impeachment, recall, revolution, or something more drastic. How do you define your patriotic duty? Who deserves any defense?

Lame duck POTUS began campaigning for a second term. Are we great again yet? About the only things in his favor are that supporters figure they better justify electing him and that they like that he's like them: lazy, privileged, psychotic and stupid. Only thing not headed down toilet, though not noticeably improving despite continual practice to the exclusion of fulfilling demands of position, is his golf handicap. Beer goggles and drug giggles account for it. Any focus on chief’s foibles lets senate off hook for crimes committed. Conservatives who put distance between McCain and self must really feel threatened; a couple hundred hand picked GOP cabinet members and presidential staff since Nixon have been indicted and/or served time for official malfeasance. Democrats, only a couple, which might seem meritorious until you know they outnumber Republicans 2:1, so can stack deck against minority party when they agree, though that seldom occurs.