Letter: Will avarice fell the American empire?

Wednesday, June 28, 2006 | 7:24 a.m.

I was utterly appalled at the congressional vote not to raise the minimum wage while members of the House voted to raise their own salaries. The gap between the poor and the rich continues to grow. A recent news article highlighted the monstrous gap between CEO compensation and what they were paying their average worker, and it concluded that the gap was obscene. Too bad that such excesses were not a crime.

One wonders if this is not a prelude to a social upheaval in our country. Our history tells of the rise and fall of mighty empires. The fall of the Roman Empire and the French Revolution are recountings of classic abuses by the wealthy, the aristocracy, at the expense of the poor, the enslaved and the have-nots. How different were the events in these mighty empires from what is happening in America today? Congress, supposedly the representative of the people, continues to ignore the plight of the least (fortunate) of its citizens. At the same time, Congress and the administration are at the heart of innumerous corruption scandals. Many of them will never come to light as they are covered up or otherwise hidden from the public view.

The big question that comes to mind is, "What can the average citizen do about it?" I am afraid the answer will be muted. The First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees the freedom of the press. The press daily reports on corruption in all three branches of our government. But even that is under attack by an administration that wraps itself in the American flag and claims national security as its excuse for cover-ups. I pray that there will be some moral issue that will change the course of America and put governmental, political and corporate corruption aside, thus avoiding the inevitable fall of a great nation.

Ray Harbert, Las Vegas