It's an example of the mindset more than anything else. The fact that they (politicians --not being partisan here) are willing to do stuff like this. We do ha

It's an example of the mindset more than anything else. The fact that they (politicians --not being partisan here) are willing to do stuff like this. We do have a perfect example of this at the congressional level: The healthcare law. Most senators did not read it. And it was rammed through by using parliamentary tricks (legal, of course) rather than votes. What's worst, nobody actually read the law ("We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what's in it"). And, of course, it was piled high with all sorts of pork. The general idea is that politicians (all parties, all levels), as a class, will work hard to optimize their own benefits --be it political or financial. They seldom act with a sincere aim of benefiting the people or the country, and certainly not with any real long term thinking (despite statements to the contrary). The problem is that nobody has come up with a viable alternative that could fix some of these issues. We humans are a sorry-ass species.