Motus Mentis

By now you have probably heard that Eric Adams, the glabrous black ex-cop who is (for now) Mayor of New York, is under multiple indictments for various acts of political corruption involving bribery and foreign influence, the culmination of a probe that has over the past couple of months swept up a number of his cronies and subordinates.

“But wait — Adams is a Democrat, and a POC to boot! How can this be happening?”

If we draw Ockham’s Razor from its sheath to slice the question open, the simplest answer readily appears: with his recent and voluble criticism of the Party’s immigration policy — which, he rightly pointed out, is wrecking New York — he had got dangerously out of line. Lawfare ensued. His political career is likely to come to an end, and perhaps even his personal liberty as well — pour encourager les autres.

“Well, if he’s guilty, what’s the problem?”

I would hardly imagine that he isn’t guilty. (Given the crimes he’s accused of, it would be no surprise at all.) But that isn’t the point. No, the problem is that others — a certain family out of Delaware comes to mind — have been flamboyantly, ostentatiously guilty of the same things for ages, entirely without consequences, even as political opponents of the Democrats have been punished with the harshest severity for the mildest of offenses (and often for crimes that didn’t exist at all).

The charges against Hizzoner go back a long way — some of them even predate his reign as Mayor — but he was a “made man”, so they were kept on ice. But now, having disrespected the Family, he is dead to them, and he will sleep with the fishes.

As Lavrentiy Beria once said: “Show me the man, and I’ll find you the crime”.