Will it work or will it even be useful

smoothrideronli · 12-13-2006, 8:14 AM

Democrats Consider Outside Ethics Panel - New York Times

Duster929 · 12-13-2006, 10:01 AM

I think it's sad that you need a secondary body to monitor the ethics of elected officials. Shouldn't we expect people we elect to be ethical? Isn't that one of the criteria we look for when we vote?

Soon we'll need another independent body to make sure that this independent body is conducting their oversight ethically.

To me, the issue of ethics is laughable. If you have to teach "ethics" in business and law school, or have an independent body to enforce "ethics" among grown adult men and women elected into public office, the problems of your society run deep.

I'm going back to my world of rainbows and unicorns. Hey look, a butterfly!

--- D

smoothrideronli · 12-13-2006, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duster929

I think it's sad that you need a secondary body to monitor the ethics of elected officials. Shouldn't we expect people we elect to be ethical? Isn't that one of the criteria we look for when we vote?

Soon we'll need another independent body to make sure that this independent body is conducting their oversight ethically.

To me, the issue of ethics is laughable. If you have to teach "ethics" in business and law school, or have an independent body to enforce "ethics" among grown adult men and women elected into public office, the problems of your society run deep.

I'm going back to my world of rainbows and unicorns. Hey look, a butterfly!

--- D

That being said if you pay attention to American politics which I am sure that you do it is obvious to me that we do need oversight. We are constantly selecting the better of two evils which of course is still evil and are often suprised when the people we elect do unethical things.

phobiaphobe · 12-13-2006, 10:54 AM

Does the US have an "Auditor General"?

jaim · 12-14-2006, 5:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phobiaphobe

Does the US have an "Auditor General"?

Sort of. We have the GAO which does do financial audits of various organizational spending. (i.e. checking out the FBI, CIA, etc.) A lot of time they get stopped due to national security or need to know type situations.

As far as an independent ethics counsel. On one hand it does make some sense since the lobbying stuff has corrupted the congress so badly. As Tom Delay and his comrads have shown, congress cannot be trusted to police themselves, let alone doing their job of looking out for the people they represent.

The problem with an independent ethics counsel is that you could end up with a non-elected body that can effectively direct U.S. policy. Who makes up the counsel? What powers do they really have?

If people actually paid attention to what happens in their government and if the media actually accurately reported what was happening then an ethical congress might actually be the norm. But it seems to be the nature of our government to band aid a problem in stead of curing it.

smoothrideronli · 12-15-2006, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaim

If people actually paid attention to what happens in their government and if the media actually accurately reported what was happening then an ethical congress might actually be the norm. But it seems to be the nature of our government to band aid a problem in stead of curing it.