Culture of Corruption

[marions ghost]

I am amazed once again by the ease with which people these days are willing to commit malicious pre-meditated crimes against others. Presumably aides Wildstein and Kelly have career goals and families. How is it that they felt no pangs of conscience or self-control when it came to pulling off this little bridge lane caper? They seem like such regular people, as do the other members of his staff who are likely involved. It makes no sense. Were they all so mesmerized and controlled by Christie that they would jeopardize their futures, or did it seem like just another day of winning "by any means necessary?"--ie. business as usual, and they thought they'd impress the boss? I know politics is dirty but how is it that people lose any sort of moral compass?

The complicity of the Christie staff is mystifying. They had everything to lose, nothing to gain. They come off like the stupidest of the stupid. They aren't masterminds like Christie, Cheney, etc. Yet. But it seems that's what they aspire to.



The culture of corruption. What creates it & how do we thwart it.

[AuntPatsy]

1. Only when those that are guilty are found so will the rest realize crime does not pay, since such is

At this time profitable, it will continue.... They were mere pawns though too stupid to realize it...

[okaawhatever]

2. Nothing to gain? Are you kidding me? A future in politics, especially if they thought they were

riding his coattails to the White House. Contact with wealthy donors, corporate execs for future jobs and so on. I don't think these people were picked by Christie by accident. He picked from the deep end of the corruption pool, the worst of the worst. Look at the person who texted "I feel badly for the kids" and then added an "I guess" before the other texter responded. That should tell you they felt the need to qualify their statement with their counterpart. And how did the counterpart respond? "They are the children of Buono voters." No room for compassion, understanding or professional governance there.

[marions ghost]

7. Well said

I take your point that the aides were chosen for their slippery ethics. And that's the way to ride coattails to the White House, of course, if you're a Rethuglicon.

But I just can't imagine the arrogance of thinking this is all right and good, and that it wouldn't pose a huge risk for your personal career (even if you don't care about the humanity you are jeopardizing)--if it is found out. I wonder about their intelligence.

[okaawhatever]

10. Well like most crimes the people doing it didn't think they would get caught. Especially if they

were working for the Governor on a state project. Can you imagine what has been done we haven't uncovered?

[Blue_Tires]

9. +1

The RW syndicate always rewards loyal soldiers who take the blame....

[Shandris]

3. Take a society, turn the competition up to 11, set everyone against everyone else with the caveat...

...that if you fail, it's because god himself hates you and you're sick and evil, and then turn them loose.

The Mouse Universe, on a much larger scale. Is anyone truly surprised?

[Rex]

4. At least it is not so bad as that ordinary people are murdering each other over texting

in a movie theaterrrrrr...er...nm.

[Baitball Blogger]

5. It is the marriage between the private and public sector which has made it more certain that

corruption will become a way of life.

And I'm telling you, the political lawyers that run freely from the private and public sector are largely to blame.

[Bandit]

6. If they don't talk, their futures are guaranteed to be without financial problems.

They will be amply provided for, you can bank on it.

[marions ghost]

8. A background article:

http://www.salon.com/2012/09/04/americas_new_culture_of_corruption/

"All this represents an institutionalized culture of corruption. The rationale underlying the unwillingness to prosecute rich and powerful people for stealing large amounts of money or ordering prisoners to be tortured to death is similar to that which, according to Hamilton, underlie the comparatively trivial rule breaking he purports to document: If “everybody” – meaning everybody well connected enough to get away with breaking the rules – is crooked, then in a twisted sense, nobody is."