Cronyism, corruption mar American exceptionalism

Mr. President, when you once stated that America is exceptional only as any other country is exceptional to its own citizens, you were right -- only because we govern by corruption and cronyism and practice crony capitalism like the rest of the world.

When the government removes a perfectly good product (incandescent lightbulb) from the shelves just so a company (G.E.) can sell its flawed and expensive replacement, or any president decides which laws to enforce, yes, we are no more exceptional than any other country.

And when Congress relegates its authority to "independent regulatory agencies" issuing thousands of regulations every year with the force of law, we really become as despotic as most of the rest of the world.

I sat in church on Holy Thursday and listened to the story of how Jesus, the teacher and leader of the apostles, became the servant and washed his disciples feet. This Christian value of the leader being the servant is the concept that turned government on its head and how government used to work in the United States.

Our government was set up so that the leaders were subservient to the people. Aren't they called civil servants for this very reason? And yet many on both sides of the aisle and in the Supreme Court have lost sight of this exceptional concept that truly makes the United States of America exceptional.

Socialism and communism have the government elites dictate to the people. This is the opposite of America and why I oppose both forms of government. I do not see goodness and liberty in them and they do not "work" in a large, open society like America. They are not exceptional.

John Zitkus

Mundelein