The Undoing of the Political Class

I’m fond of pointing out that the Roman Republic began to crumble when the Roman elite stopped enforcing their own rules. It’s the broken windows theory of policing applied to the over-class. When the ruling elite is punctilious about its rules, customs and prerogatives, the system has low amounts of corruption. Once they start to let little things slide, then it is bigger things and before long it is a free-for-all, until the strong man crosses the Rubicon and imposes order.

Way back in the 90’s, we saw the erosion of the rules begin to gain momentum. The Clintons, exemplars of their generation, seemed to love lying and double dealing. Nothing is ever on the level with them and no deal is too small. The failure to crack down on their behavior has encouraged much more of it. The Obama administration makes Nixon look like a boy scout troop. Now we see that Hillary Clinton did on a grand scale what is about to send General Petraeus in prison.

The computer server that transmitted and received Hillary Rodham Clinton’s emails – on a private account she used exclusively for official business when she was secretary of state – traced back to an Internet service registered to her family’s home in Chappaqua, New York, according to Internet records reviewed by The Associated Press.

The highly unusual practice of a Cabinet-level official physically running her own email would have given Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate, impressive control over limiting access to her message archives. It also would distinguish Clinton’s secretive email practices as far more sophisticated than some politicians, including Mitt Romney and Sarah Palin, who were caught conducting official business using free email services operated by Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc.

You see here why this will end badly for the country. The AP is a lunatic propaganda organ so they are looking to run interference for one of their own, even if they are not sure Clinton is one of them. What Clinton did is not “highly unusual.” It’s never happened in the history of the nation. This is an outlandish breech of the law and of custom. Further, Palin and Romney were never “caught conducting official business using free email services.” Their private accounts were illegally accessed liberal fanatics while they were private citizens. Comparing the two is an obvious attempt to explain away a crime.

Most Internet users rely on professional outside companies, such as Google Inc. or their own employers, for the behind-the-scenes complexities of managing their email communications. Government employees generally use servers run by federal agencies where they work.

In most cases, individuals who operate their own email servers are technical experts or users so concerned about issues of privacy and surveillance they take matters into their own hands. It was not immediately clear exactly where Clinton ran that computer system.

Clinton has not described her motivation for using a private email account – hdr22@clintonemail.com, which traced back to her own private email server registered under an apparent pseudonym – for official State Department business.

Operating her own server would have afforded Clinton additional legal opportunities to block government or private subpoenas in criminal, administrative or civil cases because her lawyers could object in court before being forced to turn over any emails. And since the Secret Service was guarding Clinton’s home, an email server there would have been well protected from theft or a physical hacking.

The professional Right is trying hard to explain this away, but there’s no getting around the obvious. Clinton was at the head of a conspiracy to circumvent disclosure laws, record keeping laws and Congressional oversight. The unwillingness of the political class to police their own will be their undoing. If Clinton gets away with this, what’s next? An off-the-books army? Banking system?

This will not end well.

14 thoughts on “The Undoing of the Political Class

  1. “A few years ago there was a great podcast on the history of Rome. It is still listed in iTunes. There’s a feedburner version too. I used to listen to it while working out. Very well done.”

    Mike Duncan; great podcaster. he’s currently doing a podcast series covering various historical revolutions. Started out with the English, then did the U.S. Now he’s currently in the middle of the French.

    Also, if you haven’t already, check out Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History podcast series on the fall of the Roman Republic (it’s behind a paywall now, but its worth it); if you want to get a gist of his style, download his currently available free stuff; he’s currently in the middle of a great series on WWI:

    http://www.dancarlin.com/hardcore-history-series/

  2. I’ve not read the Thorn Birds- but I love the Masters of Rome series- it begins with the marriage of Marius to Caesars aunt and goes down to the Battle of Actium.

  3. From the evening news to American Idol to fucking kindergarten, what is there to hide?
    It’s all for anybody but you cracker.

  4. I’d love to be able to get the Breakdown of the Roman Republic on kindle! Z- I assume you’ve read the Colleen McCullough books?

