I recall a discussion with an Iranian friend of mine who related to me how most Iranians blamed their leaders for the endemic corruption that plagued and impoverished Iran.
His response was "it's not them, it's you...it's us...from the lowly police officer who accepted small bribes to get out of traffic tickets...to the petty bureaucrat who granted state jobs to incompetent family members...to the already wealthy politicians who stole billions in oil revenue...it's the political culture...it's the social values that permeate society..."
The point of this is not to pick on the Iranians (who hold great affection in my heart) because these principles hold true in all countries, even the United States. We have leaders that spend us into oblivion, because we rarely vote for true fiscal conservative who openly speak of the necessity to cut government programs and raise taxes. We have leaders who usurp our constitutional rights, because we do not guard them, because we value security and certainty over freedom.
It's not them, it's you...it's us...for good and for bad, politicians represent the spirit of a people, the spirit of our times...we get the change that we ask for...we get the change that we deserve.
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