Despite major political scandals, much of the public remains unalarmed because their daily routines feel unchanged. The abstract nature of high-level corruption fails to register as an immediate threat when life seems normal, preventing a collective sense of shock or awakening.
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In a dysfunctional environment, the absence of pushback is a significant warning sign. Humans are highly adaptive; those who can't tolerate the system leave, while those who remain learn to cope. This creates a dangerous silence, where leaders mistakenly believe everything is fine because no one is complaining.
People are more infuriated by hypocrisy than by open corruption. Because a figure like Trump doesn't pretend to adhere to any ethical norms, he can't be accused of being a hypocrite. This blatant shamelessness acts as a shield, making traditional attacks based on norm violations ineffective.
The lack of basic manners and civil discourse among public servants sets a powerful negative example for society. This leadership failure normalizes poor behavior, contributing to a decline in everyday courtesy and respect among citizens, such as not offering a seat to the elderly.
Despite one of their key members, a deputy prime minister, being charged by anti-corruption authorities, the criminal syndicate continued its kickback scheme for several more months. This audacity suggests a deeply rooted belief that high-level connections would shield them from any real consequences, even with law enforcement closing in.
Major political realignments are not always triggered by specific crimes but by a pervasive 'vibe' of elite entitlement and impunity. Revelations that expose a culture of being above the law can act as a societal 'let them eat cake moment,' sparking a revolutionary shift in public sentiment and policy priorities.
As the general public tunes out of daily politics, the remaining participants are the most extreme, creating an "evaporative cooling" effect. This leaves a small, hyper-engaged, and radicalized group to dominate political platforms, distorting the perception of public sentiment.
Beyond headline-grabbing scandals, the most insidious impact of a kleptocratic administration is its refusal to enforce existing laws, from financial regulations to anti-corruption acts. This quiet dismantling of the legal framework fosters a culture of impunity where bad actors thrive, ultimately harming ordinary people and destabilizing the entire system.
The current level of hyper-partisanship is not a recent phenomenon but the culmination of a continuous, 40-year decline in public trust across all major institutions, including government, media, and church. Trust was significantly higher even during past national traumas like the assassinations of the 1960s and Watergate.
Maria Corina Machado describes her generation as one that held politics in contempt and took democracy for granted. This widespread apathy created a power vacuum that allowed Hugo Chavez to rise, teaching a harsh lesson that freedom requires constant and active civic engagement to be preserved.
This anthropological concept captures the cognitive dissonance of knowing the world is changing while leaders and institutions act like everything is normal. This disconnect can make individuals feel as if they are going crazy, questioning their own perception of reality.
