The Divine Comedy - Dante's Inferno

"Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate", or
"Abandon all hope, ye who enter here"

Dante's Inferno - The Divine Comedy: For those of you who had to
study this classic work, no doubt you will remember the Nine Circles of Hell.
Within the 8th Circle of Hell, a special place is reserved for corrupt politicians. Yes, even in the middle ages they existed!

During this two year political campaign, I feel as though I've been through one of the Circles of Hell! If we are ever subjected to this again, I feel that our "friends" in office should take the official tour that Dante prescribed. As for me, I'm re-registering as an Independent!

For more reading:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divine_Comedy

Bolgia 5: Corrupt politicians (barrators) are immersed in a lake of boiling pitch, which represents the sticky fingers and dark secrets of their corrupt deals. They are guarded by devils called the Malebranche ("Evil Claws"). Their leader, Malacoda ("Evil Tail"), assigns a troop to escort Virgil and Dante to the next bridge. The troop hook and torment one of the sinners (identified by early commentators as Ciampolo), who names some Italian grafters and then tricks the Malebranche in order to escape back into the pitch. (Cantos XXI through XXIII)

Bolgia 6: The bridge over this bolgia is broken: the poets climb down into it and find the Hypocrites listlessly walking along wearing gold-gilded lead cloaks. Dante speaks with Catalano and Loderingo, members of the Jovial Friars. It is also ironic in this canto that while in the company of hypocrites, the poets also discover that the guardians of the fraudulent (the malebranche) are hypocrites themselves, as they find that they have lied to them, giving false directions, when at the same time they are punishing liars for similar sins. (Canto XXIII)