Maybe the basic premise of institutions has failed, with the grounds of professional and technical expertise being unable to withstand attack from overtly or covertly postmodern approaches.
And agencies are seemingly captured, at least In the popular imagination.
There’s a scene in Dopesick where an investigator confronts an FDA employee about her knowledge that a regulator took money to help the Sacklers navigate approval of their drug. The investigator asks why she didn’t tell anyone, and she essentially says it wouldn’t have mattered. Something similar in the Big Short where regulators more interested in getting a private sector job.
Does that leave institution dwellers with a little real choice of speaking out and risking their chance for advancement or even retirement?
How much of that is due to decades of attack against all government and the death of a public service ethos?
Great article, Doug. As a life-long Republican and son of a Republican myself, this helps me to understand a little better why it seems that the most vocal Pro-Trump Republicans appear to demonstrate a desire for anarchy. They clearly wish to tear down the institutions that they feel have not served them. I fear it won’t happen with peaceful and gradual reform after witnessing January 6th and the lead up to this year’s elections. There are too many in the party that are too angry and full of desire for retribution (not excluding Mr. Trump) for that to happen in a manner that is not disruptive (and potentially oppressive or even deadly) for many Americans.
Doug, this is a useful interpretation. Trust in government in particular has been sliding for a long time, since Vietnam and Watergate. But it is not just a function of failed leadership; pushing distrust has been a deliberate political ploy since Reagan (“government is the problem”) and Newt Gingrich, and a moneymaking source for Fox News since forever. And while you correctly point to the financial crisis, the Iraq and Afghan wars have I think been an equal source of distrust and bitterness, demonstrating that today’s ‘best and brightest’ are capable of catastrophic policy mistakes. Also, I would note that similar trends are evident outside the US, though the US is an outlier especially in distrust of government.
What a superb post! Thoughtful. nuanced, insightful and considerate - all of the things that are greatly lacking in American public discourse today! Can't wait to read more from you!
I wonder if any of it can be attributed to the “Google Effect” https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220812-the-illusion-of-knowledge-that-makes-people-overconfident.
Maybe the basic premise of institutions has failed, with the grounds of professional and technical expertise being unable to withstand attack from overtly or covertly postmodern approaches.
Now partisan and ideological think tanks replacing agencies and congressional staff as the go-to source for knowledge. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/11/newt-gingrich-says-youre-welcome/570832/
And agencies are seemingly captured, at least In the popular imagination.
There’s a scene in Dopesick where an investigator confronts an FDA employee about her knowledge that a regulator took money to help the Sacklers navigate approval of their drug. The investigator asks why she didn’t tell anyone, and she essentially says it wouldn’t have mattered. Something similar in the Big Short where regulators more interested in getting a private sector job.
Does that leave institution dwellers with a little real choice of speaking out and risking their chance for advancement or even retirement?
How much of that is due to decades of attack against all government and the death of a public service ethos?
Great article, Doug. As a life-long Republican and son of a Republican myself, this helps me to understand a little better why it seems that the most vocal Pro-Trump Republicans appear to demonstrate a desire for anarchy. They clearly wish to tear down the institutions that they feel have not served them. I fear it won’t happen with peaceful and gradual reform after witnessing January 6th and the lead up to this year’s elections. There are too many in the party that are too angry and full of desire for retribution (not excluding Mr. Trump) for that to happen in a manner that is not disruptive (and potentially oppressive or even deadly) for many Americans.
Doug, this is a useful interpretation. Trust in government in particular has been sliding for a long time, since Vietnam and Watergate. But it is not just a function of failed leadership; pushing distrust has been a deliberate political ploy since Reagan (“government is the problem”) and Newt Gingrich, and a moneymaking source for Fox News since forever. And while you correctly point to the financial crisis, the Iraq and Afghan wars have I think been an equal source of distrust and bitterness, demonstrating that today’s ‘best and brightest’ are capable of catastrophic policy mistakes. Also, I would note that similar trends are evident outside the US, though the US is an outlier especially in distrust of government.
What a superb post! Thoughtful. nuanced, insightful and considerate - all of the things that are greatly lacking in American public discourse today! Can't wait to read more from you!