For the Love of Corruption

Surveys of organizations find that the vast majority of rude and inappropriate behaviors, such as the shouting of profanities, come from the offices of those with the most authority.

(cf. Jonah Lehrer, “The Psychology of Power”, Wired, 2010)

Harvey Weinstein’s leave of absence should come as no surprise. No more of a surprise than Donald Trump’s ‘Access Hollywood’ tape, anyway. Authority brings with it many perks; one being freedom from the restrictions, boundaries and social norms that the rest of us must live by. Poststructuralism is an elitism that the rest of us can’t afford.
In ‘S.R. 819’, Senator Matheson can argue that his intention is to save lives yet, when presented with a specific life to save, his response is, “I can’t save his”. Strangely, but for a man in Matheson’s position, life in the abstract is far more valuable. Not in any noble sense – hence, Skinner is expendable – valuable in a monetary sense.
Like any good politician, Matheson may not be outright lying when he says his intention is to save lives. It may be exactly that. It isn’t his motivation though. His being so definite about not saving Skinner tells us that much. We know immediately that it is Krycek who is playing God with Skinner’s life and it is Krycek who calls Matheson to tell him there is a new threat to the bill. Whatever Matheson’s intentions, they are not pure.
There is only one reason to become involved with the kind of men who will kill to prevent light being shined too brightly into the dark spaces of life - the vampires who, while they might not actually bite their victims in the neck, just as surely live off the blood of others. Matheson is willing to deal with those who wield the authority over life only for his own personal gratification. Even if he sincerely believes it to be the only way to get S.R. 819 passed, that there are such men lurking in the shadows bodes ill for the bill’s true purpose. Krycek is not known for his humanitarian streak.
It is Matheson’s position of authority as a US Senator that makes him an attractive proposition to the men dealing in death. Whatever they stand to gain from the passing of S.R. 819, having a pet Senator to help it on its way through the House must be worth the expense. And Senator Matheson is very clear about who he has made a bargain with. He warns Mulder that if he pursues this, “they will kill you”, just as he informs Orgel that “they” believe he exposed “them” to the FBI.
Somewhere in the deepest recesses of his mind there may be some truth to his assertion that it’s his intention to save lives, but he damn well knows that there will be blood on this bill and that he’s willing to allow its spilling if it serves his own purpose.
The general understanding has it that power corrupts. But this is just one of those clever word games we play with ourselves to divert attention away from the truth. Power doesn’t corrupt, it merely takes away the need to restrict oneself to the norms of society. Power opens a door – it is the already corrupted who walk through it.