"Give Us The Head of Eric Shinseki!"

So demanded a howling mob of politicians, elements of the media, and "veterans' organizations," calling for the resignation of the Veterans' Administration boss, former Army General Eric Shinseki. Why? Because of secret waiting lists for veterans seeking medical care at VA hospitals and a coverup by the local administrators which kept Shinseki in the dark. So a scapegoat was needed.

This little scandal-du-jour went through the standard lifespan of such scandals. At first the Obama regime tried damage control. Obama vowed that the "problems" would be "fixed." He expressed confidence in Shinseki. Even an enemy, the Republic Speaker of the House of Representatives, John Boehner, said Shinseki shouldn't resign. Of course, that was two days ago.

The furor didn't die down. Reactionaries with media platforms kept the pot boiling. So today Obama "accepted Shinseki's resignation." He claimed, obviously falsely, that this was Shinseki's decision entirely. (Again, they always say that when someone is ousted under duress.) A new VA boss will be duly chosen and will duly vow to "clean house" and "fix the problems."

But the problem is the large number of damaged cannon fodder, which in turn is a direct result of the aggressive militarism of U.S. imperialism, which constantly attacks other nations. That, and an obviously shortage of required medical staff. [1]

The bureaucrats down the ladder in turn practice "cya;" "cover your ass," which is standard for all members of all large organizations, public or private.

Since nothing fundamental will be changed, a scapegoat is needed, as has been human practice since time immemorial, for the group to displace its sins onto an innocent victim and expiate those sins by killing the scapegoat (in this case, merely firing him). Shinseki will land a comfortable sinecure somewhere, and perhaps further feather his nest with "consulting" fees, speaking fees, article fees, maybe a book deal. Members of the upper political elite never suffer actual harm. (See the post-scandal career of one David Petraeus.)

1]  See, for example: "Doctor Shortage Is Cited in Delays at V.A. Hospitals," New York Times, May 29, 2014.