At least, one would hope selling a Senate seat isn't on the first page of options for a state Governor.
However, you have to remember this is America. We have a long and colorful history of corrupt politicians. It's human nature...when you think you can make some extra cash, you do so. Especially when it's significant money and you don't think you can get caught. There are exceptions...but they really are exceptions. For every judge who gets bought off by Vito Corleone, there's a Russel Crowe who actually turns in the $1,000,000 in drug money he finds in the trunk of a car.
But at the same time...what do you think?? How rampant (or not) do you think corruption is today? Do you think that you can get a parking fine dropped by slipping the meter maid a $20? Did you ever watch some guy walk free from his fifth DUI? Watched a Congressman vote for the most irrational bill with weak backup?
E-mail me, leave a comment, give me a call or text...whatever. Let me know how corrupt you think our society really is, and I'll post the replies next Thursday. Till then...adios!
4 comments:
OK, so my two cents, since I actually am from IL. I've talked to people from all over the nation about the Blago case, and there are two mentalities. Anyone who isn't from IL says, zomg, this is horrible, I can believe someone would do this.
Everyone that I know from IL? Oh, hey, the sky is still blue, and pig shit still stinks.
Honestly, the amount of corruption depends on the politician, and the location. IL(Chicago specifically) has a long history of all sorts of political fraud. It's why this story doesn't shock me one bit. Take this case to backwater Montana though, and I think that the people living there wouldn't know what hit them.
After taking a full semester course on the interrelations between business, law, and ethics, there is one overarching lesson I have learned--We all have a little larceny in our hearts. No matter how well we mean in our actions or intentions, everyone is at some point tempted to commit an act that is unethical or unjust. While many of us choose to resist this temptation most of the time, it is natural that at some point, the bough will break, and we will put a thumb on the scale or artfully bend a rule to our or a friend's advantage.
The decision to do this or not depends greatly on the environment around the situation, and the consequences surrounding the action. If a meter maid taking a bribe stands to lose his/her job to help a stranger, it probably won't happen. But in Illinois politics, where corruption is common, and you have to play the game to get ahead, it's certainly a lot more probable that the ethical core is slightly altered to fit the new arena. The great challenge is to tackle a poor environment, and work to change it. Not an easy task.
I know this might not be the most positive of the feedback but each case is so different it really depends on the players involved for me to get angry at a guy walking free from his 472347238 DUI, a $20 or $50 bill slipped to someone to let something they caught doing pass/slide. I see "higher ups" getting caught for horrid crimes (ENRON) but it is way after the permenant damage is done I often ask myself who the fuck is policing these people??? Now...I am not a fan of any shape or form of a big brother but some sort of watchful eye is needed. Human is to weakness as money is to greed and when people come into power they shall seek until they are full. (Usually a person in power just wants more power so this is just a cycle really.)
Corruption is pretty rampant today (in the largest and smallest sense).
I tend to wonder whether this kind of politics always existed and is just coming to light right now, or whether it has just gotten worse in the more recent future ...
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