[quote]defenderofTruth wrote:
[quote]b89 wrote:
[quote]Mufasa wrote:
[quote]b89 wrote:
I don’t think stuff like this happening is anything new, the frequency and level it’s happening at is higher than it’s been with other administrations though.[/quote]
b89:
Correct with your first point…and most likely not even close on the second.
With the advent of the internet and literally thousands of sources; shortened news cycles; and the fierce need to be the first with a news story…things are being scutinized and reported more; and reported more instantaneously.
Those with a more objective view of the history of our Government would not place this current one as “the worst ever”. They ALL have had scandals (some not even known until year’s later); people die under their watch; and spying on Americans did not begin in 2008.
Mufasa
[/quote]
I’m objective about it. The Obama administration is more scandalous than previous administrations, that doesn’t mean they the hold the coveted position of Most Scandalous of All Time. Another thing, you don’t think more things will come out about the current administration years down the line?[/quote]
You can’t forget context. During the late 1800s, politics was run by machines, which were extraordinarily scandalous. Take the infamous Tammany Hall machine, in which the Machine had operatives waiting at the docks for Irish immigrants needing work. They’d find government jobs for them, with the catch that they had to do the Machine’s will. In turn, they’d be fast-tracked to citizenship, and thus the Machine was guaranteed a stable voting base. Scandals were so commonplace, that such goings-on at a national level weren’t newsworthy.
The situation has changed so that scandalous practices are done behind the scenes, not out in the open. We are supposed to be above these kinds of things, having “learned from our mistakes”. Thus, when cover-ups, lies, surveillance, nepotism, and cronyism hit the news, they are “big deals”.
Of course, there is also the braggadocio of this current Administration above and beyond what we’ve seen in the past. It reminds me of my time in Loss Prevention. You’d find these shoplifters get caught doing incredibly stupid things because they’d gotten away with lesser and more obscure things, so they got cocky. This makes sense in regards to this administration: of all the cities or political communities in the US, Chicago is notorious for its political machine and corruption, and this administration is straight out of Chicago. It would make sense that the things that have been done in Chicago with success and without recognition would give a sense of confidence that they could be done nationally. I would expect the same thing from a Christie presidency, NJ following close behind Chicago in terms of corrupt political atmospheres.[/quote]
I haven’t put a lot of time into researching politics of that era. I’ll have to check that out. However, that doesn’t surprise me at all. I agree that context is necessary for my statement too.
It’s easy to maintain the braggadocio when you’re the cool president. I think it’s ridiculous how he’ll place his own reputation above American lives. He can make a right decision or wrong decision, rather than make any position he’ll do nothing. With the Maersk Alabama incident his administration quit making decisions so it wouldn’t be held accountable and he didn’t grant Cross Border Authority for Benghazi. He even dropped Benghazi in the lap of Leon Panetta. Not only that but he’s gone after CIA employees for utilizing the interrogation techniques approved by the previous administration. Going after people for doing what they’re required to do in an attempt to make your administration look good is ridiculous and does nothing for the country.