Lessons from Political Sex Scandals - Case Study Example

The House ethics committee is discussing charges the Democratic leadership should have confronted Massa sooner. Massa has presented explanations for his acquiescence from disease to intrigue Democrats because he opposed health care reform. After John Edwards told a national TV audience the only woman he ever loved was his wife, his mistress Rielle Hunter reported he called her to say he didn't really mean it. Hunter, 45, is experienced, but she was still shocked by GQ's pictures of her with no pants.

She thought the photographer was only interested in her face. Collins' lessons are tongue-in-cheek. She says we have to know who our politicians' bed with and never trust a guy who plays his marriage as the centerpiece of a campaign. Nevertheless, there is a deeper issue at hand - the moral behavior of our elected officials. She argues that we should be concerned when wayward public servants have our health care bill in hand. The best articulation of my position is this. The problem with American politics is that is it American politics.

I am by no means a Marxist, but some of his ideas resonate in many political situations. He said the seed of any system's destruction is within its own self. That means although outside forces may topple walls interior forces leave them unattended. Maybe it is not the representative government itself that is flawed, however. Maybe, it just the way we have come to practice it in the United States. Who does it represent anyway Of the tens of millions of votes, how much does my vote really count -- one 50 millionth of decisions.

Did they ever square away that whole thing about campaign funding Does my opinion really matter when a multibillion-dollar multinational corporation, like say Eli Lilly or Pfizer, places a briefcase "gift" full of greenbacks on a senator's desk I don't think so? Maybe, that is why marijuana possession is still punishable by death. What is that about, anyway It is somehow okay to drink a flammable liquid like alcohol and let it slowly melt my brain into a seizing mass, but it is somehow wrong to smoke the leaves of a particular plant, get the munchies and go to sleep.

Part of the problem actually lies with the media system itself. Instead of reporting noteworthy news, they sell out for the sensational story. Individual human beings may be smart, but as a group, people are herding animals to some extent. They like tabloid-style media scandals. They get TV ratings. They sell newspapers. Thus, that is what the media industry showcases. The more important issues go unnoticed by comparison. So what about this 300-pound gorilla staring at us Yes, our politicians are corrupt.

What do we do about it Can we do anything meaningfulIt seems that evidence is scarce. Many of these notions are purely philosophical and perhaps not of any immediate use. Many analysts would argue we are on the brink of some cataclysmic change in politics. Based on history there are only one of two ways this can go. The first way is to find some means of rectifying the underlying problems with our system. The other is to hope it fixes itself and risk falling along the wayside with previous empires.

It is a scary thought to think much of our stability is reliant upon the Chinese economy. Our position is much like that of an expanding universe.