Back in the day when the three networks ruled the airways, people escaped the rigors of everyday life and gathered with their family to enjoy watching a television program. And although everyone knew that in real life, justice doesn’t always prevail, for those few hours at least, families could be confident that before the credits rolled across their television sets, somehow good would triumph over evil.
Imagine how those same families of the past would have reacted if one of the three networks created a program series based on the future scandals of the Obama Administration. It would be a kind of “Back to the Corrupt Future” television series, where episodes would cover the numerous national disgraces. For sure, there would be a mountain of illegal material to work with; a virtual treasure trove of unlawful and unconstitutional activity.
Consider a show based on the facts surrounding the “Fast and Furious,” deadly disgrace where a secret gun-running program included ATF agents selling thousands of guns to drug cartel members without having any method to track them.
Along with the murder of a United States Border Patrol Agent and an ICE officer, there would be scenes with hundreds of innocent Mexican citizens being slaughtered by these untraceable weapons. And before Congress was able to initiate an investigation, the United States President, who was aware that the poorly contrived program responsible for so much bloodshed started under his Presidency, would make false public statements that it started under the previous administration. There would also be congressional hearing scenes where the United States Attorney General was held in contempt of Congress for not turning over requested documentation and the President stepping in and invoking Executive Privilege to stop Congress from seeing the documents. If the unbridled corruption didn’t confuse and bewilder the audience the climax of the show certainly would, as not a single person involved would be held accountable. Not a day in jail or a job lost by those deeply involved in the scandal. It would end as if nothing ever happened and be one of those disappointing shows without an ending.
Other episodes would include the IRS scandal where US citizens would be denied tax-exempt status because they held conservative values. And before any investigation began, the President, would once again inexplicably and prematurely assure the American people that there “wasn’t a smidgen of corruption.”
The IRS Director of Exempt Organizations would plead the 5th and be held in contempt of Congress. And after assuring Congress that all requested IRS documents would be delivered to Congress, the acting IRS Commissioner would later inform those same members of Congress that the IRS had wiped clean the hard drives of IRS employees dealing with the scandal’s requested information. The closing scene would show the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee finding out that the IRS destroyed 422 backup tapes despite a preservation order and subpoena. And once again there would be an ending with no indictments, no firings, and no satisfactory conclusion.
Although by now the audience would surely wonder what the point of the television series was regarding all of the committees, witnesses and subpoenas?
But the network would save the best for last as an episode would air exposing the mind numbing scandal where an unsecured private server was secretly installed at the home of the Secretary of State. And despite the repeated assurances by the Secretary to members of Congress and the American people that no classified information was ever sent or received on the private server, it would later be revealed that the server contained all of the classified communication contents of the Secretary’s office along with government information having the highest level of classification possible.
As with all of the other episodes, the audience would be expecting the usual destruction of the evidence by erasing hard drives, losing paper documents and not answering questions. But this episode would go several steps further by not only eliminating the server and all backup hard drives but physically destroying all devices with a hammer that had any information about the investigation.
It would be the Armageddon of truth where all incriminating evidence was eliminated by any means necessary, and the media not only thought such actions were perfectly reasonable but endorsed the Secretary of State for the highest job in the land.
One would have to wonder if those viewers from the past would find the episodes too unbelievable and far-reaching to be taken seriously. Given the blatantly corrupt and outrageously illegal content by the government, they might rightfully conclude that the series was some poorly written science fiction comedy. It would be fairly accurate to suggest that families would be shocked if they learned that the episodes were of actual events. It sadly sheds light on what is now deemed acceptable in a society and government that has more than just lost its way.
Rick Hayes lives in the epicenter of liberal land where reality and truth will never encounter a welcome mat.
An award-winning writer and photographer, with over twenty years of professional experience in both fields, Hayes started his journalism adventure after a successful, eye-opening career as a Banker in Wall Street. Although he spent his early work life surrounded by custom made shirts, expensive ties and the shiniest of shoes, Hayes was an accomplished singer, cutting a few records with a local band and appearing on one of the first cable shows.
Working for a weekly New York paper, in one of the most politically corrupt areas in the State, he began investing his time trying to understand the nature of corruption.
