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<blockquote data-quote="Janx" data-source="post: 5863316" data-attributes="member: 8835">A common trope of Jack Bauer and other shows is that the Nation can't handle the truth.&nbsp; That another scandal would destroy America's faith in government.This seems preposterous.&nbsp; I think a more plausible response is &quot;let's vote those jerks out of office&quot; than &quot;OMG, the government is made up of jerks, it's the end of civilization as we know it!&quot;When did this kind of thinking start?&nbsp; Is there any historical evidence to support its validity?Ford pardoned Nixon under this premise.&nbsp; But I have to wonder, would America feel better seeing a crook get prosecuted than seeing a crook walk free or learning that he walked free?I think it would be more damaging to learn about shady back room deals that never face consequences, than to learn about somebody's bad behavior and seeing them punished.&nbsp; The latter would restore my faith in a system that corrects itself.As always, avoid talking about actual politics.&nbsp; I'm interested in the concept and the thinking behind it, not in any comparison to some current situation.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Janx, post: 5863316, member: 8835"] A common trope of Jack Bauer and other shows is that the Nation can't handle the truth. That another scandal would destroy America's faith in government. This seems preposterous. I think a more plausible response is "let's vote those jerks out of office" than "OMG, the government is made up of jerks, it's the end of civilization as we know it!" When did this kind of thinking start? Is there any historical evidence to support its validity? Ford pardoned Nixon under this premise. But I have to wonder, would America feel better seeing a crook get prosecuted than seeing a crook walk free or learning that he walked free? I think it would be more damaging to learn about shady back room deals that never face consequences, than to learn about somebody's bad behavior and seeing them punished. The latter would restore my faith in a system that corrects itself. As always, avoid talking about actual politics. I'm interested in the concept and the thinking behind it, not in any comparison to some current situation. [/QUOTE]

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