Clarence Thomas And The Troubling Problem Of Greed In Washington

Finding greed in Washington, D.C. is about as predictable as finding flowers blooming in the springtime, and this spring is no exception with the recent news that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas accepted lavish trips from a billionaire conservative donor named Harlan Crow. While these vacations and rides on luxury yachts and private jets may not have violated ethics rules at the time they occurred, they certainly have an unsavory appearance, particularly given the enormous influence the Supreme Court wields and the need for it to be free from any hint of corruption or illicit activity.

Unfortunately, the debate about Justice Thomas is already dividing along the usual partisan lines, with left-wing outlets such as ProPublica taking fire at the conservative justice and right-wing outlets such as the Wall Street Journal opinion page defending him. The Washingtonian has even drawn attention to Crow’s collection of Adolf Hitler paintings and other Nazi memorabilia, seeking to draw a connection between the Republican benefactor and a dangerous, eugenics-centered ideology.

Sadly, Justice Thomas’s missteps are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the issue of greed in our nation’s capital. As author Peter Schweizer argued in his book Throw Them All Out, politicians on both sides of the political spectrum have engaged in insider trading for years, using their privileged access to information and power to make personal profits and to steer government contracts and subsidies to their closest friends, families and donors.

These dynamics help explain why U.S. senators cling to their jobs, often until they are on the very brink of death. Too many close acquaintances and family members profit from their power, making it difficult for them to let go. Schweizer’s book is a damning indictment of the political class and the extent to which greed has infiltrated Congress and the White House. It’s a bipartisan issue: neither Republicans nor Democrats are immune to the problem.

A Quartz study analyzing data collected by the Center for Responsive Politics found that the median net worth of members of Congress was $1.1 million in 2015, more than 12 times the net worth of the median American household. Additionally, a study by the organization Public Citizen found that 50% of former House members and 60% of former senators had become registered lobbyists in 2012. Another analysis found the average salary increase for such lawmakers-turned-lobbyists is 1,452%.

While the word “greed” is often thrown around in political discussions, there is considerable confusion about what exactly constitutes greed and who is to blame for it. Politicians such as Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders blame corporate greed for inflation, when the more likely culprit is loose monetary policy and their own reckless spending.

This confusion has led many on Twitter to jokingly refer to the imaginary link between greed and inflation as “greedflation.” But while the politicians tend to get the details wrong about what form greed takes, they are right that greed is one of the most serious and rampant problems in Washington.

It’s not surprising that so many people feel disillusioned with the political process and distrustful of politicians. When they see Clarence Thomas accepting extravagant gifts from a billionaire, it’s easy to conclude that the system is rigged against them. But there is hope. The fact that these issues are being exposed is a positive sign. Even if Clarence Thomas didn’t violate the law, he will likely exercise more restraint in the future, given all the negative press coverage.

Ultimately, however, the problem of greed in Washington is a complex one that has deep causes. It’s not just politicians who are to blame. Our culture elevates celebrity, wealth and prestige above more humane values and pursuits. That says as much about “us” as it does about the “them” in Washington, D.C.

A cultural shift may be what is needed to elevate integrity and public service over personal gain. The recent news about Clarence Thomas serves to highlight the issue, but it won’t be enough to change our culture. Our reactionary partisan impulses aren’t helping matters either. As it turns out, the problem of greedflation—or rising rates of greed over time—may be more real than we think. If we genuinely want to root out corruption, however, the best place to start may not be to “throw them all out” but rather to look in the mirror first.