A story in last week’s Marine Log was supposed to convince the gullible – about 300 million or so Americans – that the folks at the top are covering for us. We can go back to grazing again – our shepherds have caught the wolves. Of course, if you’re reading this commentary you’re one of the few not likely to be among that 300 million.

The headline: “Navy Officer, NCIS Agent and Defense Firm CEO Accused in Bribery Charges”

And the revelation: “In criminal complaints unsealed September 17, a commander in the United States Navy, a special agent for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and the CEO of a multinational defense contractor have been charged with two separate bribery schemes.

“According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the complaints allege that so-and-so paid so-and-so and so-and-so with luxury travel and prostitutes in exchange for confidential information and other assistance in relation to hundreds of millions of dollars in Navy contracts. All three men were arrested on September 16, in San Diego, Colorado and Virginia, respectively. One is a Malaysian national who resides in Singapore.

“A multi-national company with headquarters in Singapore, GDMA provides hundreds of millions of dollars in ‘husbanding’ services to the U.S. Navy, including procurement of items and services for ships and submarines when they arrive at port …

“Each defendant was charged with conspiring to commit bribery, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.” –

They refer to the offense(s) as “hundreds of millions of dollars in Navy contracts”. And they mention just three “alleged” culprits. But the “Navy contracts” over this past year were astronomical and as we were tallying up those we were able to track down we were wondering just where all that taxpayer money was going. We’re still working on October’s numbers, but you’ll recall that the amount we found for just the month of September was a cool $ 13,435,026,705. Said aloud it sounds like this: Thirteen billion, four hundred thirty five million, twenty six thousand, seven hundred and five dollars.

“Billions” is a lot more than a paltry “hundreds of millions” … and that was just in September. From October of 2012 through March of this year, another twenty nine billion, six hundred sixty three million, six hundred eighty three thousand, eight hundred twenty three dollars were “awarded” to favored Naval contractors, and the months of May, June, July and August saw an additional fifty billion, five hundred sixty two million, six hundred sixty seven thousand, five hundred fifty nine dollars handed over to favored Naval contractors. Add it up – it comes to $ 93,661,378,087 – and ninety three billion dollars could have put 50 million of our unemployed back to work!!

And the Justice Department could only lay their hands on three “alleged” grafters? Come on, man.