I sure am glad President Lefton sent me an e-mail assuring the students the “university’s leadership team is working diligently” to ensure we “navigate the rocky fiscal landscape.” It almost makes me forget about the hundreds of thousands of dollars we spent to keep them here.

Too bad the Bush-Pelosi backed bailout did not soothe our troubles, but who really thought it would? Since the monstrosity passed, Wall Street has become even rockier, losing points each time a branch of the federal government approved it. The worst thing about the bailout – and that’s what it is, not a rescue – is that it was the final piece of evidence some of us have been looking for: Our federal government does not care about us.

Do not look at me like I am crazy – or at least not that crazy – because the numbers do not lie. Between 65 and 80 percent (depending on the polls you read) of the American people were against the supposed rescue act.

Through lies, fear and outright bribery, treasury secretary Henry Paulson, President George Bush, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the stuttering scum Rep. Barney Frank got their precious bill through Congress. MAPlight.org, a site that tries to illuminate the money in politics, released a report showing how the congressmen and women voting yea for the bailout “received more money from banks and securities firms than members voting no.” Through lobbyists and by adding pork to the bailout, our Congress was bought right out from under the people who elect them – from the people who they are supposed to represent.

Maverick McCain has also secured monies from those banks and securities to the tune of $22 million for his campaign, taking money out of politics indeed. Messiah Obama, not to be outdone, has had more than $24 million donated to his presidential bid from the same firms. Is that the change he was talking about perhaps? Even I could go for some of his “change” if that is what he means. Let’s not forget that both McCain and Obama backed the Bush-supported bill, perhaps eroding the Obama camp’s “more of the same” campaign.

Things are going to get a lot worse before they get better – and not just because of the financial market.

The Army Times has reported the 3rd Infantry’s 1st Brigade Combat Team has been training as “an on-call federal response force for natural or manmade emergencies and disasters, including terrorist attacks.”

Too bad this violates the Posse Comitatus Act, but who is paying attention anyway? The act keeps federal soldiers from acting as everyday police officers, keeping government from instituting martial law. What this means is the infantry are being trained to deal with civil unrest in the streets of the United States, you know, in case we start rioting against our handlers as they pull our leashes tighter.

Soon we will be getting charged with cyber crimes in the World of Warcraft and on Facebook for being dissident and disrespectful of the law, I imagine. The Director of National Intelligence is spending $800,000 on a study to look at what kind of cyber behavior might be reflective of people who have an “unwillingness to abide by the rules.”

So, what have we learned today? The government, whether Democrat or Republican, does not care about you or the Constitution. Obama is more like Bush than he admits, and the Director of National Intelligence has too much time and money. Everyone, get ready to don your tin foil hats and filter your tap water because the crazies are being proven right, finally.

Ted Hamilton is a senior magazine journalism major and a columnist for the Daily Kent Stater. Contact him at [email protected].