“Every government is a parliament of whores. The trouble is, in a democracy, the whores are us.” -PJ O’Rourke.
As you probably heard already, NYC Mayor Eric Adams, is being accused of fraud, bribery, and receiving kickbacks from foreign countries (essentially what NJ senator Bob Menendez was just sentenced to 11 years in jail for). Who knows if he’s guilty.
The administration has asked that his case be dismissed. Instead of doing so, 7 attorneys have resigned.
This is now being referred to as the Thursday Afternoon Massacre, comparing it to Nixon’s Saturday night version. This led to public opinion turning against him and his eventual resignation.
What’s interesting about this is it’s not really about politicians, good or bad. It’s about the American public… and indirectly, everyone else (they have their own issues, after all)…
Politicians haven’t suddenly gotten sleazier. Politics has always been a sleazy business. It’s us who’ve changed.
What shocked us before is now just another Tuesday. The law hasn’t changed (Menendez is proof of that), the public’s perception of power, corruption, and accountability has.
We’ve mastered the art of selective outrage. Our principles have become situational conveniences, easily adjusted based upon which side you’re on.
The real corruption isn’t happening in City Hall or Washington, it’s in our willingness to look away when it’s convenient. Is that a culture we’re willing to live with? Only we can answer that.
