Amidst the upheavals in Washington, one welcome trend is emerging.
Henceforth government officials, ministers, even those in the armed forces, must reveal and justify their policies, programs and expenditures. It’s called accountability.
The well-known journalist, Frank Rich, observed: “America lost interest in accountability.” Glaring evidence supported him. Indeed, at times and at all costs, America chose not to operate on the foundation principle of accountability. The absence of it is deeply corrosive. When fully implemented, however, accountability promotes greater trust of the nation’s leaders, ultimately better and more effective government.
It requires no guesswork. Accountability means responsibility — not only for what one might do but equally for what one does not do.
Judge Judy’s popular TV court show attracted viewers for 25 years, because she insisted people are responsible for their behavior.
Consider an incident prior to the 2008-09 financial crisis and the Great Recession. Lawyer Brooksley Born was chairperson of the Commodities Futures and Trading Commission, a tiny federal agency with limited jurisdiction. Beginning in 1986, she discovered the enormous, dark, totally-unregulated $27 trillion dollar market trading in sub-prime house mortgages. Alarmed at the potential for failure and default, as home values began falling, she warned the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, the Secretary of the Treasury and the Deputy Secretary, repeatedly. When they suppressed her efforts and elected to do nothing, Born resigned at the CFTC.
By and by, the potential crash she warned of befell the country. The Great Recession of 200809 became a reality. A chief culprit was the risky market for house mortgages.
The debacle caused losses in the trillions. Thousands lost their poorly-financed homes. Multiple promoters, traders, and brokers participated, including: banks, insurers, investment firms, realtors and government agencies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mack.
It was the era of “too big to fail.” Moreover, President Obama rushed about with bailouts for firms at risk of sinking. For example, the government purchased $245.1 billion of banks stock as a means of giving them cash. Auto companies received $79.7 billion. Meanwhile circumstances pointed to misdeeds among scores of parties with little risk to themselves. The manipulators had little exposure. They used other people’s money and other people’s property.
As for the federal officials in whom Brooksley Born confided? They enjoyed total impunity. They continued untouched, undemoted and unsanctioned. Nowadays, the former Deputy Secretary appears on TV to inform the public of how the economy is doing. The Chairman of the Federal Reserve, all the while, was labeled Washington’s most habitual attendant at glitzy parties in the Capitol city.
Outrage still rankles, for not one wrongdoer was prosecuted. Managers in charge of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac departed with $9.43 million in retirement benefits. Nobody was fired or even deprived. Christopher Hitchens, journalist and award-winning author, wrote: “America employed all the features of a banana-republic.”
Late last year, former White House Chief-of-Staff, Rahm Emanuel, issued a public statement denouncing the reprehensible failure to prosecute and no accountability. Eric Holder, U.S. Attorney general at the time, responded with a collection of discredited limp excuses.
A more recent case: The 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Controversy and criticism were heaped upon it, and still are. But, one uncontradicted fact stands out. The United States Army left behind with the Taliban $7 billion of the latest and best army vehicles, hardware and military equipment. Yet, for that loss once more accountability vanished. From neither the President nor from the generals in charge at the Pentagon, not a single whimper, much less excuse. No demotions in rank were publicized. No valid explanations were reported. After all, the United States is the richest nation ever.
The $7 billion was nothing to become excited about. On the other hand, the soldier who loses or misplaces his rifle is promptly demoted.
The new Secretary of Defense seems acutely aware that responsibility was blatantly discarded. Some firings have already occurred. Thus, once more in this great and mighty nation accountability may receive its rightful priority.
