Reading the Hemlock Cup a book about Socrates and Ancient Athens our first democracy one realizes how much things have not changed. For instance the Greeks had a show trial and killed Socrates and we had McCarthyism.
One might say this is an inevitable symptom of democracy and we should just accept it because the benefits of our system outweigh the adverse side effects.
This is truly a foolish acceptance of a wrong doing that must be corrected by both ethical rules and legislation.
Congressional leaders should be prohibited from engaging in witch hunts unless they prove beyond a reasonable doubt that they are called for by going before a quasi judicial body sort of like getting a warrant. This should be created through legislation.
Ethically Congressional leaders should be held accountable for such hearings through ejection, censure and rebuke. Publicity seeking show trials should not be taken lightly.
2,500 years is long enough for democracy to suffer from so called symptomatic drawbacks. The time is right for healthy change in our ever changing great and noble system of government.