Good Ole Boy

You know there is one thing in this world that just runs stuff right through me.  I can deal with someone being a hypocrite.  I can deal with a liar and a thief.  I can even hold my tongue when it comes to bible thumpers, but that one is hard.  What I have no tolerance with is the Good Ole Boy network.  It is something you see in police departments, when cops won't rat each other out when one has done something wrong, but it goes deeper.  It was a mainstay in politics, and probably still is, you know people have done each other favors, so they do other people favors as repayment.

Under many circumstances that isn't a horrible thing.  I do +Larry Dillon a favor, help him out in some way, and in return for my favor he does something to help me out.  When it all comes down to the daily grind, we see it at work, we see it in our families, we see it everywhere.  The problem is, it does not end there.  Look at the court system, a cop does something to help out a prosecutor or judge, that favor is returned.  Someone does a favor for a cop, the cop tends to be less inclined to mess with them.  But the problem is, if your family has been in an area for a longer period of time, or is considered to be a wealthy family (this applies to money and power), you can call in these favors. 

In some areas, it is running wild.  But that is mostly in the southern states, places in the bible belt.  Places like West Virginia, where the old guard does things their own way.  The problem is, people get swept under the bus when this goes on.  If you are not a part of the Good Ole Boy network, you won't get things done.  In truth, if you think you can get around it, people in the Good Ole Boy network can slide around and screw with you in other ways.

Take it like this.  You are sitting in a parking lot somewhere.  A man backs into your car, severely damaging it, when he gets out of his car, as you come running out of the store, he smells of alcohol.  It is painfully obvious to even the most dense of people that he is drunk, and you do what everyone would do you call the police.  Well the officer comes out, addresses the man by the first name, and gets all the information about the incident and tells you that you can leave.  Later you find out that this officer has known the man his entire life, grew up next to him, and you have another problem, he is running on dead tags and no license or insurance.  Now in most places, that is a one way ticket to jail, but in places where the good ole boy network are in play, he is allowed to drive him.  You do go court, because you know if you turn it over to your insurance you are going to pay out the backside for it, and it gets tossed, for no other reason that crap happens.  That would be the Good Ole Boy network.  You see it everyday.



Another example of which is this.  Something happens, and you feel you have been wronged.  Actually you feel you have been really wronged, to the point you seek out an attorney.  Each attorney you speak to starts looking at the merit of the case, and you can see them start drooling over it.  Their cut, a third, their working hours, low.  I mean they could send their paralegals into court to argue it, and as long as they are breathing, can speak, and have a body temperature of something that resembles a living human, they would win the case.  Minimal effort, maximum reward.  Then they see who it is against, and nope can't take the case.  It would be career suicide, or the end of my career to take it.

But this happened in history with our politics, back door deals, people covering things up for others, and having the favor returned.  Really it is still happening, companies give money to campaigns, candidates when elected then give favors to the contributors.  A person can give enough money to a specific party, which will not be named here (because it is both), and practically choose the candidate they want.  The Good Ole Boy network, screwing most of us are too damn ignorant to see it. 

If I was so inclined, I could call in family favors, and 90% of my issues would within the course of a few phone calls, would be over.  But I won't do that, foolish as it is, because I refuse to propagate that negative side of it.  Really, it would do for me and mine, but it would also likely put some other people out.  It would be harmful to someone, it might mean they loose out on something minor, say purchasing a home, but no matter how minor it could be harmful. 

But there are two sides to this.  Where I am now, I am an outsider in the network, but in other places, I would be an insider.  I would find a strong sense of fellowship and loyalty with my peers, they know me, what I am about, and they would be more than willing to throw the Almighty himself under the bus for me.  In that instance I would see the good side of it, but really it would only be good for me.  It needs to go away, it needs to stop.  We cannot continue to turn a blind eye to things like this.  The system is supposed to protect us, politics are meant to instill rules, and actions that prevent others from harming us, corporation or person.  But when the Good Ole Boy network is in play, people cover their own interests, along with what is best for them, and screw everyone else over.  It is worse when it is a small group doing it to the majority.