A time for silence
This attitude of not taking responsibility for anything, of simply denying reality, not to mention humanity, has a very specific beginning: George W. Bush's defeat of Al Gore. He demonstrated to everyone in government and in the private sector that you can reach out for power, nakedly, without respect to any kind of decency, and take it. And, gasp, the American people would <i>not</i> clamor for justice. They would <i>not</i> demand something (or someone) better. It was a watershed moment for government, when everyone realized: we can do whatever the fuck we want, and no-one can stop us.<p>And this thesis, hesitant at first, has been demonstrated again and again. By Bush himself - NSA wiretapping, gitmo, the TSA and the most epic 'fuck you' ever spoken to the American people: the attack and occupation of Iraq under false pretenses. Cheney's massive expansion of power of the office of the Vice Presidency was a more subtle but still important expression of this disregard for American oversight. Carmen Ortiz is an Obama appointee, but she is very much a product of the Bush era.<p>Bush was a wake-up call for all government employees: you have unchecked power. If you want to use it, expand it, abuse it then do it. No-one is going to stop you. Our justice system is so expensive that it's out of reach of most, and really, in the end, <i>you're playing on the same team</i> so go ahead and do what you want. 'Justice' has your back.<p>But the key to making this power grab work is to follow the Bush playbook: <i>never, ever admit to any wrong doing</i>. Do not, under any circumstances, even acknowledge the concerns of others - except possibly in tones of smirking dismissal and contempt. If you don't follow that playbook, then you give your opponents an opening, and weaken your position. Pretty soon you'll be explaining yourself, and when you're explaining, you're losing. You're losing power.<p>Stonewall, deny, and fight with every last tool given to you. Do not cooperate or discuss. Force your opponents to find leverage against you: don't just give it to them.<p>Ortiz is a smart woman, and learned her lessons well.