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tupper's avatar

The Bulwark Podcast with George Conway was great. One moment, though, triggered me, and that was Mr. Conway saying the people at the Federalist Society are "in a tough spot" in terms of calling out Trump and MAGA (I think that was the topic at the time) for what they are.

BULLSHIT! And tell that to people like Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss.

If the Federalist Society can only defend the Constitution in how it should be interpreted, but not whether or not Trump violated his oath to preserve and defend it, then my belief that it is simply a partisan political organization and another threat to the Republic stands

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Deutschmeister's avatar

"How embarrassing was yesterday’s GOP performance? ... Unfortunately, all of this has led to a great deal of commentary that is deeply unfair to middle-schoolers and clowns, who are actually held to a much higher standard of conduct."

Actually, it is at once much simpler and much more impactful than that. How many of us could behave like that in our workplace and keep our jobs? How many of our family members and friends would defend us when we are so obviously out of line in our behavior? And how many of us would feel a sense of shame -- and express it -- if we so clearly abused our position of power, authority, and influence among those who look up to us for leadership and setting good examples to emulate?

This behavior happens not because it is necessary or appropriate or defensible. It happens because we allow it. And empower it. As we allow our standards of decency to decline among those we choose to elect, we get the inevitable result: a politician class untethered to the daily reality of those who pay their salary, pension, and benefits. We're accountable; they are not. We must play by conventional rules; they make up their own as they go. We see and recognize limits and modify our behavior accordingly. They increasingly try to outdo each other for more face time, more mic time, and more fame and fortune, under the premise that all visibility is good visibility in the end as long as it helps to garner more name and face recognition before the next election cycle.

Our shared society has been in decline for at least several decades now, as civility, decency, common sense, and compromise increasingly become unwanted old guy relics of the 20th century. As long as gravity continues to work downward, the inevitable result is a reality show-like and, now apparently, WWF-inspired replacement that rewards the outrageous in our midst (see: Boebert, L.) and empowers the most crude, destructive, and deplorable (glad to say it out loud) influences among us (see: Inmate No. P01135809) over those who are decent, just, and caring at heart (but, but, but .. he's OLD! Had to say that out loud too.).

In life we get what we settle for more than what we want or need. Politics in the United States has become the latest and, if not greatest, at least most notorious form of that as we find that, like gravity, choices and consequences too is an inviolable law of nature. Garbage in, garbage out. No one who is honest about it can be surprised at the outcome, with the promise of still worse to come. Enjoy your stay in the, ahem, Greatest Country on Earth.

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