Guest post by Jack Gleason – 1/15/26

We’re rightfully outraged by headlines exposing nine billion dollars stolen by Somalis in Minnesota, but few Americans understand the magnitude of the problem. The Somalis are the “tip of the tip” of the iceberg.

Simply put, where there is wealth, there is corruption; and massive wealth means massive corruption.

And the United States is the wealthiest country to ever exist…

U.S. oil and gas resources are worth roughly $137 trillion.

Land value, including residential and commercial real estate, and farmland – $84 trillion.

The estimated value of all U.S. natural resources, including energy, timber, and minerals – $45 trillion.

The U.S. stock market total capitalization is nearing $47 trillion.

U.S. Gross Domestic Product for 2025 is projected at $30.6 trillion.

Our federal government’s total revenue was approximately $5.23 trillion for 2025. U.S. state tax revenue – $1.3 trillion.

2024 Federal government spending was $6.8 trillion, including Social Security, Medicare, unemployment, food assistance, veterans’ benefits, defense, education, transportation, and infrastructure, with interest on national debt – $1 trillion.

State & Local spending – $4.3 trillion.

U.S. healthcare spending in 2024 – $5.3 trillion, with an 8.2% growth rate.

This list puts the value of the United States at roughly 320 TRILLION DOLLARS.

Each area of wealth fields an army of people raising money, conducting business, and spending money, with $4.4 billion per year spent lobbying for more.

Control the government, you control the country, it’s economy and resources. Political spending for each two-year cycle is estimated at $6 billion for Presidential and Congressional candidates, $15.7 billion for PACs, party committees and independent expenditures – $7.1 billion. Statewide and local elections – $9 billion. Total political spending – $38 billion. No one spends that much money without expecting a significant return on their investment.

Bureaucrats, regulators and judges determine policies and spending, and very few are incorruptible. Cash, gifts, a tip on the stock market, or a cushy job for a close relative can sway important decisions affecting billions in spending.

With such massive amounts of money at stake, it’s no wonder that bribery, influence peddling, blackmail, and even murder, are regular tools of drug cartels, mega-corporations, and even political parties who launder cash into political campaigns using identity theft. Everyone wants their piece of the massive pie that is the United States.

Corruption is nothing new…

Between AD 300-400, Roman emperors issued hundreds of anti-corruption laws (unsuccessfully) addressing bribery, embezzlement, sale of offices, judicial corruption and tax fraud.

Provincial governorships and military posts were openly purchased. Governors routinely paid large sums up front, then recouped costs by exploiting taxpayers.

Tax corruption was estimated at 20-40%. Funds were siphoned off by local tax collectors, provincial governors, and military officials.

Tax rolls were falsified. Wealthy landowners bribed officials to shift taxes onto peasants, bankrupting the state while burdening the poor.

Military officers collected pay for nonexistent troops. Equipment budgets were embezzled. In some armies, 10–25% of listed soldiers were fictitious. Soldiers paid bribes to avoid duty or dangerous postings.

Inflation and corruption reinforced each other. From AD 200 to 300, the silver content of Roman coins fell from 90% to under 5%.

Court verdicts were routinely decided by bribes. Judges openly expected payments. Innocent people were convicted for inability to pay.

The elite extracted enormous wealth and paid few taxes. By the 4th–5th centuries an estimated 1–2% of the population controlled over 50% of land. Senators could own estates larger than entire provinces. The state increasingly served private interests over public ones.

Corruption was not the sole cause of the demise of the Roman Empire, but it was a critical accelerant. It drained revenue, undermined military effectiveness, destroyed public trust and shifted loyalty from the state.

Sound familiar?

Venezuela also tops the news. In 1950 it was the fourth richest nation in the world. Transparency International ranked Venezuela 178th of 180 countries for corruption. Elites live in guarded compounds while citizens starve.

Iran was ranked 18th richest in 1977. Now their currency is worth zero. Its corruption rank is 151/180.

In the United States, Big Pharma seeks to control approval of new drugs. They limit negative news on side effects and out-of-control Obamacare waste and fraud by spending billions on drug advertising. Our leftist media spins every news story to hide the truth. Politicians from both sides are bought off to maintain the status quo.

An even greater threat is what Eisenhower called “the military industrial complex,” which creates “forever wars” while former military officials rotate directly into the defense industry. It is estimated that the U.S. spent $8 trillion on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, with current world-wide spending of $2.7 trillion. When they build weapons, planes, ships and ammunition and no one uses them, their business dries up. Millions are spent each year on lobbying and political contributions to those on the prestigious Armed Services Committee.

Control elections and control everything. Pouring even a small amount of money into a campaign for a cooperative candidate at the state or local level can change school curricula, business and zoning laws, and law enforcement, judges, sheriffs and prosecutors. These candidates can be relied upon to serve their masters’ wishes. News about fundraising corruption exposes the culprits.

If you can’t win elections with excessive spending, why not just rig the votes? Democrat corruption is legendary but RINOs are worse – they pretend to want honest government while thwarting every attempt at meaningful change. It’s all theater for the masses.

The Kleptocrats hate Trump and Musk because they are among the few people in the world capable of resisting. The Left Media deliver a steady drumbeat of TDS hate and panic, while ignoring everything positive. Like master magicians, they use distraction- “We’re delighted that the corruption in Minnesota has been found. Nothing else to see here.”

Their goal is to make us weak, sick, stupid, entertained and drugged.

Thankfully, Americans are finally starting to wake up. We must realize that corruption is now so pervasive that it permeates every aspect of our society. It’s like a termite infestation so extreme that there is no wood left in the house, just termites, windows and paint.

As we struggle to pay rent, electric bills, groceries, healthcare, taxes and housing, we now understand that fraud doesn’t just cost the U.S. government, it hurts everyday Americans even worse.

We are approaching our 250th birthday. Will we beat back the forces of corruption, or go the way of the Roman Empire, Venezuela or Iran? It’s up to us…

We are the only country strong enough to fight back against globalists, cartels and foreign and internal enemies. If we can blunt the military industrial complex and end forever wars, peace could break out over the entire planet, but there will be huge resistance.

We must choose a world of peace and prosperity where people can actually get ahead through hard work.

We need more efforts like DOGE using sophisticated computer techniques to expose billions in payments for contracts that didn’t exist for work that was never done.

We must support efforts to replace Obamacare and cut drug costs.

We need strong new laws protecting whistleblowers like Tina Peters, especially those being prosecuted, coerced or blackmailed.

Donald Trump has just established a new DOJ division to combat national fraud. But unless he can restore voting fairness, nothing will change as the Democrats and RINOs cheat their way into the House and Senate once again.

Jack Gleason is a conservative, common-sense, political writer. If you have story ideas or comments his email is [email protected] and his always-free Substack is jackgleason.substack.com