Ignorance has been around for a long time, but never before has it been openly listed as a qualification for a high government job. Currently, it seems to rank above honesty, competence, and common horse sense. I said one time that “we’re all ignorant, just on different subjects.” But I never expected that a subject you’re ignorant of is one they would put you in charge of.
It’s been a rough week for the President, what with Benghazi, IRS and the hassling of AP reporters. He was kinda hoping the murder trials of Jodi Arias and the baby-killing Philadelphia abortionist would last a while longer.
Now, we hear that key folks in the federal government claim they were ignorant, ignorant of any wrongdoing by the employees under their management. President Obama said he was ignorant of the IRS targeting Tea Party folks. The head of the IRS said he knew nothing, went before Congress, and proved that he knows absolutely nothing. Sarah Hall Ingram, in charge of the Cincinnati IRS office, said she was ignorant or incompetent, I’m not sure which. Maybe both.
Do you know what happens to a manager at the IRS who claims ignorance or incompetence? In Mrs. Ingram’s case you get a raise, bonuses and a promotion out of Cincinnati to run a new program with even more opportunities for ignorance to prevail.
The President says he is shocked that IRS agents in Cincinnati would throw up roadblocks against conservative organizations just because he was attacking them in campaign speeches. Those agents live in John Boehner’s back yard, belong to a union, and work in an agency the Republicans want to eliminate by instituting a flat tax. It’s no surprise they opposed the election of Republicans who would jeopardize their jobs, bonuses and promotions.
President Obama wants Congress to look forward, not backward. He told ‘em, “Disregard everything we covered up and ignored to get reelected in 2012, and we’ll work with you to see that it never happens again.” After all, that was months ago. What difference does it make now.
You might say, why not have ignorant people running the government; voter’s ignorance is how many of them got elected.
It’s a shame. This claim of ignorance and incompetence by a few is making the majority of good honest folks working for the government look bad. Like I said about lawyers one time, the main goal should be to rid their ranks of the shysters.
Historic quotes by Will Rogers:
“An awful lot of boys and girls graduate this week all over the country. Ignorance is just about obliterated.” DT #907, June 23, 1929
“All I know is just what I read in the papers, and that’s an alibi for my ignorance.” DT #1263, Aug. 12, 1930
“We got a murder trial (dominating news coverage), and we don’t know a thing in the world that is happening outside of that, so pardon my ignorance.” DT #2203, Aug. 25, 1930
“It’s not really intention on the government’s part that they don’t do better, it’s ignorance.” WA #428, March 8, 1931