The Relationship between Conflicts of Interests, Unethical Conduct, and Fascism
Legitimate Conflicts, if ignored - Harm the credibility of the Republican Party and have the potential to destroy the American dream.
History is written by the winner and conservatives aren’t winning - because they refuse to stand united in purpose and in goals!
We should all agree that unethical behavior has no place in politics. We should all stand together to drive out the unethical behavior within politics - no matter where it exists on the political spectrum.
The source of our political and ideological enmity with each other is irrelevant in the face of unethical and immoral behavior within the structures that define the operations of party politics. Whether right, or left, we should come to an understanding of what defines ethics and morality within the political party structure - so long as the state provides for the organization of the parties. For when we embrace ethical considerations on either side of the aisle - we all benefit. Conversely, when neither side embraces these ethical and moral considerations, we all lose.
What is a Conflict Of Interest?
A COI (Conflict Of Interest) exists when a person personally benefits from an action made in their official capacity. When politicians are allowed to game the system for their personal benefit - it can create illegitimate political dynasties that serve the best interests of the politicians and not that of their constituents. If allowed to persist to an extreme, any system of Government begins to adopt legitimate elements of fascism when they do not address unethical behavior. This is one of the reasons that we have ethics laws in all 50 states.
An overt example of unethical behavior is when politicians that are propped up by corporate interests - make appointments to government jobs for those that are in charge of vetting candidates or making endorsements for a political party. This becomes an improper influence that a political candidate has over their own endorsement or vetting.
Whether a candidate uses that influence or not - it still exists. The onus, in this case should not be on the body to prove whether or not an improper influence was used or not. Because of the perception - those with an improper influence should at best, not be part of the body making endorsements, and at worst, recuse themselves from endorsements that involve those that can fire them from their jobs.
Dan Carter of the Ohio Republican State Central Committee was appointed by a different governor than the one he is being asked to endorse. Yet, the current governor holds an improper influence over Dan because he can remove and replace Dan at any time.
James Simon is another appointee that the governor has an improper influence over. The Governor can remove James at any moment without reason. James Simon is a lawyer and should know about the appearance of an improper influence and the rules of professional conduct for Ohio lawyers that used to address these issues that reduce the public’s confidence in the legal system. Jim is incorrect and his board is not autonomous if it serves at the pleasure of the Governor. It is irrelevant who appoints you - it is who has the power to remove you. Most appointees can be removed by the respective current officeholder.
Greg Simpson is highly offended even though the Governor has an improper influence over him. The question is not whether we can prove if he is acting inappropriately and voting for someone that does not merit a vote due to an improper influence. It would be up to him to prove that an improper influence is not clouding his judgement.
Treasurer David Johnson has repeatedly supported and endorsed Governors when it has personally benefitted him. It is this very type of COI that leads to a greater amount of fascism within our government.
Angela White - as a County Board of Elections official - is hired by the Secretary of State Frank LaRose. Her and a handful of others sit on the State Central Committee and defended their actions to endorse their boss that can fire them at-will and without reason. The argument has been made that the voters of their district lose a voice if they recuse themselves - and that is exactly the reason why appointees and lobbyists should not be on the State Central Committee. Ohio Republicans - and even Democrats - should not have to wonder whether their elected political representatives represent them or their appointer or their lobbying firm. It is very hard to claim that the party represent the will of Republicans with no poll showing that Governor DeWine can muster 50% of the vote - yet at least 50% +1 of the State Central Committee voted to endorse him.
Ohio has a compatibility index of what jobs are incompatible with other jobs due to COIs. There are many jobs - currently, that if held, prevent a person from serving on the State Central Committee. The Ohio legislature - needs to pass laws that prevent appointees and lobbyists from serving.
As far as we can ascertain is that 15 members on the Ohio Republican State Central Committee have a direct conflict of interest in making an endorsement for the governor that has the ability to fire them. Two of them have an indirect conflict of interest through family members. Nine others have either direct or indirect conflicts of interests when it comes to the appointments by other statewide elected officials such as the Secretary of State, or lobbyists. That means that nearly 40% of the State Central Committee has a COI.
What is Fascism?
Fascism is bandied about by the looney left at the first sign of a politician making a decision in favor of a corporation - so, many Republicans disregard those that use the term of fascism. The boy has cried wolf too many times and we all have become deaf to the cries of fascism - except for ANTIFA - which is an anti-American organization that has Marxists elements within it. This deafness to fascism is harmful to our republic when legitimate forms of fascism begin to manifest. Fascism almost always begins by the political elites ignoring COIs - such as in the case of Ohio’s Republican State Central Committee.
These COIs within the Republican Party are not opinion nor supposition - they are COIs as defined by the Ohio Ethics Commission - but conveniently, they have a policy that states that Ohio Ethics Laws do not pertain to political parties.
When politicians can rationalize and get away with breaking ethical and moral rules, then the system of government begins to work only for the politicians. This creates a type of monarchy (special rules for special people) that businesses inevitably want to buy into so that they can gain effective monopolies and choke out competition. These effective monopolies and economies of scale create large corporations that are too big to fail and choke out most small businesses that would have the potential to become competition. These businesses then use the Government and taxpayer dollars to help fund their research and development projects to keep them on top. The goals of small businesses then change when they can’t win - the goal becomes to develop a company in order to sell it off to a large corporation.
Fascism Unleashed
Why fight with political parties when you can exploit their political animus and have them fight each other - all the while making it easier to influence politicians to benefit yourself? The lobbyists, Special Interests, and Large Corporations are playing us all for fools.
They create their own echo chambers of disingenuity and deceit with the help of legal professionals and parliamentarians. They shape public opinion through the basis of law rather than what we all know is right and wrong.
We Can Win
Fear not, for we can put back together what fascism has broken. It is not too late. We need to set aside ego and anger in favor of strength and unity. Together we have the skill to build ethical and moral parties that elect ethical and moral people. For us to succeed - we need three pillars - just as a stool needs three legs. We need ethics, we need unity, and we need action.
Our time working individually has not been wasted. It got us out from under the grasp of the main stream media and the wizards of smart. It hardened us, it allowed us to be educated on a myriad of issues. Our separate efforts were not about just curating knowledge, it was about curating people that are willing to use what they have learned in our fight against ambivalence, complacency, and socialism. You have always had the qualities to grow the seeds that have been planted through your education - and now is the time to harvest the fruit in the form of unified action. Together we can realize a better future.
The cause of conservatism has been quietly suffocated and erased by the Ohio Republican Party through its placation of unethical behavior and creeping fascism. Ohio has 20,000 fewer companies in 2022 than in 1992. Ohio is the loss leader in the nation - more than any other state within the same time period. Under the leadership of the Ohio Republican Party - there is only room for one story and one voice - competitors espousing truth, justice, and the American way need not be heard. Put on your Republican rose-colored glasses and stick your head in the sand because the leadership said so. Suffice it to say, we cannot become all that we can be if the Ohio Republican Party is allowed to embrace even more unethical behavior. That path leads to the annihilation of the American dream and the the bankruptcy of the State. If we are to win we must pressure or shame the party into adopting more strict ethical standards.
Support the Ohio Promise Keepers and the Committee for a Better Ohio!
It sounds like some need to be real careful, I know I'm sick of RINO's. If you can't be a real loyal Republican, it is time to go. We need to help Make America Great Again. I do know Kasich ended up being a total piece of crap.