More Impt. to Reform Systems than to Force Out Individuals

[snot]

We've spent much time and effort lately on calls for removal or withdrawal of Delay, Bolton, Tomlinson, and now Rove.

I think these efforts have some good effect. At the same time, it's hard not to recognize that in most cases, even if we succeed in forcing out one bad guy, he may only be replaced by another, worse one.

And even if Rove were fired, I'm pretty sure he'd just move on to some equally well-paid position at some conservative foundation, and advise the * admin. as freely from there as he does now.

I think that in at least some areas, it could be more worthwhile to focus our efforts on restoring or installing appropriate checks and balances or otherwise reforming the system, at least as far as possible.

I mean, why should the head of an organization that's supposed to be free from political influence be a Presidential appointee in the first place?

And the things Delay's gotten away with--well he wouldn't have gotten away with them if we'd had the right rules and a meaningful, non-political enforcement agency.

So long as we are occupied with removing individuals while failing to reform systems, we will never have a moment's rest.

This kind of reform is not something we can accomplish easily or quickly; but I think it should at least be something we talk about as part of our stated, long- or not-so-long-term goals. And whenever we're called on to try to get some individual removed, I think we should at least stop and think about who this person will be replaced with and whether there is some systemic reform that would also be helpful.

I forget who said that we should be a nation of laws, not of men. To me, part of what that implies is that we should understand that we've done only part of our work if we remove a dictator while failing to reform the conditions that enabled him to come to power.

(For these and other reasons, I believe reform of the election process and technology and rollback of the consolidation of media ownership together with fierce protection of free speech AND access on the internet should be our most important goals; and I am skeptical of any Dem. leaders who fail to understand the importance of these issues.)