Government is being run 'off the books'

“I ain’t done nothing wrong!”

Here are a couple of very simple reasons why the focus on Hillary Clinton’s tenure at the U.S. State Department is all about an unknown number of classified emails stored on a bathroom server – and nothing else.

1) The infraction(s) are easy to identify. “Hey, she broke a law in storing classified information. What would happen to me if I did that?”
2) The people accusing her aren’t guilty of that particular infraction – or haven’t yet been caught.

As is so often the case, the real issue is never mentioned. There’s a reason for that. You can draw your own conclusions at the end of this column.

Here’s what I think: Government is being run “off the books,” big time. What is “off the books?” No records kept. No records, no evidence. No evidence, no prosecutions or convictions.

1) Citizens are being intentionally deprived of the record of why and how government does things – things that we pay for and that are supposedly for our benefit. Historians will never be able to review the record – because there won’t be one.
2) Being able to “hide your tracks” always draws people who want something for nothing to political office. “What’s a little deal on the side? Who’s being hurt? Who’s to know?”
3) The first two items are bad enough, but once government “servants” find they can communicate with one another outside of official channels, make side deals and conduct official business – even international relations as in the State Department, with no record of deliberations or actions – corruption has entered the process, big time.

This worked perfectly for Hillary Clinton. Her husband was able to solicit money from well-connected individuals in foreign nations that his wife was doing official business with on behalf of the United States. Her long-time close aide, Huma Abedin, was able to reap the benefits of being an employee and independent contractor at the same time. When it suited her, she was an employee; when it didn’t, she was a contractor. She got paid both ways. Her correspondence with Madam Secretary was all private – no prying eyes from the inspector general or other control mechanisms with in the government designed to protect against such abuses by those of poor moral character.

The fact that nobody in government or media wants to talk about government being run “off the books” means several things.

1) The practice is widespread. The “defense,” at least in the eyes of many of the simple, becomes, simply, “Well, he’s doing it too!”
2) Those of poor moral quality infest the government; they have no sense of responsibility to the nation or their fellow citizens. They bring their friends with them.
3) Our enemies have correctly surmised the situation and will continue to take advantage of it, eroding our position in the world.

America was founded by a population that believed their ultimate accountability would occur in the life hereafter, before the creator and judge of all the universe.

The majority of America now believes this to be a fairy tale. Instead, they choose to believe that everything simply came from nothing, all by itself.

Perhaps the folly of that belief is no greater than the one held by so many of the rest of us: that things will somehow get better all by themselves.

Could things get better all by themselves?

Media wishing to interview Craige McMillan, please contact media@wnd.com.