Deflection!

Realistically, it is pretty obvious that Hunter Biden only got the job with Burisma because of who his father was.  That is of course not corrupt unless it led to some sort of "quid pro quo" where Burisma benefited here.

Some say that this was when the VP got the Ukraine to fire the corrupt prosecutor, but since there is widespread consensus that this was strongly supported by the International community and his investigation into Burisma was over, it isn't much.

Children often benefit from famous parents, i.e. the Trump children but it isn't corrupt unless it actually is.

One may wonder if having Hunter Biden on the board didn't help Burisma in some situations where it could appear to others that it gave them an inside track to the American Government, but clearly they hired him for that very purpose and unless he did something corrupt for them it is simply the way business is.

Of course some will cling to the idea of corruption because it helps cloud the corruption of withholding Government assets or using your office for personal gain.

Those are actual acts of corruption, not flights of imagination.

Proof vs innuendo, I prefer the proof.

Improper Behavior

It is hard to judge whether we live in particularly bad times considering the behavior of our public officials.

What is clear is that we have more information than they did in the past, so for instance, we know almost instantly when they do something.

In the past there would be a delay.

In the days before television and maybe radio, news was slower and a bit more filtered.

Many of our public officials engaged in certain behavior which was essentially ignored by the media of the time.

Nothing is currently ignored.

The past of course had its own corruption and feuds.  Famously John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were bitter rivals.  Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel over comments about his character.

Our history is filled with politicians lining their own pockets and engaging in questionable practices.

Some were clearly better than others but even in recent times we have had Presidents with questionable histories and behaviors.  

The current incumbent has a history of sexist behavior, improper business dealings and ongoing lying and paranoia.

Is he the worst ever?  Like I said, its hard to judge, but he is in the running.

Real Corruption in Washington

When politicians or candidates talk about fixing corruption in Washington most of them focus on things like Government malfeasance or people getting benefits they don't deserve.

Now both of those things are issues that are in need of being addressed, but they are, we have oversight and insight panels galore and the issue is that as long as humans are involved they will at times cheat.

However, while because of the scope the amounts seem large, in the scale of Government spending in Washington it really is a minor problem, similar to say shoplifting or petty theft.

Its wrong and should be policed but don't emphasize those type of crimes and ignore murders.

That's pretty much what they do in Washington where most of our politicians up to the top have sold themselves to political lobbies.

Now they mostly are guaranteed lifetime incomes and lucrative jobs when they leave but while in office they get their campaigns funded and a lot of nice perks.

They just have to take care of the right people.

Those people aren't us.

I was reading about a recommendation by the new interior secretary that wants to allow traditional uses on public lands.

Now this includes mining, forestry, fishing, grazing and a lot of other commercial activities that make public land just like private land.

Only a very small number of people would benefit from this and it is probably the most blatant form of the corruption that really is controlling Washington.

Almost everything they consider or pass is pushed by special interests and backed by lobbyist money.

This is the real swamp in Washington and its not getting drained.

The floodgates are open and the water is rushing in.

Maybe on your next trip to a national monument you can admire the strip mine recently opened.