Here’s a new word for you that recently showed up on the internet – Ineptocracy.  It was brought to my attention by astute WoodChips reader Marty C.

Ineptocracy noun. (in-ep-toc’-ra-cy) – a system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers.

This word kind of confirms a nagging suspicion I’ve had that our politicians are granting political favors to blocks of voters so they can get re-elected.  Now that’s rather cynical of me, but I keep running into these things that make me think we have the best government money can buy.

Like alcohol, for instance.  Only the government could screw up such a wonderful product. You just aren’t going to believe this.  Now, I’m not talking about the good kind of alcohol, but rather it’s anemic cousin used for fuel to run your car.  This kind of alcohol is supposed to be a wonderful green fuel that we can grow and use, and then make more of (called renewable – although I’m not sure what they mean by that), instead of that evil, dirty old polluting oil.

So our politicians have voted for all kinds of monetary subsidies for making this alcohol.  And people are using up tons of our corn crop – something also useful as food, I think, to brew the stuff.  Yes, I said brew, which is how you make alcohol from corn.

Now don’t try this at home, but the first step is to take the corn and mash it all up in water and add little critters called yeast.  The main mission in a little yeast’s life is to eat stuff and poop alcohol.  So you let the mash sit for days and the yeasts fulfill their primary directive and turn it all  into a smelly mess.  This concoction is known, surprisingly, as a corn mash.  But you won’t believe what some brewers are doing in the final step.

In order to brew something, you need to have a fire to bring the corn mash to a boil so the alcohol will separate from the corn by turning into vapor – which then condenses into the liquid alcohol (our Hillbilly readers from the Tennessee hills and backwoods will be familiar with this technique – otherwise known as making moonshine).

Now here’s the thing.  I have read reports that some brewers are burning coal to boil the mash.  What!!!???  Now that’s environmentally friendly, isn’t it?  I think something got lost in the translation of a green fuel here – but maybe that’s just me.

And on top of that, I read that it costs more to produce the alcohol than it’s worth.  Like spend $1.40 to make $1.00 worth of alcohol.  Hey, here’s a clear path away from Middle East oil dependence, and balancing the budget, don’t you think.  And then there’s that bothersome little detail that we are using so much corn to produce alcohol that the prices have gone up and poor people in the world – who actually think corn is useful as food – are now starving because they can’t afford it.  Hmmm … also thinking coal is not renewable.

So why would our politicians do this?  Well, call me a conspiracy theorist, but it just turns out that a main political election event in the United States is the Iowa Caucuses.  And guess what all the farmers (read voters) in the state of Iowa grow.  Yup – it’s corn.

So connect the dots here and you see yet another example of our politicians buying votes with our money by helping produce another money losing product, polluting the atmosphere burning coal, a non-renewable fuel, and starving the poor of the world.

Ineptocracy!

May I suggest we all JUST SAY NO TO INEPTOCRACY this political season.

Enough said – time for  breakfast and cornflakes (or is that conflakes) – jeez, have you seen the price of these things lately.

Munch, munch … have a nice day – J. Daniel

P.S. Hmmm … just wondering if our government would do better subsidizing electric cars and solar panels (chuckle).