Corruption in the States

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The  State Integrity Investigation, which measures hundreds of variables to compile transparency and accountability grades for all States Have come up with stunning findings. The best grade in the nation, which went to Alaska is just a C. Only two others earned better than a D+; 11 states received failing grades. The findings may be deflating to the two-thirds of Americans who,apparently, now look to the states for policy solutions as gridlock and partisanship have overtaken Washington D.C.

The top of the pack includes progressive governments, including California,ranked 2nd with a C-,  and states notorious for corrupt pasts (Connecticut, 3rd with a C-, and Rhode Island, 5th with a D+). In those New England states, scandals led to significant reforms and relatively robust ethics laws, even if dubious dealings linger in the halls of government. The bottom includes many western states that champion limited government, like Nevada, south Dakota and Wyoming, but also others, such as Maine, Delaware and dead-last Michigan, that have not adopted the types of ethics and open records laws common in many other states.

With a few notable exceptions, there has been little progress on these issues since the State Integrity Investigation was first carried out in 2012. In fact, most scores have dropped since then, though some of that is due to changes made to improve and update the project and its methodology.

Since State Integrity’s first go-round, at least 12 states have seen their legislative leaders or top cabinet-level officials charged, convicted or resign as a result of ethics or corruption-related scandal. Five house or assembly leaders have fallen. No state has outdone New York, where 14 lawmakers have left office  since the beginning of 2012 due to ethical or criminal issues, according to a count by Citizens Union, an advocacy group. That does not include the former leaders of both the Assembly and the Senate, who were charged in unrelated corruption schemes earlier this year but remain in office.New York is not remarkable, however, in at least one regard: Only one of those 14 lawmakers has been sanctioned by the state’s ethics commission. (Originally published on Alternet and also published on nakedcapitalism.com)

States rights advocates make a big issue of their Big Federal Government and its constant interference. The latter is often incompetent and bureaucratic, but it does a pretty decent job, where allowed to by Congress, at holding the ring and at least trying to assure a level playing field. Before the States Rights crowd criticize too much they should start by fixing the blatant electoral gerrymandering that undermines democracy (both political parties are guilty of it), and they should be scrupulous about jailing those who take money for favors.

Where is love? Where is joy?

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The agony aunt column in the Washington Post ( January17th), carried a letter from a woman in graduate school  to Carolyn Hax, the editor.  She and her husband had recently married in  a small civil ceremony, owing to lack of money.  The young woman’s grandparents, felt that the couple was “living in sin” and refused to talk to them or have anything to do with them. The parents did not intervene to resolve the situation.  Carolyn Hax’s take on the situation was that the new bride should concentrate upon her own reaction, not that of her grandparents, and on the reasons why she couldn’t stand up for herself. “Are you conflict- avoidant in general?” 

But where is love? Where is joy for the grand-daughter who has found the right person? These grandparents are clearly ardent christians, maybe born-again.  How can you totally shun your own grand-daughter, and not even have the sense and courtesy to explain to her where they are coming from and hear her reasons for an economy wedding.  These are not christians, and have no business judging anyone, least of all their own kin.  Shame upon them!

A panic stoked by politicians

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I would like to share part of a very recent post from Tomgram, The Nation Institute:

“You would never know that, if you left out what might be called self-inflicted pain like death by vehicle (more than 33,000 deaths annually), suicide by gun (more than 21,000 annually) or total gun deaths (30,000 annually), and fatal drug overdoses (more than 47,000 annually), that the United States is undoubtedly one of the safest countries on the planet. Over these years, the American dead from Islamic terror outfits or the “lone wolves” they inspire have added up to the most modest of figures, even if you include that single great day of horror, September 11, 2001. Include deaths from non-Islamic right-wing acts of terror (including, for instance, Dylann Roof’s murders in a black church in Charleston), a slightly more impressive figure in recent years, and you still have next to nothing. Even if you add in relatively commonplace mass shootings, from school campuses to malls to workplaces, that are not defined as “terror,” and accept the broadest possible definition of such shootings (a minimum of four killed or injured), you would still have the sort of danger that couldn’t be more modest compared to death by vehicle, suicide, or drugs — phenomena that obsess few Americans”. (tomdispatch, nationinstitute.org@mail97.atl161.mcsv.net>.

Undoubtedly, we will get more, maybe many more, “religious” atrocities from people claiming to know the mind of god; it is inevitable. All the same the dithery panic of the right-wing media and the politicians seems to me to be verging on the childish. Thank you, Tom Englehardt, for quietly stating the actual facts.

Beliefs no. 3: Delusions of of some British citizens

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These are some of the documented delusions of Brits, for your amusement (or sympathy):

Your body, or part of your body, is misshapen or ugly: 46.4%

You are not in control of some of your actions: 44.3%

You are an exceptionally gifted person that others do not recognise: 40.5%

Certain places are duplicated, i.e. are in two different locations at the same time: 38.7%

People say or do things that contain special messages for you: 38.5%

Certain people are out to harm or discredit you: 33.8%

Your thoughts are not fully under your control: 33.6%

There is another person who looks and acts like you: 32.7%

Some people are duplicated, i.e. are in two places at the same time: 26.2%

People you know disguise themselves as others to manipulate or influence you: 24.9%

(Graham Lawton, deputy editor New Scientist)

There are host of other delusions, political and military. The amazing thing is not the variety of delusions but the large proportion of the population that subscribe to one or more of them. It seems unbelievable, but comes from the reliable New Scientist. Epicureanism, I’m glad to report, does represent a respectable level of rational thought.

Beliefs, contd. No. 2: Delusions

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Normal people believe in the strangest things. About half of US adults endorse at least one conspiracy theory. Belief in paranormal or supernatural phenomena is widespread, and superstition and magical thinking are nearly universal.Surprisingly large numbers of people also hold beliefs that a psychiatrist would class as delusional. In 2011, psychologist Peter Halligan at Cardiff University assessed how common such beliefs were in the UK.

He found that more than 90 per cent of people held at least one. They included the belief that a celebrity is secretly in love with them, that they are not in control of some of their actions, and that people say or do things that contain special autismmessages for them (Psychopathology, vol 44, p 106). None of Halligan’s subjects were troubled by their strange beliefs. Nonetheless, the fact that they are so common suggests that the “feeling of rightness” that accompanies belief is not always a reliable guide to reality. (Graham Lawton, deputy editor of the New Scientist).

I know someone whose life is governed by astrology. There are people who believe that if the very first thing you say on the first of the month are the words “white rabbits”, it’s going to be a lucky month. But at least these, along with dozens of similar beliefs around the world, are harmless. More troublesome is the firm belief among huge numbers of Americans that the government is plotting to take away their guns, or that innoculating your child will result in autism. I believe that the philosophy of Epicurus is humane and rational, but maybe to some this is weird, too?