Scandals are fine now as long as you hate the same people

Zero careers were ended today by "ethics" because ethics is basically a decorative throw pillow we keep on the couch for company.

Phys.org dropped a deep dive on “affective polarization,” which is academic for: voters don’t defend their politician because they’re innocent, they defend them because they’re ours. Like a toxic group chat, but with nuclear codes.

They ran the highlight reel: Andrew Cuomo, Ken Paxton, Eric Adams. Different parties, same vibe. Accusations stack up, headlines scream, everyone does the solemn “we take this seriously” face, and then supporters dig in harder like they’re defending their own browser history.

The whole point is misdeeds have turned into “content.” If you’re on Team Blue, you treat your guy’s mess like a misunderstood indie film. If you’re on Team Red, same thing—just with more flags and a GoFundMe.

Meanwhile, the incentives are perfect. Politicians get to be reckless because outrage is polarized, punishment is optional, and their base will happily call it a “witch hunt” while the donors keep Venmo-ing democracy into the shredder.

And while you’re busy arguing about which clown is worse, the actual bill comes due in boring places: budgets, policing, housing, courts, the little rights you assumed were permanent. The powerful aren’t surviving scandals—they’re surviving you being too mad at the other tribe to notice the money leaving your pocket.