Supposedly - and keep in mind I have no idea if this was ever true - there used to be "statesmen" who after living a long life of prosperity and success, would go and take their turn in Congress helping provide leadership for the nation as a whole.

These people were already retired, already rich, and just looking to see what they could give back to society. Or maybe they were bored and just wanted to get far away from their wives, who knows.:-D Probably they were doing it for the fame, who even cares.

Compare that nowadays though to the likes of MTG or Bohbert or Gaetz and such, whose sole goal in life seems to be to get theirs, and are willing and able to fuck over the entire country in the process.

No, they may do some things like us - eat and sleep and breathe - but it takes a special kind of dipshittery to be willing to turn a blind eye to people in need (like in Ukraine) and sell out your entire nation (inflation, Russian and Chinese aggression, etc.) in that manner. I can only hope that you wouldn't allow people in your own country to starve to literal death bc of your actions.

They are playing power games, and they'd probably still play those even if their salaries were at stake too, more's the pity:-(.