Honor and Public Service

I was struck this week with the juxtaposition of several news stories that highlight the loss of accountability and even more importantly personal "honor" in the conduct of domestic politics. Consider this: In Japan, a cabinet minister and associate snared in scandal actully committed suicide rather than face the shame associated with the widening corruption probes. They also checked-out to take "responsibility" for their errors and practices. What a concept. In China, which is also struggling with corruption at every level, the head of the country's equivalent to the FDA was recently sentenced to death for allowing counterfeit, killer medicines into the domestic and foreign distribution channel. Now that's accountability. Big Pharma take note.

Contrast that to the current American administration which has lost control of the food supply in this country and squandered our good name and reputation worldwide. An administration that refuses to accept accountability for anything while wallowing in corruption, political dirty tricks, secrecy and failure. An administration that is so very obviously intent on circumventing the Constitution, the Geneva Conventions, and the wishes of its citizens. Witness the President's recent interpretation of the last election. According to Bush, the thrashing his party and positions took last November were a clear message that we need to send MORE troops to die babysitting a dysfunctional government involved in a bloody civil war. How clueless is that?

And Alberto Gonzales is the poster child for the loss of honor in government. I've posted about Gonzales before, calling for his resignation for derelection of duty, obstruction of Congress and politicizing the Justice Department. For an update on the Impeach Gonzales effort and a look at Robert Greenwald's newest video on the subject from Brave New Films, click here.