# Separation of State
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/separation-of-state/807898
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [January 31, 2018, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/separation-of-state/807898 "2018-01-31T17:38:36Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@BeenJammin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeenJammin)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2018, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/separation-of-state/807898/1 "2018-01-31T17:38:36Z")
We’ve all dealt endlessly with the separation of Church and State concept, right? What about separation of business and State? What more do we need to see before people collectively realize big business running government is a clear path to ruin?
I hate these fucking businesspeople who put profit over people, be it their own workers or the general population. You cocksuckers know who you are.
[CDC Director Brenda Fitzgerald Resigns Over Tobacco Stock Conflict](https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2018-01-31/cdc-director-brenda-fitzgerald-resigns-over-tobacco-stock-conflict)
Fucking whore bitch gets rich trading tobacco. Wonder how many tobacco study programs she oversaw while collecting her taxpayer-funded salary?
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### Author:  [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2018, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/separation-of-state/807898/2 "2018-01-31T17:40:58Z")
wrong forum?
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### Author:  [@BeenJammin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeenJammin)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2018, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/separation-of-state/807898/3 "2018-01-31T17:41:59Z")
Probably. Not allowed to cuss in GD? Took out the pit part, but probably still needs to go there, depending on (?)…
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2018, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/separation-of-state/807898/4 "2018-01-31T17:43:31Z")
Reported for move to Fucking Whore Bitch forum.
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### Author:  [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2018, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/separation-of-state/807898/5 "2018-01-31T17:43:46Z")
Oh no. Someone at the CDC has an ethics problem. If only someone could make ethics guidelines for government officials, and have their recommendations adhered to.
> **[Federal ethics chief resigns after clashes with Trump](https://www.latimes.com/politics/washington/la-na-essential-washington-updates-director-of-u-s-office-of-government-1499366381-htmlstory.html)**
>
> White House July 6, 2017, 12:19 p.m. Lauren RosenblattWalter Shaub Jr., director of the U.S.
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### Author:  [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2018, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/separation-of-state/807898/6 "2018-01-31T17:44:24Z")
There aren’t specific language restrictions outside the stated rules at the top of the forum in GD.
However, given the OP is a rant, it belongs in the Pit. Moving from Great Debates to the Pit.
[/moderating]
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### Author:  [@BeenJammin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeenJammin)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2018, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/separation-of-state/807898/7 "2018-01-31T17:48:53Z")
> [@Ravenman](#):
>
> If only someone could make ethics guidelines for government officials, and have their recommendations adhered to.
Guidelines are not helping, obviously. We need specific, punitive LAWS to deter and punish this sort of behavior in elected officials. Years-long investigations drowned in partisan BS followed by the obligatory hand-slap aren’t cutting it.
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### Author:  [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2018, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/separation-of-state/807898/8 "2018-01-31T18:19:51Z")
We have a provision in the Constitution that addresses one part of this, but it is being swept aside for partisan reasons. If Republicans in Congress can’t hold a Republican President to account for his adherence to the Constitution, worrying about the CDC official is pretty small potatoes.
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### Author:  [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2018, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/separation-of-state/807898/9 "2018-01-31T18:25:51Z")
More small potatoes:
[https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/politics/using-his-position-for-private-gain-hud-lawyers-warned-ben-carson-risked-running-afoul-of-ethics-rules-by-enlisting-son/2018/01/31/bb20c48e-0532-11e8-8777-2a059f168dd2\_story.html](https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/politics/using-his-position-for-private-gain-hud-lawyers-warned-ben-carson-risked-running-afoul-of-ethics-rules-by-enlisting-son/2018/01/31/bb20c48e-0532-11e8-8777-2a059f168dd2_story.html)
Basically, HUD lawyers tell Ben Carson not to have his son arrange events for him to meet with his son’s business partners. Carson totally ignores the advice of the attorneys.
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### Author:  [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2018, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/separation-of-state/807898/10 "2018-01-31T18:56:00Z")
> [@Ravenman](#):
>
> More small potatoes:
>
> [https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/politics/using-his-position-for-private-gain-hud-lawyers-warned-ben-carson-risked-running-afoul-of-ethics-rules-by-enlisting-son/2018/01/31/bb20c48e-0532-11e8-8777-2a059f168dd2\_story.html](https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/politics/using-his-position-for-private-gain-hud-lawyers-warned-ben-carson-risked-running-afoul-of-ethics-rules-by-enlisting-son/2018/01/31/bb20c48e-0532-11e8-8777-2a059f168dd2_story.html)
>
> Basically, HUD lawyers tell Ben Carson not to have his son arrange events for him to meet with his son’s business partners. Carson totally ignores the advice of the attorneys.
Because…we are now in a world where there are no consequences. I’m sure it will change back immediately if a Democrat is ever elected to the White House.
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### Author:  [@BeenJammin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeenJammin)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2018, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/separation-of-state/807898/11 "2018-02-01T00:23:10Z")
> [@Icarus](#):
>
> Because…we are now in a world where there are no consequences.
