about his presidency there were multiple investigations and multiple investigators. The investigation that brought Nixon to that infamous resignation moment was longer. Various Hillary, and Obama birther BS, investigations were longer.
And I have even less patience for the claim.
All I hear underneath it all is that constant whine from the right when it comes to anyone who dares question those who they deem politically correct, or at least politically very convenient to their agenda. That makes me wonder if the whole intent here: regardless of any crimes or impropriety, is to stop it because it’s politically inconvenient to furthering their agenda and nothing else. Certainly not anything good for the country: in fact just the opposite.
We’ve been here so many times before and failed close to every time to hold damn near anyone accountable. And the few we have held accountable are pardoned by those most likely to have ordered them to do what they did. We convict the getaway driver but never charge the robbers.
Those who simply demand it stop are so insistent, their reasoning so flawed, my guess is I’m often arguing with bots and trolls. Here’s are just a few of their bogus arguments: America has interfered with the affairs of other countries many times, including their elections. Because of what Hillary supposedly did to Bernie. Because… blah, blah, blah… we should stop the Russia investigation.
So let’s use this “reasoning” elsewhere. You know there were a lot of bank robbers in the 20s, train robbers in the 1800s and gun slingers killing others for fun, for money, to terrorize small towns… so shouldn’t we have just stopped trying to enforce the law? The answer should be an emphatic, “NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Why should we? It makes no damn sense, unless of course to those who want to enable bank robbers, outlaw gunslingers and election fraud.
When I typed “little… credibility,” I meant it. History is full of bad actors: especially us, but they’re dead wrong about the solution. Their solution is no solution at all: it’s more encouragement. It says, “Go ahead, do it again: no justice will be served.”
The simplest solution would be doubling down on this investigation then, once it’s done, use it as a precedent to address historical wrongs. The more complex solution, the more difficult, the more fair solution is to keep widening the scope of the investigation, add more investigations: whatever it takes. As some of my generation used to say, “Let it all hang out.”
Yeah, I know, the phrase made me cringe even back then, but in this case it works to describe what I mean. If you really believe we should drop it all because of (blah, blah), please ask yourself…
“When will we hold them accountable?
If nothing else: including Russia, we need to add the question… “How compromised have our elections become?” If nothing else I think it obvious that “Help America Vote” did the exact opposite of the intent. Perhaps it should have been named, “Help America Vote Results Skew Whatever Way We Want It To.”
Perhaps we could use the South African Truth Commission model, but I have a problem with that. I think we’re way beyond the point of forgiving so much, and letting go of all that has ‘passed under’ our historical ‘bridge’ has been the biggest part of the problem. The more we let pass, the more we forgive, the more nonsense happens. This why Reconstruction failed and, as bad as slavery was, the result was worse: southern states developed prison systems run by former slave owners, populated by former slaves put there by corrupt judges. Not completing the count in Florida led to more comprised elections. No justice for those lynched led to more racism, more Antisemitism, more sense of white privilege. Interning the Japanese led to even worse treatment of those accused of even remotely being connected to terrorism. And in one of the worst results: putting the original Americans in concentration camp compounds called “reservations” was admired by one German dictator and inspired him to build his own concentration camps. I think his name was something like Adolf?
So much to atone for. So the supposed answer is to drop ‘the ball…’ again? Why anyone would think, “Because this horror happened,” even remotely passes as a reason to, once again, pass on pursuing the next travesty? We are where we are because we have so often passed on pursuit. This is why so often there’s no rule of law except for peons. What we laughingly call a justice system is intentionally skewed to be that way: bankrupt your family, your friends or plea guilty to a lesser charge. If at the first pass the state doesn’t getcha it’s pursued in civil court: double jeopardy be damned. The powerful, those at the top? Oh, let’s drop it!
Even if Donald Trump, and those who enabled him, escape justice at least we tried. Trying sets a precedent to try again, and we have a chance to address historical wrongs. So I say, either after Mr. Mueller is done, or while he’s still investigating, to paraphrase that great statesman, Buzz Lightyear…
”Expand to infinity and beyond!”
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Inspection is a column that has been written by Ken Carman for over 40 years. Inspection is dedicated to looking at odd angles, under all the rocks, and into the unseen cracks and crevasses, that constitute the issues and philosophical constructs of our day: places few think, or even dare, to venture.
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