Truth and Consequences, by xrugger

How many public employees realize their salaries, benefits, and pensions are too good to be true? From xrugger at theburningplatform.com:

Every time I read a story about the financial travails of a state like Illinois, I am reminded how thoroughly corrupted and dishonest the various levels of government in this country have become. Additionally, the employees of said governments have reached a level of willful ignorance that is truly astounding.

Governments have promised vastly more than they can deliver in terms of pensions and benefits. Now, to a simple man like me, making a promise with the full knowledge that the promise will one day be broken is what we commonly refer to as a lie. So that makes government a collection of lying scumbags who will promise anything to their public sector drones in order to maintain control over, not only said drones, but over the rest of us as well. Political liars will promise anything to anyone in order to maintain their power and prerogatives. That power is built on a rapidly deteriorating foundation of mendacity and delusion.

Therefore, that makes government employees innocent victims right. Wrong. It makes government employees who willingly voted for, and maintained in power, those who lied to them, partners in the lie. They knew at some level they were being lied to. What does that make them with regard to the lie? Go ahead. Say it with me. It makes them complicit in the lie and by being complicit in the lie; they forfeit any claim to victimhood.

It goes something like this: Politicians lie to win elections. Voters all know this, but they believe the bullshit because they want to believe the bullshit and the lies of politicians validate their world view and make them “feel” better. With public employees, it goes a step further. When they believe the lies, they not only “feel” better, their lives are materially improved by believing the lie and keeping the liars in power. By accepting that material improvement in their lives (generous pension, benefits, early retirement ages, etc.), they have become partners in the lie. The best part for both the liars and the lied to is that they do not have to pay for it…at least not right away and that is kind of the point.

To continue reading: Truth and Consequences