Passengers to be charged with impaired driving!

Autoworkers may relate to this.

You are involved in a horrific crash, one that has destroyed the lives of many and seriously impaired the lives of others.
You are in the vehicle driven by someone you know, someone who you also knew was under the influence.
You are dazed and battered, not just from the effects of the crash but also from being along for this bumpy ride for quite a while.
You had no choice about getting in the car, because this was the one who brung you and you were along for the ride whether you liked it or not.

YOU the passenger are charged with drinking and driving, with being in a car with a drunken driver and treated to all the offenses that go with these charges.

You are involved in more that just an accident, because this one happened during a time of widespread fear and uncertainty.


How does that sound?

We could have Parliamentarians arguing in favour of charging passengers, while unconditionally pardoning the drunken drivers of any culpability.
The media would be let loose and would conduct a campaign that would deliberately distort reality by printing and publishing confusing information.
The now familiar tactic of doublespeak technically correct, while factually wrong. would serve in whipping up public fervour.
Independent experts would be called upon to argue in favour of this new reality, even though their track records showed that they had also participated in this wreck,
by enabling the drivers over all these years with the kind of advice that led to the crash while paradoxically offering up the very same advice as a cure.
You the passenger would be expected to suffer serious economic penalties, for all the devastation caused by the crash.
Drivers would suffer absolutely no penalty of any sort and would be patted on the heads and given State funds to fix up their vehicles.
Drivers would have lifetime amnesty from any sort of accountability or responsibility.
The media, having double speak down to a fine art, honed after many decades of practicing this form of disinformation, would make even the mention of a financial penalty for drivers a remote possibility, something not to be talked about in decent company.
There would not even be a whisper of financial penalty for them.

Sound ludicrous?

It shouldn't really!

If you apply the analogy to the current economic crisis, you will find that this is exactly what is being done to Autoworkers!
They are the passengers and the Executive ranks are the drivers.
Autoworkers as passengers, are being taken on a ride, over which they have absolutely no control, with the widespread support of public opinion.
Current events show how well has the medias doublespeak worked.
Most letters/comments from readers of various media are solidly in favour of charging and penalizing the Autoworker...(or the passenger as it were).
Financial penalties actually seem sensible.
Our rightwingers, traditional voices of the rich and powerful, the current Industry Minister and Prime Minister have both indicated their unqualified support for the reccomendations of the executive ranks.
How much sense does it make to demand concessions from the passengers (Autoworkers) and expect that to fix the problem?
Especially with the drivers, (the executives) still in charge, devoid of any accountability or responsibility?
In spite of the furor with the recent AIG Executive bonuses, there has not been any mention of of executive accountability and responsibility from any government Ministers, the much abused Accountability Act of the Conservatives nowithstanding!