Corruption
Dec 2nd, 2005 at 9:30 am by Susie
One of the things I worry about is the inevitable corruption of the blogosphere. After all, I’ve been around politicians long enough to know they don’t start out that way.
Michael Kinsley has a great piece in today’s L.A. Times:
It used to be said that the moral arc of a Washington career could be divided into four parts: idealism, pragmatism, ambition and corruption. You arrive with a passion for a cause, determined to challenge the system. Then you learn to work for your cause within the system. Then rising in the system becomes your cause. Then, finally, you exploit the system — your connections in it, and your understanding of it — for personal profit.
And it remains true, sort of, but faster. Even the appalling Jack Abramoff had ideals at one point. But he took a shortcut straight to corruption. On the other hand, you can now trace the traditional moral arc in the life of conservative-dominated Washington itself, which began with Ronald Reagan’s inauguration and marks its 25th anniversary in January. Reagan and Co. arrived to tear down the government and make Washington irrelevant. Now the airport and a giant warehouse of bureaucrats are named after him.
I don’t know how you’d corrupt it..what I worry about is it getting all mainstream.
“Then, finally, you exploit the system—your connections in it, and your understanding of it—for personal profit.”
There’s personal profit in this?
Susie, you make an incredibly important point. Your brief comment goes to the heart of the danger involved with blogs.
Anytime there’s power involved (and money), there’s the possibility for corruption. And yes, blogging can be profitable for some and has proven to be influential.
Vigilance, vigilance, vigilance. Certain blogs already show some signs of struggling with the cycle. Good catch and good call.