Public Accountability
On a cloudy day, after a vicious virus kept me up all night, I've drifted in and out of sleep today, listening to the news.
I don't read as much as a could (or maybe should) about what's happening in the world. I tend to pick up information on the ground--from friends in Nepal, from taxi drivers in Kenya, from my co-workers, some of whom absorb considerably more information than I.
After listening to the radio (both consciously and subconsciuosly), I'm really angry (no, pissed off!) about a lack of public accountability.
Augusto Pinochet dies living a comfortable life in his homeland at the age of 91, even though he he was responsible for tragic torture and murder of Chileans. Where is the public accountability?
BushCo gets us into a war, lies to us, and he is still in office. Where is the public accountability?
The CIA was tapping Princess Diana's phone because of her work on land mine education. Land mine education! What's subversive about trying to children, women and men safe? When did humanity become a crime? Where is the public accountability?
I feels to me in my weakened state that there isn't accountability. And what pisses me off most is that I feel it's infinitely out of my reach to do anything about it. Personally, we'd be convicted if we participated in these activities with our neighbors and acquaintances. Where is the public accountability?
No doubt, I will drift off to sleep again now. I must get well and do an enormous number of tasks before heading to Chile in a few days. (So, I'm learning a little more. First Chile, then Argentina, and then maybe Uruguay?)
posted by Lucia @ 1:26 PM
13 Comments:
Hope you feel better!
accountability seems to wax and wane according to wealth.
what about pol pot? nixon? kissinger?
on and on and on.
feel better, love.
The situation was the same with Pol Pot. He lived quite comfortably in a Cambodian village after he was out of power. What's even worse is that these folks are often whitewashed after their death. (Nixon went from crook to "elder statesman".) Stuff goes on. It is all depending on wealth.. and often how friendly any given "dictator" was to American foreign policy.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Peace,
~Chani
Jen is right, we are only held accountable if we can't afford to buy our way out of it.
Sometimes i just have to turn the radio off and bury my head in the sand.
Good post Lucia. Perhaps we've grown so cynical of public officials that we no longer even attempt to hold them accountable for anything.
We just hope they would just go away (or die).
Unfortunately you are so right. it's downright maddening.
You may appreciate my Medical Advice today.
only those who care are accountable
Lucia - I am glad you are resting and I hope you feel better soon.
Accountability - I agree with Jen whole heartedly on this one. We are still in a Coke/Pepsi fight tho.
Augusto Pinochet looks like Hitler, seriously and he looks like he could easily be his son or nephew...amazing. Some good news is that he is to be tried for war crimes...I mean to do this after he is dead seems silly but I don't think his memory will be whitewashed. Safe travels.
This lack of accountability (along with common sense) makes me want to climb a clock tower with a rifle.
After all, it wouldn't be my fault!!
I am very envious of yur meaningful life. I want purpose like yours that benefits more people than just your immediate family like mine does. Lucia, I want you to know that your blog has made me very introspective and because of you I am looking into doing some type of philanthropy.
Thank you for bringing out something good in me.
YOUR. I meant YOUR, damnit! I was saying something honest and truthful and I screwed it up with a damn typo!
Hope you feel better!
I agree with you about accountability and it does seem like an uphill struggle at times. I di march in DC against the war in Iraq and have been doing my bit.
It's troubling to read when Pinochet got portrayed by an article in wash post as a nicer kind of dictator. Huh?
Anyways enjoy your upcoming trip.
There is a lovely piece int he dec 11 issue of the new yorker about Somalis settled in Maine. Not online unfortunately, given the kind of work you do, I thought you may find it interesting.
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