Other People’s Dreams

I've been neck deep in an issue that I can't really discuss these days since it's still ongoing, but it deals heavily with a problem of people devoting years to a goal, only to have their future decided by bureaucracy and politics rather than results.  I know how Washington works. I've lived my entire life here, save for four years as an undergrad and a brief stint training out of a boat club in Philadelphia. I've seen Congress up close and personal, and I've seen how capricious regulatory agencies can be. People's hard work and effort can be destroyed by a single person's choice instead of being rewarded in a fair an open process. It doesn't matter if it's a liquor license, an election, a promotion, etc. Politics drives everything, especially when the people making the choices aren't affected by the result.  And people wonder why I'm so cynical.