    • I’d love to be able to get the Breakdown of the Roman Republic on kindle! Z- I assume you’ve read the Colleen McCullough books?

      I’ve never read the McCullough books. I recall The Thorn Birds miniseries thirty years ago, but that’s it. I think it had something to do with women fighting over a man.

      A few years ago there was a great podcast on the history of Rome. It is still listed in iTunes. There’s a feedburner version too. I used to listen to it while working out. Very well done.

  5. It’s obvious to me that the recent revelations concerning Clinton Inc. are coming from her side of the aisle. The Democrat wing of The Caste wants to lose in 2016. The U.S. is going to need a warmonger for a couple of cycles, as well as someone to decimate the entitlement system. The GOP is better poised to do this, while setting the stage for a Progressive to roll in in 2020 or 2024. By then health care should be sufficiently wrecked (by design) to set the stage for an advocate of single-payer.

    • Joseph K, I think there’s some Machiavellian scheming going on for sure. The party deep state knows it is the GOP’s turn. They also know there’s a good chance they will nominate Jeb Bush. That means the Democrats will have a shot to win the Senate back in 2018 and the White House in 2020. The Bush family is the gift that keeps on giving.

  6. Ha ha, that’s funny. If you think I’m “dismayed” about this, you obviously don’t know me at all.

    Actually, you should read my book. I suspect there are fewer disagreements between you and me than you think.

    • Ha ha, that’s funny. If you think I’m “dismayed” about this, you obviously don’t know me at all.

      Actually, you should read my book. I suspect there are fewer disagreements between you and me than you think.

      I kid, I kid. I have your book on my reading list. Frankly, I’m flattered to have a classicist reading me.

  7. Not to mention that this could have caused far, far worse damage to national security than anything Snowden did. Tens of thousands of emails, most probably secret, TS, or policy level being sent in the clear. No wonder the CHICOMs, Russians, EU and everyone else has been running rings around us for the last six years.

    And for the record, I do not believe that she will even receive a disapproving glance for this.

  8. Hilldabeast is a shrill pear who has worn poorly, and may be in very bad health. Or will be. I suspect that we project her future with more success than it deserves in relation to both the support she has from dreadful people and our loathing of her. Not dissimilar to Jeb Bush. Who also has no chance.

    I’m not sure why the misapplication and selective application of law will, as you say, not end well. It’s going rather swimmingly for the Progressives. As the country descends there are simply ever more Progressives required to manage it. They say democracies end not with a bang but a whimper, and whimps look like a good bet.

  9. Ironic that this “discovery” should coincide so neatly with the announcement of the Petraeus plea deal, which amounts to a slap on the wrist financially but which bars him from ever returning to public life.

    So much of interest here: Many in the WH and State Dept. must have known of this “unique” arrangement and the reasons behind it. Did any of them ever question it? Alert the Justice Dept.? If Justice knew, why did they not pursue?

    We will also discover much in the next few weeks, especially, as you allude in your post above, how determined the 0bama people will be to promote a successor. If Justice has been taken over by the lunatic left, I might expect to see a certain quid pro quo emerge that is not too different from outright blackmail: The Hildebeast will announce that she will not seek the nomination for “health reasons,” while Justice will scale back any probe of this matter. On the other hand, if the Clintonistas want to go to the mattresses for this against the 0bama family, then we will see an investigation in earnest that will get very ugly indeed and have repercussions beyond those that either side anticipates. To resort to your fondness for Roman analogies, think of it as a 21st century DC version of Sulla vs. Marius.

    • Rules are for little people, and Republicans. Absolutely nothing will come of this.

      Maybe. The Left does not like Hillary. My read is they want an alternative, but one has yet to emerge. Butch O’Malley is angling for the role, but I don’t think he is the first choice. If Fake Indian starts telling people she will support Butch, then I think we might see the claws come out and Hillary in trouble over this. The Obama administration is not defending her which is what has me thinking she is not clear of this.

      But, your larger point is correct. The rule of law has been suspended.

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