I followed a link on reddit.com the other day (sorry, can't find the specific link). It was a story on Obama, told from the perspective of his wife, bragging up how he is the only true outsider, and how he'd work to clean things up in a way that no others can.
When I hear these types of things, I almost gag. My usual understanding of these things is that they're the most condescending sort of lie, the sort meant to appeal to idealists who are believed by the liar to be too stupid to recognize the dishonesty. But then something else occurred to me...
What if they actually believe the bunk?
What if, among all 500-some members of Congress, each of them corrupt to their core almost to the last man or woman... what if they all thought they were fighting the good fight?
Note that a few are so disillusioned, so jaded, that they know they're not, and don't give a shit. But the rest? Sure, once in awhile they do a favor, or compromise, thinking about political strategy and the "greater good". But in their mind's eye, they're all heroes, suffering through to give us the best possible outcome.
I have nothing to back this up, really. But it's going to give me nightmares tonight. I prefer that the slime at least know itself for what it is somehow.
Am I totally off the mark? And if I'm not, what can be done about this? If some weird rules of psychology induce this sort of thing, how exactly can government ever be re-invented?