Without Accountability Democracy Isn’t the Only Thing That Dies, So Do People

“We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.”

- President Ronald Reagan, Republican

Although the process of holding individuals or governments answerable for their actions can be conducted in a variety of ways, the most important way in a democratic republic is through elections. But what happens when even the extent to which officials explain themselves to voters becomes extremely limited, if not dishonest? Or if the legal challenges in the courts are backed up or won by the highest bidders? Consequently, without accountability democracy isn’t the only thing that dies. So do people. To be sure, some warn President Donald Trump’s behavior towards refugees, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao’s (who also happens to be his wife) conflicts of interest, are just two of many examples.

Leadership Separated from Accountability
The recent photo, which showed a father and young daughter from El Salvador floating side by side in the water, may very well have been the latest results of Trump’s virulent attacks directed at immigrants. Captured by journalist Julia Le Duc and published by Mexican newspaper La Immigrants, the two had drowned seeking refuge in the United States. Until now, hundreds more have died trying to flee the perils of political violence, severe drought, and abject poverty. This includes others who’ve been held at the Department of Homeland Security’s squalid detention facilities. But then some say when accountability is separated from leadership, or when the delegator is no longer accountable to what he delegates, this is what to expect.

It’s also what to expect when a leader spreads fear and hatred among his supporters. Along with painting immigrants-including women and children-as the dregs of humanity, Trump’s blanket statements calling them rapists and killers, or linking them to terrorism, haven’t helped matters. In short, and instead of searching for a more viable solution which would benefit all countries and persons involved, his hatemongering towards refugees and erratic nature concerning his border wall along Mexico has destroyed a shared culture and trust, both essential to a democratic republic. It’s also set a dangerous precedence, one which not only allows him to escape other policies of accountability but is downright immoral and incomprehensible.

Another thing immoral and incomprehensible is to allow him to campaign on fear and hatred. Where both exists, the road to violence is well paved. As hatred gives way to dehumanizing another person or group, it can then serve as justification for any action. It can also serve to deflect accountability, blaming the “Other” instead of the responsible party or individual. Developed from emotions like fear and anger, hate and distrust moreover reduces a person’s ability to reason. Once these feelings have been aroused, they give way to horrendous crimes. No wonder Le Duc called it a “sickening rot,” in that: “We have allowed ourselves the luxury to ignore and overlook abuses; we have said, ‘That’s not who we are’ and carried on.’”

McConnell, Chao and What Nixon Feared Most
Another thing that’s a sickening rot are the many conflicts of interest in Trump’s administration. The latest pertains to Chao and McConnell. Evidently, Chao has overseen the allocation of nearly $80 million in federal grants to Kentucky during her time as transportation secretary. It included designating a special intermediary to help the state navigate the funding process, a resource that few states have-let alone can afford. This not only raises questions about whether Chao-who oversees funding for everything from highway construction to port development at the Department of Transportation-was treating Kentucky differently where her husband McConnel is from, but if she was funneling money to him to help him get reelected.

Just as murky was the disproportionate amount of federal grants given to Kentucky as compared to other states. It gets even more troubling when keeping in mind a lack of basic infrastructures (roads, bridges, electrical grids, clean drinking water, etc…) which some states can’t afford and cause needless deaths. There’s also concerns over Chao’s ethical impropriety to include members of her family in meetings with Chinese officials. In other words, she and several family members, who own a major shipping company, had planned to meet with the officials in hopes of striking a quid pro deal for shipping goods. All of this comes on the heels of ProPulica’s expose noting at least 188 former lobbyists have been appointed by Trump.

Accountability is the basis of democratic representative government, that elected and appointed officials are responsible to the people for their actions. Moreover, it’s a feature which distinguishes governments based on the concepts of constitutional democracy from those embracing the principles of absolutism or totalitarianism. Elected officeholders, ranging from city commissioners to the President, should therefore be politically and legally accountable for their actions. The same is true of appointed officials like Chao. Whenever accountability is absent, responsibility turns into irresponsibility. This goes for blame. In fact, it was blame President Richard Nixon feared most and tried to always avoid.

Urgency of Accountability and “The Now”
In the end, accountability denotes an element of democracy which is equated with good governance. Those who hold and exercise a degree of power have an “absolute” responsibility to explain and justify their conduct. Elected representatives, appointed officials and other public office holders must therefore be required to demonstrate that they have discharged their duties appropriately. At the same time, accountability implies citizens in a democracy are familiar with their elected officials and the decisions they make and have an opportunity to pass judgement on them. With Trump, Chao and McConnell, waiting for the next election to pass judgment may not be enough. To be sure, it wasn’t enough for the drowned father and child.

Neither will it be enough for those who will suffer from inadequate infrastructures which are just as deadly. Despite his statement, President Reagan should have known this too.

Dallas Darling is the author of Politics 501: An A-Z Reading on Conscientious Political Thought and Action, Some Nations Above God: 52 Weekly Reflections On Modern-Day Imperialism, Militarism, And Consumerism in the Context of John’s Apocalyptic Vision, and The Other Side Of Christianity: Reflections on Faith, Politics, Spirituality, History, and Peace. He is a correspondent for www.WN.com. You can read more of Dallas’ writings at www.beverlydarling.com and www.WN.com/dallasdarling.