"I’m not surprised to learn that a significant number of senators are sympathetic to the interests of wealthy tax cheats, that they are objectively pro-tax evasion. I am, however, surprised that they are willing to be so open about their sympathies." (from 3)
"None of the money had been channeled into concrete attempts to challenge last year’s election result…. " (from 4)
I suspect that part of the issue in these cases - and others - is that the USA seems to have reached a tipping point of "politics as entertainment". For a significant part of the population, it seems (at least from my distant vantage point) that it literally does not matter at all what elected officials actually DO; all that matters is how they perform for the cameras.
This is exacerbated by media that glorifies false narratives and outright falsehoods, but also by "mainstream" "quality" media sources who constantly publish a narrative of conflict - largely disconnected from the facts of the matter or what is or is not being accomplished.
The end result is something like professional wrestling, where the only thing that matters is who one is rooting for, and the end result is of no real importance.
Regarding two of the quotes above:
"I’m not surprised to learn that a significant number of senators are sympathetic to the interests of wealthy tax cheats, that they are objectively pro-tax evasion. I am, however, surprised that they are willing to be so open about their sympathies." (from 3)
"None of the money had been channeled into concrete attempts to challenge last year’s election result…. " (from 4)
I suspect that part of the issue in these cases - and others - is that the USA seems to have reached a tipping point of "politics as entertainment". For a significant part of the population, it seems (at least from my distant vantage point) that it literally does not matter at all what elected officials actually DO; all that matters is how they perform for the cameras.
This is exacerbated by media that glorifies false narratives and outright falsehoods, but also by "mainstream" "quality" media sources who constantly publish a narrative of conflict - largely disconnected from the facts of the matter or what is or is not being accomplished.
The end result is something like professional wrestling, where the only thing that matters is who one is rooting for, and the end result is of no real importance.