TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Politics in Telecom

Re: Politics in Telecom

hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com
25 Apr 2005 10:34:15 -0700

sidd@situ.com wrote:

> http://www.time.com/time/magazine/printout/0,8816,1053595,00.html

> Any Kerry Supporters On The Line?
> The Bush Administration Punishes Some Democrat Backers

I don't know why this is such a surprise to anyone.

Since political parties came about, it was "the victor goes the
spoils". Whatever party came in cleaned house, and this is in
Federal, State, and local politics.

The development of civil service came about to keep at least some
people on their jobs and maintain continuity. But all policy makers
and high level people serve solely at the pleasure of those newly
elected.

A very few people manage to stay on the job, some doing work no one
else wants (ie Prison or Sewer commissioner, which aren't very
glamorous).

Even within a single party, there's "punishment" for those who didn't
support the eventual winner. Basically the life of a politician is
filled with lining up supporters in a constantly changing world, and
choosing who to support elsewhere. Alliances are constantly being
made and then broken.

FWIW, when FDR was elected in 1932, Herbert Hoover was out of govt and
persona not grata. But when Truman, a very loyal Democrat, inherited
the office in 1945 he promptly involved Hoover back to the White House
and put Hoover's considerable skills to work for famine relief in
Europe*. On the other hand, Eisenhower and Truman had a bad falling
out and Truman was not welcome in the house during Eisenhower's term.
In yet another twist, Kennedy brought back Truman to honor him despite
Truman despising Kennedy's father and being very against Kennedy to be
the 1960 candidate.

The point is that politics is all about friends and enemies and reward
and punishment, and it's an accepted part of the game.

(*Contrary to myth, Hoover did a lot more to fight the Depression than
is given credit for.)

It's not much different in the private sector. When a CEO comes in
there's normally a reorganization and he puts in his own people and
others have to find new jobs, even if they've been with the company
for years.

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