Casino Jack and the United States of Money

I don't know why every time I watch movies or documentaries about politics I get ill. Just seeing the lying faces and hearing the corruption makes me want to vomit. I watched this documentary because I saw the funny and entertaining movie "Casino Jack" starring Kevin Spacey and Barry Pepper. The movie was informative, but I knew a documentary would be far more informative.

Jack Abramoff aka Casino Jack was a radical free-market republican who figured out how to tap into hidden revenue sources as a lobbyist. With access to powerful politicians such as Tom DeLay and Bob Ney, he used that access to access the pocketbooks of clients such as the Malaysian government, the Saipan government, and various American Indian tribes. He especially fleeced the tribes.

His dirty dealings took him from simple unethical actions with his clients to outright illegal actions. His lobbying and laundering allowed him to funnel money to over two dozen politicians who were never punished.

If anyone was ever in doubt about whether their government was bought and paid for, this documentary erases that doubt; and it would be naive to believe that the politicians mentioned in this documentary are the only ones guilty of legislating for dollars. "Casino Jack" is sad, disappointing, and disheartening. The only bit of silver lining is that Abramoff was convicted for his crimes, but what did that change? I would venture to say not much at all.