As a former candidate for public office, and a committed activist for conservatism, I am not surprised by the rise of Donald Trump, Ben Carson, and Carly Fiorina. You shouldn’t be either.

It’s certainly not breaking news that Americans, across the entire ideological spectrum, are disgusted by the stench emanating from Washington D.C. In speaking with conservatives and libertarians, they are fed up with a completely ineffective Establishment wing of the Republican Party that has lost nearly every significant battle against the tax-and-spend, secular-progressive Left. And, fanning the flames of frustration, not only has the GOP establishment lost these battles in spectacular fashion but they have been complicit in many of the Left’s destructive policy victories.

In speaking with many moderate Democrats, they are angry at an administration that has failed to produce results for middle class families and a party that seems to be lurching to the extreme left on social issues ranging from abortion to marriage. But, one common theme I have heard repeated again and again, regardless of the person’s political party affiliation, is “the system is rigged against me.”

This “the system is rigged against me” attitude is not some fantasy made up to frighten little children, it is reality, and nothing is going to change until the handcuffs come out, and the perp walks start. If that sounds harsh then ask yourself “why?” Why is it harsh to ask people, whom we elect to make profound policy decisions, which will deeply impact our lives, to not abuse their power to devastate the lives of others. We’re not talking about a derelict corporate board that makes poor investment decisions and costs investors some of their money here. We are talking about a group of people who are employed, and paid handsomely, to lead a government which controls nearly 4 trillion dollars in tax remittances, and has a monopoly on the use of force.

Why do we hold our elected politicians to a lower, not a higher, standard of conduct than every other American? These pampered D.C. power brokers get away with things that would have you in a prison cell or a courtroom yet, they are rarely punished. Yes, few are caught, and even fewer are jailed, but the rest spit in our faces as they continue to live by a completely different set of rules than the ones you and I MUST live by.

Mishandle classified U.S. secrets – no problem, go run for President!

Don’t pay your taxes – no problem, accuse your opponents of racism and get re-elected to Congress!

Use insider information to make sweet business deals – no problem, become the Senate Majority Leader!

Use the IRS to destroy the lives of political opponents, and to tilt elections in your favor – no problem, become the Commander-in-Chief!

Your family profits handsomely from a bill you helped pass – no problem, become the Speaker of the House!

Violate the spirit and the letter of the law while engaging in a secret plan to undermine a local mining project – no problem, ignore a subpoena and take a vacation!

None of this white hot, steaming pile of garbage is going to change until the punishment fits the crime. We should be demanding responsible investigations, arrests, perp walks and, when found guilty, prison, and nothing less. The outrageous conduct of many members of the political class warrants aggressive prosecutions to deter future activity of this sort. Pardons, country club “prisons,” statements such as “the country just needs to move on,” and weak community-service-only sentences for corrupted members of the political class only serve to confirm to an already frustrated American working class that they are being ruled, not governed. Handcuffs will change all of that.

You don’t have to be a comic book fan, or a gifted philosopher to understand the simple meaning of Uncle Ben’s words to Peter Parker in the Spiderman movie, “with great power comes great responsibility.” They’ve taken the power, now they must own the responsibility. (Re-posted with permission, “Holding Political Hypocrites to a Higher Standard” originally appeared HERE)

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