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But, was it just greed or was there something deeper? Another story that has come to light in this sad affair is that Duke Cunningham, who on the House floor has been one of the most outspoken gay bashers, could be a hypocrite here as well. If those stories are correct and he has had sexual relationships with men stretching back to his days in Vietnam, then perhaps the corruption started because he had a secret of which he was ashamed and which if someone like Wade knew of it, would have made Cunningham susceptible to blackmail.
Corruption takes root in a culture of secrecy and greed. Keeping the corruption secret was simple because Cunningham was able to operate within the realm of the national security state where even the contracts are kept secret. And as we all know, once one has surrendered to greed or blackmail, it is easy to sink deeper into the muck until and unless one has the courage to take responsibility for one's actions. For Duke Cunningham, this would have meant admitting the guilt and the shame, and ultimately making amends to those he betrayed. And make no mistake, he betrayed himself as well as well as the troops and those who he represented.
The Abramoff affair again was only possible because so much is hidden and there is so much money to be made if you can corrupt the system. Our campaign finance system is a patchwork of regulations in which too many people have too much vested interest to keep as loose as it is. Jack Abramoff used his connections to create a web of corrupted and corrupting lobbyists, politicians and plutocrats. As a special friend of Tom DeLay, he was able to keep the Marianas Islands his own little honey pot while the Tan family operated sweatshops that carried the label Made in America. And although Tom DeLay and Jack Abramoff proclaim that they are righteous men and strong protectors of life, stories from the women exploited in the island's sweatshops tell of forced abortions and trafficking of women from China and the Philippines. Once more, the greed and the lust for power have overcome the simple decency that we owe one another. After all, the Golden Rule states that one should do unto others what one would have done unto oneself. But when one comes to believe that only he or she matters, it is a simple matter to betray and abuse others for your own gain.
What can be done to stop this corruption? After all, humans, being fallible, will always be susceptible to corruption. But one thing that can help drive out the corruption is to pull away the veil of secrecy. When you know your family will find out or when you want to keep the respect of your neighbor, you are much less likely to allow the temptations and seductions of the corruptor to overcome your good judgment. We must find a way to open up to sunlight what is being done in our government behind the curtains of secrecy. And we must make it easier for people to do the right thing by making it harder for the plutocrats to buy our politicians. After all, it is our lives and our future that they are hurting when they sell us out to the highest bidder.
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