“When civilians are robbed, honorable men are robbed of the fruits of their hard work and of their thrift. When the government is robbed, the worst thing that can happen is that some rogues and vagrants are more You have less money to play with.”
— HL Mencken, from “Mencken Chrestomachy”
The recent public fight and apology over proposed changes to Alabama's ethics law brought back personal memories of watching past public fights against corruption, and made me realize just how alone I felt when it came to political corruption. It reminded me of how I feel.
Am I the only one who thinks that endlessly making a fuss about political corruption is a complete waste of people's time, money, and energy?
Every time I watch a public corruption melodrama unfold so closely, I feel like I'm kept in the dark and occasionally glimpsed at the political elite as events unfold through tiny holes in the wall. It makes me feel dirty and mean. We are playing with ourselves.
Alabama's fight against public corruption has always been less about freedom and justice for all and more about a circus of onanism among political insiders: lawyers, lobbyists, politicians, media personalities, political junkies, and sociopaths. It feels like a perverted parade of risers.
I know many well-meaning people who care deeply about fighting political corruption in the state, but I don't share their enthusiasm (or perhaps they share my enthusiasm). ). Try as I might, all I can do is wish the reformers well and warn them not to be fooled by their good intentions. Remember your friends, Corruption is always a cost of political action.
The difference between the reformers and me is that they still believe in their public institutionsOn the other hand, I believe that such institutions will always be alien to me, do not represent me, are generally hostile to my freedom, and do not deserve to exist at the costs imposed on me. Masu.
I don't believe that corruption, both public and private, is a good thing. Far from it. Sin is sin is sin. I think I would be even quicker to argue that the government I am forced to live under is necessarily corrupt, and that corruption is necessary to prevent worse forms of corruption. “Many people are very clever,” says the government, “so I consider all other people's cleverness to be a crime.”
Governments are always only ethical in relative terms. For example, the government of Gondor may be more ethical than the government of Mordor, but that does not necessarily mean that Gondor is ethical or free. Government in all its forms is a reflection of man's futile competition for power, status, and superiority over his fellow men, and is essentially the exercise of plunder, force, and fraud.
Predators don't need to be aware. Even with good intentions, government corruption always finds a way. Even the most lawful and lawful government will have corrupting influences.
why? Because the government's legitimate and legitimate powers always exist. exception Follow the Code of Ethics The rest of us are called to follow.
For example, consider a fairly universal ethic: the Golden Rule. “Therefore, in all things, do unto others as you would have them do unto you; this is the summation of the Law and the Prophets,” Jesus said in Matthew's Gospel.
It really sums up the Law and the Prophets. Confucius of China had a version of this rule. The Greek Epicurus also had his own version. I have always agreed with Elder Hillel's words, especially the rabbinic emphasis on the negative, “Do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you.”
However, the government remains the only institution that allows exceptions to the golden rule. The government is allowed to do things you don't like.
According to the theory, governments must be allowed to transcend the rules themselves in order to uphold the rules for everyone else. Even the best governments sustain themselves through predatory practices that would never be tolerated by other institutions or individuals. Therefore, even legitimate exercises of government power can be corrupt. When government exceptions to normal ethical constraints become routine, well-worn tools for controlling society and enriching competing interests, such trends are subverted in familiar and subtle ways. will prove to be harmful. If you want to trick good people into doing evil things with yawns and shrugs, just make them serve an ever-expanding government. At best, governments recognize the corrupt nature of humans and allow the corrupt interests of humans to check and balance the corrupt interests of other humans; It is not permissible to pretend that it is for the benefit of The problem with most ethics reforms is that they don't go far enough.
That said, the best anti-corruption policy available to citizens would be to abolish government as soon as possible and limit the power of the law to the most basic elements of justice: the protection of persons and property.
I don't expect such a repeal to happen anytime soon, especially in Alabama. In fact, he said, I might be doomed to share Mr. Mencken's fate.
The ideal government of all thinking people since Aristotle is one that isolates the individual, one that narrowly escapes the non-existence of government. I believe that this ideal will be realized in a world 20 or 30 centuries from now when I emerge from such a field and enter public service in hell.
Joey Clark is an Alabama native and current host of the radio show “News and Views on News Talk 93.1 FM WACV.” From Montgomery, Alabama, MF 12pm-3pm His column appears every Tuesday in his 1819 News. To contact Joey for media, speaking appearances, or feedback, please email him at joeyclarklive@gmail.com. X Follow him at @TheJoeyClark or watch the live stream of his radio show.
The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819news.com.
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