That is precisely the problem. “Consequences” always had a different meaning for politicians. The higher they go, the less clear the concept becomes. I have recently been clutching the belief that modern communications, media and Internet Time would have a mitigating effect on the tendency for politicians to become corrupt in one way or another. It is obviously much more difficult for them to go undetected these days, but it doesn’t seem to matter - there are no consequences. WTF? 😕
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### Author:  [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2018, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/separation-of-state/807898/12 "2018-02-01T01:11:38Z")
> [@BeenJammin](#):
>
> That is precisely the problem. “Consequences” always had a different meaning for politicians. The higher they go, the less clear the concept becomes. I have recently been clutching the belief that modern communications, media and Internet Time would have a mitigating effect on the tendency for politicians to become corrupt in one way or another. It is obviously much more difficult for them to go undetected these days, but it doesn’t seem to matter - there are no consequences. WTF? 😕
I would have thought so too. But people will tend to believe whatever supports their world view and prejudices. Opposite views are considered attacks and fake news.
We are all guilty of this to some degree (after all, who wants to be wrong, when it’s easy to find an opinion that supports your interpretation of what may be happening)
I’ll blame education systems to a degree. Is critical thinking supported as much as wrote learning? “Believe this, it’s in a book”.
I’ll also blame the overprotection that children have been getting. Less and less lessons are learned the hard way as they are protected from the real world more and more.
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### Author:  [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2018, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/separation-of-state/807898/13 "2018-02-01T01:24:00Z")
> [@BeenJammin](#):
>
> I have recently been clutching the belief that modern communications, media and Internet Time would have a mitigating effect on the tendency for politicians to become corrupt in one way or another.
All this bullshit media is received by everyone in an uncritical fashion, which is actually making it harder to distinguish non-issues from misconduct. The Internet is like, 75% of the problem, really.
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### Author:  [@BeenJammin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeenJammin)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2018, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/separation-of-state/807898/14 "2018-02-01T15:20:01Z")
Convicting people in the court of public opinion is nothing new. There is something else going on…
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### Author:  [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2018, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/separation-of-state/807898/15 "2018-02-01T15:53:22Z")
> [@BeenJammin](#):
>
> Convicting people in the court of public opinion is nothing new. There is something else going on…
I don’t think you’re following my point. The Internet is not simply a different means of passing electrons (that happen to represent news articles) from the way electrons were passed before. The Internet, IMHO, is changing the way people communicate, including news.
To put it simply, 50 years ago everyone trusted Walter Cronkite. He was on TV, providing news and some opinion, and his stature of being on TV gave him a certain level respect even if you didn’t like what he was saying.
Now, literally everyone who runs a blog, Facebook page, or whatever has the same access to eyes as Walter Cronkite. With so many sources of information, how do we know what to trust? We trust what fits into our narrative, of course, making everyone more prone to being manipulated by BS that generally wouldn’t make it through a high school newsroom editing process.
I think since the early days of the Internet, we’ve been told so many times that more information is better. What we’ve gotten is the same amount of quality news, and a huge explosion in crappy news, and the crappy sensationalist news is getting more eyeballs.
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### Author:  [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2018, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/separation-of-state/807898/16 "2018-02-01T16:42:33Z")
> [@BeenJammin](#):
>
> We’ve all dealt endlessly with the separation of Church and State concept, right? What about separation of business and State? What more do we need to see before people collectively realize big business running government is a clear path to ruin?
>
> I hate these fucking businesspeople who put profit over people, be it their own workers or the general population. You cocksuckers know who you are.
>
> [CDC Director Brenda Fitzgerald Resigns Over Tobacco Stock Conflict](https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2018-01-31/cdc-director-brenda-fitzgerald-resigns-over-tobacco-stock-conflict)
>
> Fucking whore bitch gets rich trading tobacco. Wonder how many tobacco study programs she oversaw while collecting her taxpayer-funded salary?
Woooow…homophobia and misogyny in 3 short paragraphs. We might have a record here, Bob. 😛
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2018, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/separation-of-state/807898/17 "2018-02-01T16:55:42Z")
> [@madsircool](#):
>
> Woooow…homophobia and misogyny in 3 short paragraphs. We might have a record here, Bob. 😛
Woah…two falsehoods in one sentence. You still have a long ways to go to beat **Clothy.**
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### Author:  [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2018, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/separation-of-state/807898/18 "2018-02-01T17:09:30Z")
> [@running\_coach](#):
>
> Woah…two falsehoods in one sentence. You still have a long ways to go to beat **Clothy.**
Complete stupidity in one sentence. Reread what he wrote. A gay slur and unrelated misogynistic language directed at a female he would never use against a man.
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### Author:  [@BeenJammin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeenJammin)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2018, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/separation-of-state/807898/19 "2018-02-01T18:05:25Z")
I’d call any man parlaying government resources into personal wealth a Fucking Whore Bastard. So what? Your perception of racial and sexual bias needs the squelch turned up a bit.
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### Author:  [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)
#### Post date: [February 1, 2018, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/separation-of-state/807898/20 "2018-02-01T18:10:51Z")
> [@BeenJammin](#):
>
> I’d call any man parlaying government resources into personal wealth a Fucking Whore Bastard. So what? Your perception of racial and sexual bias needs the squelch turned up a bit.
You are a cretin.
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