The Problem Isn't the Politicians – It's You, Alabama

I’m grateful to the Alabama Gazette for printing what is becoming all too rare these days: the truth.

Here’s a hard pill to swallow: the politicians aren’t the problem – you are.

Politicians do what they must to get your vote, and you keep giving it to them.

The late, great Jimmy Buffett, an Alabama native, had an epiphany that led to his famous realization in “Margaritaville.” At first, it was “nobody’s fault.” Then, he shifted to “it could be my fault.” And, finally, he came to a conclusion we all need to reach: “It’s my own damn fault.”

Alabama will never change until you, the voters, have that same epiphany and admit it’s your own damn fault. You are the reason politicians in Alabama are working for the establishment.

Let’s be honest. We all know Montgomery is controlled by the same establishment, money, and special interests. These are the same forces that ran the show when the Democrats controlled the state from the Civil War until 2010 – and they’re still running it now, even with Republicans in charge. Nothing will change until we do.

The establishment’s grip is solid because they’ve ensured that a politician cannot win without money – and we keep voting for the establishment candidates, every single time.

We’ve been conditioned to support candidates with slick TV ads, polished campaign managers, radio spots, billboards, and staff. The establishment makes sure that running for office is so difficult, so regulated, and so expensive that honest, hardworking people have been driven out.

And when that’s not enough, they use intimidation. Politicians who won’t play along with the establishment’s bidding are threatened with a primary opponent funded by the very same money. Sadly, those who buckle are the cowards of Montgomery.

For years, the establishment has used money, intimidation, and blackmail to control who gets elected and who stays in power. And once they’re in control, they don’t stop there. They’ve used their power to centralize and consolidate nearly every industry in Alabama – especially food, medicine, and money – and in the process, Alabama has become incredibly vulnerable.

Take food, for example. Small family farms have been regulated out of existence, and now Big Ag is trying to globalize food production. The result? Our food supply has never been unhealthier.

Medicine has been globalized too. It’s no secret that the Rockefeller family used politicians and regulators to take over the medical field a century ago, pushing pills instead of cures. Bill Gates has continued this trend, earning the title “The Most Powerful Doctor in the World” while he sells vaccines – something he pledged $10 billion toward in 2010. Over the past five years, we’ve seen the disastrous consequences of the global government’s failed response to public health crises.

And then there’s money. As Henry Ford once said, “It’s well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.” Congress handed over its constitutional power to “coin money” over 100 years ago to a small group of men who print money for themselves when the U.S. needs to “borrow” it. This is why we never have a balanced budget, why we are stuck in endless wars, and why our entitlement programs create debt. Debt, of course, means they print themselves more money.

Our institutions have become so centralized that they can and will be used against us.

The establishment’s control over politics has made Alabama dependent, and “dependent” is the last thing an Alabamian should be. Historically, Alabamians have been fiercely independent people. It’s time to reclaim that independence and stop voting for establishment candidates backed by money and special interests.

In the upcoming election, some heroes will run without the help of the establishment, the money, or the media. Pay attention to their messages. These are the truth-tellers, the ones willing to challenge the status quo.

All industries, not just politics, have gone off the rails with government regulation and special interest control. It’s time to put a stop to it. If you’re a leader in your industry, tell your associations to stand down. Alabama’s future depends on it.

Ken McFeeters is a former Congressional candidate for Alabama’s 6th District and past president of the Mid-Alabama Republican Club. In 1981, Ken co-founded PAC Insurance Agency, Inc., and has been actively involved in governmental affairs both in Montgomery and Washington, D.C. He is also the author of the children's book Hannah and the Cajun Navy.