Gods and Politicians…

 

 

In the early 1970’s, I was in the Air Force, working in a Defense Intelligence agency computer room run by civilians and staffed by a mix of Civil Service, Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. Assigned to the Pentagon, we kept an eye on Red Chinese missile sites and Jane Fonda.

The day shift guys were old lifers, both military and civilian, with blood alcohol levels that could get them arrested for walking, much less driving. Human pickles. The top guy at DIA and his equal over at NSA, grabbed the head civilian boss and all three drank their lunch at the officer’s club every day. Properly lubricated, they often went golfing afterward, pumped up for chicken fights with golf carts, kegs in the back. Moe, Larry, and Curly, leading by example.

The graveyard shift was mostly young guys like me, stoners, ingesting easy- bake cookies packed with good Jamaican bud in the wee hours. We emptied the only candy machine available in our secure area every night.

Two different approaches to boredom.

Vietnam was winding down, but given the fact that you never cut staff if you can avoid it, every few months when top brass came in to evaluate efficiency, my friends and I were sent home to make it less obvious that we weren't needed at all. It was the least demanding, most unnecessary job I ever had, steeped in cronyism, inefficiency, waste, fraud, and outright theft, all hidden by our high security clearances that made us somewhat bulletproof. The place was fueled by an astounding and pervasive apathy that spread like a virus from the top down.

When my time was up in 1975, I was offered a Civil Service position, a promotion, more money, and a dream job to many with few demands other than to show up. All I had to do was come back in the next day as a civilian and do the same thing I had been doing for several years...which was basically nothing.

I had to pass.

That experience colored my perception of all thing’s government run from then on. Democratic or Republican, doesn’t matter. Human nature is the same. It’s no surprise that our elected officials in DC have the best health care, pay, vacation and retirement packages, while we average citizens do not. No surprise that they threw out the rules blocking their ability to take bribes from businesses and stuff their pockets with cash.

Thieves, swindlers, and the morally bankrupt thrive in such a broken system. We elect con men to guard and promote our interests and are then surprised when they do the opposite.

It turns out that with gods and politicians, we get what we deserve.