A worrying trend has emerged in American culture in recent years—a growing acceptance of failure, particularly within our government, institutions, organizations, and corporations.

Once a nation celebrated for its drive, innovation, and relentless pursuit of excellence, America seems to have developed an alarming comfort with sub-optimal results. This shift isn’t just a cultural observation; it has real consequences for the country’s future economic, social, and political landscape.

One characteristic of most recent failures is particularly telling: nobody gets fired. This is not to say that people are not held accountable, but rather that the consequences of failure are often minimized or obscured by a complex web of legal, managerial, and public relations strategies.

The situation is so dire that when someone is fired, management is so terrified of potential lawsuits that might expose even deeper failings and incompetence that they would reinstate, settle, or compensate the individual rather than risk a total exposure of their shortcomings.

Companies are willing to admit institutional crimes, plunder their shareholder’s pockets, and settle for record fines as long as executives remain free of incarceration. Senior management is willing to allow guilty parties to expose their guilt by promising corporate support, fully knowing that corporate counsel does not represent the Board of Directors or individual employees, no matter their rank. Corporate counsel represents the corporation, a lesson learned by individuals only after painful consequences.

Incompetence can get you killed.

FBI let suspect in plot to kill Trump into U.S. on parole despite terror ties, Iran trip, memos show

The FBI allowed Asif Raza Merchant, the Pakistani man charged with plotting with Tehran to assassinate Donald Trump and others, to enter the U.S. in April with special permission known as “significant public benefit parole” even though he was flagged on a terrorism watchlist and recently traveled to Iran, according to government documents reviewed by Just the News.

The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force interviewed Merchant, fingerprinted him, and inspected the contents of his electronic devices when he arrived at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, but then let him leave with the special parole that expired on May 11, the memos state.

The records show that Merchant was allowed to stay in the country beyond the May 11 expiration date for his parole. 

The Justice Department says Merchant tried to hire an individual for an assassination plot shortly after he entered the country in April and that individual become a confidential informant for law enforcement after reporting the contact.

Merchant reportedly asked the informant about various methods to carry out an assassination attempt.

After the charges against Merchant were announced earlier this week, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency issued a new warning Wednesday to its field offices that Iran or its proxy groups may try to transport “operatives, money or materials” across both the southern and northern U.S. borders to carry out attacks on the United States. <Source>

The Culture of Non-Accountability

This reluctance to hold individuals accountable is symptomatic of a broader cultural shift towards non-accountability. In many American workplaces, from corporate boardrooms to government agencies, the consequences of failure are often absorbed by the institution rather than the individual. This creates an environment where mediocrity can thrive because individuals have little incentive to strive for excellence when they know that failure will not result in serious repercussions.

Furthermore, this culture of non-accountability feeds a vicious cycle. As institutions become more tolerant of failure, they attract and retain individuals more likely to accept or contribute to sub-optimal results. Over time, the organization becomes less effective, innovative, and competitive. This is particularly concerning in sectors critical to national success, such as education, healthcare, and technology.

The Legal and Managerial Fear

The fear of lawsuits is a significant factor in this equation. In a litigious society like America, the threat of legal action can paralyze decision-making. Organizations are often more concerned with avoiding litigation than addressing the root causes of failure. As a result, they may choose to quietly settle disputes or reinstate individuals rather than engage in a thorough investigation that could expose broader systemic issues.

This legal caution leads to another problematic outcome: the concealment of incompetence. If management knows that a deeper investigation might reveal their own failings, they are incentivized to cover up mistakes rather than correct them. This prevents necessary reforms and erodes public trust in organizations, public or private.

When citizens and consumers see that failures are swept under the rug rather than addressed head-on, they lose faith in the ability of these institutions to serve their needs effectively.

The Acceptance of Mediocrity

The most concerning aspect of this trend is the growing acceptance of mediocrity among the American public. Whether it’s a poorly executed product launch, a flawed government policy, or a sub-standard educational outcome, there is a sense that “good enough” is now the standard.

This acceptance of sub-optimal results undermines the very fabric of American exceptionalism—the idea that the United States should always strive to be the best, the brightest, and the most innovative.

This cultural shift has profound implications for America’s future. If we continue to accept failure and mediocrity, we risk falling behind other nations that are not content with anything less than excellence. The global competition is fierce, and countries like China, Russia, Germany, India, South Korea, and other industrialized nations are not waiting for us to catch up. They are pushing ahead, driven by a relentless pursuit of progress and innovation.

Bottom line.

To reverse this trend, America must rediscover its intolerance for failure. This doesn’t mean adopting a draconian approach where every mistake results in termination; instead, it means fostering a culture where accountability is taken seriously and excellence is rewarded. It requires a shift in both mindset and policy—where institutions are unafraid to expose and address their failings and are committed to continuous improvement.

We must eliminate or curtail progressive communist democrat unions that degrade our public and private institutions. We must not tolerate and reward teachers' unions that continually lower standards and graduate classes of functional illiterates who know nothing other than activism and demand that which they do not deserve.

Moreover, we must recognize that protecting incompetence does a disservice to everyone involved. Employees should be encouraged to take risks and innovate, but they should also understand that failure has consequences, especially when it results from negligence or a lack of effort. By holding individuals accountable, we can create a culture where excellence is the norm, not the exception.

Ultimately, America’s success has always been built on pursuing greatness. To maintain our position as a global leader, we must reclaim that spirit and reject the comfort of failure.

And we must impose consequences on those wildly, bizarrely, or fatally wrong individuals who pose as highly credentialed and experienced "experts."

Until then, we are screwed.

-- Steve