Friday, May 11, 2007

The ethics of leadership - as seen on doppler radar.

It seems that we are re-entering the Middle Ages, where the eliete could and would gallop through the packed streets and marketplaces, with outriders whipping and scourging the "little people" out of their paths...

Politicians' Hubris Takes to the Open Road

Do as Jon Corzine says, not as he does

But I found it interesting that at a short press conference held just before he left the hospital, Gov. Corzine apologized for his "poor example" in failing to buckle up, but didn't apologize for the actual cause of the accident - conveying the idea that he, the governor, is too important to obey traffic laws.

We now know that Corzine and his driver were barreling down a busy highway at more than 90 miles per hour, flashing their lights, shunting commoner motorists to the side of the road. The sight of Corzine's car rushing up in one driver's review mirror caused him to lose control of his truck in an effort to get out of the way, triggering a chain reaction that resulted in the accident that put Corzine in the hospital. It's fortunate Corzine's driver didn't kill someone.

And what exactly was so important that Corzine had to put the lives and safety of his fellow citizens at risk? He was on his way to a reconciliation meeting between shock jock Don Imus and the Rutgers women's basketball team. Essentially a photo-op.



That's a pretty clear summation of his priorities over the "working people" - which in rush hour could be anyone of nearly any non-political station. Janitor, executive, off-duty cop; social worker or resteraunteur; all are but chaff in his wake. But Corzone is not alone in this - he's but the latest example, and not even the most tragic.

In 2003, South Dakota Rep. Bill Janklow blew through a stop sign while speeding and killed a man on a motorcycle. Janklow had been previously pulled over 16 times for speeding, but never ticketed.
There is a certain irony - not to mention a certain obvious futility - of governance by scofflaws. And certainly, if society can tolerate their liberty - it can tolerate ours. Or if not, then they should not be making exceptions for themselves.

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