Consequences, And The Lack Thereof

Tuesday, January 6, 2026

Mark Kelly, after participating in the heinous “unlawful orders” video, censured and perhaps losing rank and retirement benefits from the Navy.  Oops.  While you are free to speak your mind, there may be consequences.  Of course, this being the modern world, I doubt this move will mean much to Kelly personally.  I would imagine his Naval pension is an insignificant portion of his income and this will only bolster his support among the left-wing “base.”  But, unlike so many idiots that have come before him, he faces consequences for his actions.  If only we could be consistent about it.

Tim Walz’ political career has come to a screeching halt on the heels of the Minnesota fraud scandal:

Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota announced on Monday that he’s dropping his bid for an unprecedented third term as governor amid stinging criticism of his handling of his state’s massive welfare assistance fraud scandal.

Frankly the entire Democrat Party should suffer some consequences for this – he was their #2 on the national ticket not that long ago.  He is toxic now – unsuitable for even a high ranking appointment since this scandal is about an inability to manage.  Undoubtedly he will claim victimhood, take to the speaking circuit and pocket a bundle.

Walz and Kelly are both facing consequences, but are they really that consequential?  We live in a world where one can capitalize on failure, mismanagement and even wrongdoing.

Then there are those that ought to face consequences that aren’t:

Former President Joe Biden could be pulling in a hefty, taxpayer-funded pension — stemming from his expansive career as a federal employee, according to a new report.

The National Taxpayer Union Foundation estimates that Biden could be collecting up to a $417,000 pension — more than he was making a year as president, and more than previous presidents — as a result of collecting pensions from several retirement programs he qualifies for after starting his career in Washington in the 1970s. …

Still, it’s unclear if Biden will actually cash in on all of those benefits.

Perhaps it is fair to say that his rapidly declining health and mental capacity is a consequence, but the man defrauded the nation as to those capabilities.  At a minimum he should be disqualified for retired President benefits since there is scant evidence he actually fulfilled the duties of that office.

We live in a world where even a losing politician can win (the title “former Presidential candidate” puts those speaking fees way up there) and even malfeasance can be rewarded (Prisoners write books, for example.)  Our consequences for bad behavior are just not that consequential anymore and we pay the price for it in the lack of excellence we see in everything from online customer service to dispensing government benefits.  A lack of consequences creates a lack of aspiration.

Everybody deserves a second chance, but we need aspiration and excellence.