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Lets talk about ethics vs pragmatism.

How important is it to have a clean politician in office?

If a mayor is highly corrupt, yet effective where it counts (Lets say he turned a ghetto into a livable space with reduced crime rates, jobs coming in, generally cleaning the place up.)

Should we all look the other way in this case?

What I'm trying to get at, is how important morals/ethics really are, and if there's a "line" where we should just stop caring (Such as an effective corrupt mayor, vs an incompetent corrupt mayor.)

Kickbacks from developers are just the cost of politics? Expected and tolerated, but only if you do right by the people?

Oh you Americans and your corrupt democracy.

The line should be drawn where the law has drawn it, if you break the law you should be in prison, not in office. Take liberties with the law and the whole system will collapse sooner or later.

Originally posted by Beniboybling
Oh you Americans and your corrupt democracy.

The line should be drawn where the law has drawn it, if you break the law you should be in prison, not in office. Take liberties with the law and the whole system will collapse sooner or later.


#nailedit

Fwiw, I agree. But judging by who gets elected around here, I'm not sure this sentiment is universal..

Ok, lets rephrase this a bit.

How do you feel about re-electing a politician who served time on corruption charges?

Would you ever consider voting for such a person?

Originally posted by cdtm
Lets talk about ethics vs pragmatism.

How important is it to have a clean politician in office?

If a mayor is highly corrupt, yet effective where it counts (Lets say he turned a ghetto into a livable space with reduced crime rates, jobs coming in, generally cleaning the place up.)

Should we all look the other way in this case?

What I'm trying to get at, is how important morals/ethics really are, and if there's a "line" where we should just stop caring (Such as an effective corrupt mayor, vs an incompetent corrupt mayor.)

Kickbacks from developers are just the cost of politics? Expected and tolerated, but only if you do right by the people?
We had a very similar situation to your corrupt mayor example in our city for real. He made improvements to the city on a scope the city hadn't seen in over a century. Most people remember him fondly for that, and the city and the whole country are now better off for looking the other way. Life can be grotesque that way.

Originally posted by cdtm
Ok, lets rephrase this a bit.

How do you feel about re-electing a politician who served time on corruption charges?

Would you ever consider voting for such a person? Only as a lesser evil.

Reminds me of Nixon. Justice vs the public good. Gerald Ford decided to pardon Nixon. A lot of people didn't like it, but he knew the nation needed to heal and if we had a trial the country would be consumed with it. In hindsight, he made the right choice IMO. Though every situation is different.


Originally posted by Beniboybling
Oh you Americans and your corrupt democracy.


Irony overload coming from a Brit.

You got something to say. uhuh

Originally posted by Surtur
Reminds me of Nixon. Justice vs the public good. Gerald Ford decided to pardon Nixon. A lot of people didn't like it, but he knew the nation needed to heal and if we had a trial the country would be consumed with it. In hindsight, he made the right choice IMO. Though every situation is different.


Or justice would have been served with Nixon facing charges and not slipping by due to his connections and government corruption and the country would have gone on just fine. Always that scenario as well.

Hell, it might have even set an example for future presidents that they need to not be so corrupt and that they're indeed not above the law. But who wants that.

No doubt praying hoping Trump will get a similar pardon.

The nation is divided, they need a storng leader to heal them.

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/62B7/production/_86217252_berlusconi.jpg

U wot m8?

Originally posted by Beniboybling
Oh you Americans and your corrupt democracy.

The line should be drawn where the law has drawn it, if you break the law you should be in prison, not in office. Take liberties with the law and the whole system will collapse sooner or later.

Originally posted by Robtard
#nailedit

No he did not nail it. The laws, enforced as they are now, allow for lots of unethical and immoral behavior.

That is why there is a huge push to end corruption in the US. 1

The US has quite corrupt practices compared to our "top 30 peers" and we sit at 16 on the CPI. 2

That's very pathetic considering we are supposed to be the land of the "free", right? Good news is, the United States is tied for first on political rights...but that doesn't seem quite right.

Yes he did, you just need to change your laws. uhuh

That statistic is shocking though, jinkies.

Originally posted by cdtm
Ok, lets rephrase this a bit.

How do you feel about re-electing a politician who served time on corruption charges?

Would you ever consider voting for such a person?


If he paid his debts to society, just like any criminal, I'd consider voting him. He will know that public scrutiny would be on him too, so he might turn off the stupid.

To be fair, I don't believe people should make a career on politics, so the fact he already had a public function would be held against him more than the past crimes he committed. Personally I hate to have political animals forced as a vote instead of renewing the political class where it counts.

Originally posted by Robtard
Or justice would have been served with Nixon facing charges and not slipping by due to his connections and government corruption and the country would have gone on just fine. Always that scenario as well.

Hell, it might have even set an example for future presidents that they need to not be so corrupt and that they're indeed not above the law. But who wants that.

Or at a time when the country needed to heal they would have had to spend years having salt rubbed in the wound.

Anyways, speaking of justice vs the public good, operation paper clip anyone?

One wonders, in the current climate, how people will reconcile with that operation.

Originally posted by Robtard
Or justice would have been served with Nixon facing charges and not slipping by due to his connections and government corruption and the country would have gone on just fine. Always that scenario as well.

Hell, it might have even set an example for future presidents that they need to not be so corrupt and that they're indeed not above the law. But who wants that.

Agreed, it would have gone a long ways to show we are a nation of laws for the people by the people.

Ironically practicing law is one of the few professions that actually can create more jobs in its field unlike other professions that actually find real soultions builders/scientists/janitors!