Politicians would like us to believe politics is groups of dedicated statesmen wrangling over lofty ideals and noble philosophies as they guide the community through history.

Well, I suppose some of that does happen, but what is really going on is a complex shifting mixture of competing alliances and personalities representing different interests, struggling for power and wealth.

In other words, politics is like economics, and inseparably related to it. In fact, politics could be defined as the mechanism by which men control economics. This is pretty obvious when we study history, but as we get closer to home, in space or time, we tend to believe we are somehow different.

I don't think this is necessarily bad, or even unavoidable, as long as there is no violence, as many people as possible have a voice in the process, no one is left out, and no one faction gets too big or abusive of the others for too long. It also helps if there is some set of rules, a legal framework or constitution, that discourages too much concentration of power in one place.

But make no bones about it, under all those togas, powdered wigs and knee britches, top hats and frock coats, Armani suits and all those flowery speeches and upright principles are merchants, planters and lawyers who are ruthlessly pursuing their own agendas, and those of their friends, at the expense of everyone else. The honest ones have convinced themselves that what's best for them is what's best for everybody. The crooked ones don't care who suffers as long as they get what they want. That much hasn't changed.

Anyone who tells you any different is lying, a fool, or both.