NO COUNSEQUENCES, NO ACCOUNTABILITY

NO CONSEQUENCES, NO ACCOUNTABILITY

By Domenick J. Maglio, Ph.D., Traditional Realist

Although authority figures, especially politicians, often say, “I take full responsibility” for an egregious act on their watch, they remain in the position with no disciplinary action taken. They usually blame the opposition or their underlings for the problem or hide under the table.

The whitewashing of irresponsible, reprehensible and illegal behavior has become the new normal. From local to state to national events we are witnessing obvious dereliction of duty and criminal events identified and investigated by authorities without any demotion, firing or criminal actions.

Teachers and other sexually abusive offenders of young children are often given probation without any time served. Their unions often protect employees who steal, drink and drug on the job and railroad engineers responsible for serious fatal accidents. The Dannemora, N.Y. prison escape was a classic example of a bureaucracy without an internal enforcement of the rules. There are people with mental health problems that have exhibited severe violent behavior who are allowed to wander in our communities. The list of once commonly punished offenses is no longer being enforced on almost any level.

When people are not being held responsible for their inappropriate, repulsive or illegal behavior these behaviors proliferate. Anything goes in an amoral and corrupt society.  

Politicians seem to have even greater immunity from being accountable for their actions as long as they are adhering to the progressive agenda. “Does it matter, what difference does it make?” Hillary Clinton’s made this statement to the house concerning the Benghazi incident. It sums up a recurrent theme in our permissive materialistic society.

During the Benghazi fiasco Ambassador Stevens asked for more security four times and did not receive it.  He and three others were brutally murdered. No one has been held accountable even though pertinent emails were not handed over and Hillary’s server was scrubbed clean. These actions took place after congress subpoenaed them from the State Department, which she unbelievably denied. There are many unanswered questions.

There is an epidemic of egregious acts going unpunished. The IRS fiasco targeted conservative organizations for their non-profit status. The GAO’s corrupt waste of money and videotaping of their outrageous parties also went without consequence. The Veteran’s Administration did not allow veterans to receive life and death services so many waited for months and some even died. The EPA dumped more than 3 million gallons of pollutants into the Animas River in Colorado. Over 70 TSA employees were found to be on the NO FLY list while employed as an agent. There has been little to no accountability for these government agency actions.

President Obama promised: “You can keep your doctor with the Affordable Care Act.” His apologists said he could not get his healthcare passed without this 21 times repeated lie. According to “politifact” Obama’s statement was considered the lie of the year. Obama’s healthcare continues to be the law of the land.

Senator, ex governor of New Jersey and hedge fund executive, Jon Corzine, bilked his client’s bank accounts out of billions of dollars. He has never been investigated or has received any consequences for his blatantly criminal behavior.

Jamie Diamond of Chase Bank among others was found to have manipulated the interest rate that banks use to loan each other money and illegally pocketed hundreds of millions of dollars. No one received personal fines or revoking of their licenses. Instead, the shareholders paid a $2.3 billion fine to get the CEOs off the hook. Nothing came out of the CEO’s pocket.

This lack of penalty for illegal behavior goes down the ladder to local politicians, teachers, government employees who are given leave with pay for indecent criminal acts. This lack of appropriate consequences affects us all the way down to parents who shirk their responsibility. Too many parents enable their child to weasel out of consequences when they are in charge and defend them against the consequences of other authority figures.

Leadership starts at the top affecting those beneath in positive or negative ways. This phenomenon has been seen throughout history with great or horrible rulers through the legacy reflected in the people’s lives. Leaders set the tone for the functioning of the people by establishing and maintaining a just society or not. It starts at the tip inspiring upward or corroding downward. When the present leader is righteous and strong unity and production rise while corruption does the reverse.

For accountability to return to this country we need to select moral leaders on all levels of government. When our leaders are conscientious the people in our businesses and families are influenced by their decisions. People generally are more likely to be morally vigilant in their own lives.

Leadership has profound impact on accountability throughout the society. 

Domenick Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. You can visit Dr. Maglio at www.drmaglio.blogspot.com.