Fingerpointing to fix blame doesn't work; the system is the bigger culprit in both the Tyre Nichols death and the Trump/Biden/Pence classified document handling issues. The answer: fix the system. Aside from Trump's lies, hiding evidence, and sticking his middle digit at the DOJ and the Archives, none of this would have happened if the laws and rules around White House classified document handling had been better implemented at the beginning of those leaving office moving to private quarters. That is what Mike Pence's mea culpa discovery at his home of purloined documents revealed just as it happened with Joe Biden's mea culpa (in trickled-out announcements) and fumbled messages should have done. . Both Biden and Pence looked surprised that they had like Trump, taken them to unsecured sites and both worked to return the documents at once. Trump just lied and refused to fully comply to return them and that is what is the difference between Biden/Pence reactions. Biden and Pence took steps to find and return them. In all three cases, there was a systemic failure to keep classified documents from leaving the White House. Whether there was intent to take them or just a snafu and ignorance and administrative sloppiness, we probably will not know. Trump's intent to defy the rules sets his reaction apart from Pence and Biden and that will get him in deserved hot water. In any case, something needs to be done for the sake of national security to keep this from happening again.
In the case of the Memphis police shooting, true to past form, the immediate reaction was usually to shout "racism" whenever excessive force was used on a black person. In this case, that did not happen since the five accused police officers were also black. And, like the documents flap, the focus is now on systemic failure. Attempt to claim racism has not resonated in the Memphis case. Anticipated violent protests never materialized as some anticipated. Regardless, something needs to be done to keep this from happening again.
In short, it is the system at work and that is where fingers ought to be pointed. The next question is what can be done to fix both issues of systemic failure. That is what a pragmatist would do, but our federal legislative body is so dysfunctional, so divided, I am not counting on much to happen from them. When most of the players in the document flap appear to be running for President in 2024, "mea culpa, we messed up", requires a display of character. Like an addict seeking sobriety, the first step is to admit there was a problem, and so far we have not seen that from all three involved. Fingerpointing pays better political dividends than problem fixing, or so it seems these days.
Calls for police reform in cases of brutalizing and use of excessive force have not yet emerged other than firings, resignations, and disbanding the kind of police unit involved. Let us hope something more useful happens as cries for reform in policing are now becoming louder from more than one side of the aisle and from the White House.
Tyre Nichols’ death renews push for police reforms | PBS NewsHour
A search for classified document handling systems on Google turned up many ads available for off-the-shelf systems. The White House may not have to reinvent the wheel. The problem is that any system is only as good as those who comply. Enforcement of compliance needs to be tied into the system. Whatever system exists in the White House failed. Any attempt to enforce existing rules and regulations and create new laws is viewed as partisan, no matter how arm's length, via special counsels and legislative oversight committees there are.
No comments:
Post a Comment