Kavanaugh: too high a cost

I read the newsgroup uk.religion.buddhist and as I saw another instance of Christian spam I realized that many of what upsets me are instances of some narrow interest causing broader, often lasting harm to a more general resource. Admittedly, with newsgroups ( other factors may have contributed to their decline. )

The general category of poisoning common resources also seems to admit the literal (ongoing!) poisoning of the water in Flint, MI, and, more generally, the decline of Congress.

I had thought that the Republicans were meant to conservatively respect institutional tradition but the way that they have trodden over the spirit of the rules and used barefaced lies and other dishonorable means to effect their goals leaves us with a dysfunctional Congress and, after horrifying hearings and superficial investigation, a delegitimized Supreme Court. Republicans' mean-spirited undermining of consultation and due process could be ruinous.

This is not a new phenomenon. ( Republicans have acted in bad faith for many years. )

( Their latest tactics may have caused lasting damage. )

I had not realized how many bad acts are instances of willfully ignoring costs because the culprits are not made to pay for the full impact of the harm they cause to what should be benefiting many. I suppose that the financial crisis demonstrated that but I can easily miss the obvious connections.

( I chose the wrong time to live away from the US. )

Bipartisanship was already dead; it is now difficult to trust law enforcement and the judiciary to limit the damage.

I am not yet without hope. ( The Republicans are probably weakened by their conduct. )

I shan't be holding my breath though.