Remove the Parasites

The cost of feeding legions of parasites both within, and dependent upon, the executive branch of the United States government is a big reason why our nation is inundated in federal spending deficits and burdened with over $14 trillion in debt.

When I say parasites, an admittedly a harsh characterization, I mean persons and entities that consume vast sums of national financial resources while providing little or no substantive value in return to benefit the common people or the nation as a whole.  

Remove these parasites and the financial health of the United States would be completely restored; the overall health of the nation greatly revitalized.

The sheer size, breadth, and scope of the executive branch are staggering.

In addition to his 15 bloated cabinet level departments, the U.S. President, our chief executive officer, employs 17 separate offices, including his own White House Office, and the Office of the Vice President, to serve his administration. 

The President’s 15 cabinet level departments all together today bring with them 400 separate agencies, administrations, bureaus, offices, boards, organizations, missions, corporations, groups, institutes and services, most of them consuming while not producing or providing.    

Then there are also 75 independent non-cabinet status entities, offices, bureaus, agencies, authorities, councils, systems, foundations, endowments, corporations, companies, commissions, boards, and services; 12 separate quasi-official entities; together with 5 large government business enterprises.

That brings the total to roughly 524 separate executive branch entities, not including many hundreds of additional sub-entities and favored beneficiaries, all feeding voraciously from the government trough.

At least 75% of these entities, by my own conservative estimate, could be surgically removed, and their essential responsibilities reassigned, without doing any damage to the overall effectiveness of government. Oh, yes, the parasites would scream loudly and squirm violently, but the United States of America and the common people would prosper as we never have before.

Did you know that there is an Office of the First Lady supported financially by the executive branch of government? Yes, the first lady has aides, secretaries, and staff with which to pursue her own nonessential agenda – usually a government meddling agenda. But the first lady is neither an elected official nor a necessary agent of the United States government. We’re not supposed to pay for White House queens in America.

Then there’s the president’s Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, created by George W. Bush, and continued by the Obama administration. The sole purpose of this executive branch office is to dole out taxpayer money to, and cozy up in partnership with, religious organizations.

Of course, all of this mixing of politics with religion is in violation of the Constitution, but the Supreme Court has ruled that no common person has standing to complain. Congress, for obvious reasons, is not going to complain. Congress loves mixing religion with politics.

There’s the president’s office of AIDS Policy, Drug Control Policy, and Technology Policy, all firmly attached to the government teat. At least 9 of the 17 entities within the executive office of the president could be scrapped and few people would notice except the hungry parasites.

The United States Department of Agriculture could be entirely eliminated after some of its responsibilities were transferred to other departments. That would eliminate all 19 separate entities, along with their sub-entities, which now benefit only a tiny fraction of the common people. Likewise, the Departments of Education; Housing and Urban Development; Labor; and Veterans Affairs, should be dismantled, and essential responsibilities transferred, thereby eliminating 69 more nonessential parasitical entities, and their sub-entities from government.

At least 7 of the 16 separate entities, along with sub-entities, within the United States Department of Commerce could be scrapped; 4 of 28 within the Department of Defense; 9 of 13 within Health and Human Services (while saving Medicare and Social Security); 42 of 73 within Homeland Security (including the dreaded TSA); 5 of 12 from Interior; 40 of 59 within Justice; 28 of 56 within the State Department; 3 of 12 within Transportation; and 12 of 18 within the Department of the Treasury.

Of the 75 independent governmental entities, including the CIA, FEC, FCC, and GSA, all but 15 are wholly unnecessary. We should therefore rid ourselves of freeloaders such as the National Endowment for the Arts, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and 55 others which consume much while contributing little.  

Of the 12 quasi-official entities, only the Smithsonian Institution is worthy of its existence. That means that the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the National Symphony Orchestra, and 11 other parasite warrens should be eliminated.   

That leaves the 5 government enterprises, including Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and 3 other government created Frankenstein monsters that consume taxpayer dollars by the train carload while helping much to ruin the free market economy. Needless to say, they all should all go straight into the dustbin of history.

This country rose to the zenith of its power, prosperity, and international prestige with far less than 25% of the current executive branch of government. Today, the additional 75% has been the agent of our decline.

To President Obama and the Congress of the United States at this time of financial crisis affecting our beloved country, I can only say:

Remove the parasites and your unburdened nation will rejoice.