There Are No Consequences. [View All]

[IdaBriggs]

People on DU are always shaking their heads in frustrated anger and disbelief over the complete lack of common sense being used by the Democrats in Congress. For example,

-- The Minority Leader gets a minuscule "concession" and every single person the White House puts up gets an automatic "pass" into their appointed position. (The Republicans promptly begin saying bad things about him publicly, so the message is clear: this guy isn't going to do much.)

-- A "bankruptcy bill" that will hurt more people than it helps begins making its way through the system, and the Democrats help it along.

-- Within a two week span, the United States "threatens" Syria, Iran, AND the IRA, with a bonus "shoot the Italian hostage/reporter" thrown in for good measure. (I'm probably skipping a few countries, but frankly, its becoming common place, so who cares?)

-- A huge media scandal involving gay male prostitutes in the White House press corps smearing Democratic Senators by printing "fake news" is completely ignored by anyone who is anybody.

The list just goes on and on and on....why?

Because there are NO CONSEQUENCES. Good job, bad job -- it doesn't matter. The "people" aren't in charge anymore, so their opinions don't count.

Enron robs California power users? Who cares? *IF* anyone gets convicted, the President will "pardon" his good friends who donated to his cause, and in the meantime, the money just keeps pouring in.

Look like you might be an effective representative for your district or state as a member of the Democratic party? Either a) your plane will crash, b) you'll get white powdery presents in the mail, or c) your next election will be rigged so even if you win, you won't get your job back. Oh, and if you get real "uppity", your family can always become a target, too. Who is going to believe you if you complain? Who will report it? Who will stand up for you -- the "Justice Department"? Ha ha ha ha....

There is NO REWARD for doing a "good job" in Congress. There are NO CONSEQUENCES if you do a bad one. Mediocre jobs are rewarded with the possibility of MAYBE making some kind of difference when the chips are down, but realistically, who cares? Screaming matches are considered inappropriate behavior (think of your own work place), and short of an old fashioned beat down, NOTHING is going to change. The people with the power are using it, and the Minority Party keep thinking the old rules of "civility" and "public discourse" apply. (Big Clue: THEY DON'T!)

In the meantime, protests have become a joke. One million people marching around in circles means NOTHING to the folks in charge, because the implication of ACCOUNTABILITY is gone.

Piss off a Democrat? Who gives a rat's ass? What are they going to do about it? Walk around in circles some more? While they are doing that, other folks are busy collecting checks, eating caviar, and smugly assuring themselves that there is nothing to worry about, because some guy in (fill-in-the-blank) has already taken care of whatever needs to be taken care of.

I feel badly for the public servants who actually wanted to make a positive difference in the world (and yes, we have some). Instead, they have entered into a corrupt house of horrors where they are just as helpless and ineffectual as a homeless junkie. They aren't making a difference; they are simply being...ignored. There is no reason to placate them, because they are already convinced they are powerless, but just to be on the safe side, they are thrown the occasional political contribution to keep them satisfied.

See? You *are* one of the popular kids. Now be quiet, and let the adults finish their business; corrupt politics is Hard Work!