Why You Can't Shame a Politician

Once, decades ago I thought there were honest politicians. 

I was inspired by the movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington starring the great Jimmy Stewart. Watching him stand up to the corrupt politicians in Congress and convincing them to do the right thing really impressed me. 

Of course, I was young and naive. I actually thought that justice always prevailed and that men and women in politics stood up for their constituents and always told them the truth.

Time is the great leveler and as the years went by, I kept up with what was happening in American politics and discovered why politicians cannot be shamed in the real world. Their careers are more important than anything in their lives to the point they sacrifice their dignity and humanity. It's all about the money, fame, and power.

Modern politicians have set new standards of corruption that have led to an authoritarian state and a dictator who defies all of the rules and the Constitution. 

The majority of politicians have no spines. It's never been truer than now with the MAGA cult as the perfect example. Once conservative Republicans morphed into mindless vassals of Trump. They disavowed realities in order to join the cult. Their capitulation has been disgusting to watch as they ditch their longtime agendas and shamelessly follow Trump like lemmings.

There was actually a time in our history when shame was a powerful force in politics. But that's changed and we're now living in an era of post-shame politics. For a politician willing to put up with embarrassment, condemnation, a raft of jokes from late night comedians and swarms of reporters chasing them day after day, surviving scandals is easier than ever before.

The fact is short of arrest; there's little way to rein in a shameless politician who doesn't care what people think. If you are completely shameless, then you can get away with quite a bit in our world.

It has become extremely normal for politicians to lie or say something irretrievably dumb on purpose, in order to create a politically beneficial controversy. It's a way to set an agenda.

People's indifference is the best breeding ground for corruption to grow. As long as we don't hold our elected official's accountable justice will just be a dream.

As it Stands, imagine if Mr. Smith would have tried to shame our politicians today... they would have probably arrested him and charged him with being woke!