Folks choosing a feel-good movie after a long day may pick classics like The Sound of Music or The Lion King or a holiday classic like Miracle on 34^th Street or a host of romantic comedies or Disney animated films.

During these tumultuous times, my feel-good movie is All the President’s Men. This 1976 classic details the investigative journalism that revealed the 1972 Watergate break-in and subsequent coverup that forced 36^th US President Richard Nixon to resign in 1974.

For those lost in the multitude of political scandals that have happened since – “scandals” like much of life have accelerated in recent decades – Watergate is an industrial complex in Washington, DC that housed (and maybe still does, can’t tell) the National Democratic Headquarters.

As part of a general smear campaign against Democrats, on June 17, 1972, five men supporting the Republican party attempted to bug the National Democratic Headquarters and were caught. As they could be linked directly to the president and his “men” through a re-election campaign “slush fund” money trail, Nixon authorized a cover-up.

Two Washington Post journalists – Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein – worked obsessively to unravel the labyrinth of details and obstructions. Woodward has continued a journalistic career branding himself as the revealer of the secrets and behind-the-scenes machinations of the American political elite.

The Mayberry of Political Scandals

In 1974 Nixon resigned and many of the men involved in the Watergate cover-up were convicted of felonies, perjury and obstruction of justice. Many plead guilty. Many did time.

How quaint!

Today this seems like an episode of The Andy Griffith Show where Mayberry sheriff Andy Taylor is fair, wise, and eternally patient. Bad behavior is corrected through situational monitoring – his son Opie always learns by experience. And, of course, bad guys, when they appear, get their due justice.

Times have changed in America. We’ve moved from Mayberry to Constantinople, the capital city of the Byzantine Empire. Like Byzantine history, American politics changes every day, every minute. It’s always a wonder to me why people (men generally) jumped into the extremely dangerous role as Emperor of the Byzantine Empire.

Power is that alluring.

In today’s Byzantine political climate, what would happen if a Watergate-like break-in crime were to occur?

Watergate Today

Let’s look at the major elements of the Watergate scandal and see how they might play out today. Cultural shifts are represented by the outer planets of Uranus (sudden change, technology, awareness), Neptune (idealization, spirituality, escape, dissolution) and Pluto (destruction, transformation).

Slush fund

Then: In 1952 Nixon was accused of having a secret “slush fund,” or secret money used for campaigning. This led to his famous “Checkers” speech. During his presidency (elected 1968), Nixon continued to maintain a secret slush fund which was tied to the Watergate break-in. At that time it was not a legal practice.

Now: In 2010 the Supreme Court case Citizens United allowed “corporations and outside groups” to spend unlimited money on political campaigns. Slush funds are no longer needed as lots of money and campaigning can be done on one’s behalf with full immunity from moral malfeasance. Nixon today could have been like presidential candidate Mitt Romney in 2012 and simply say, “I don’t know who these people are who are doing these things on my behalf.” Easy-peasy.

What happened? Uranus and Neptune were both changing signs around 2010. Uranus went from Pisces which dissolves into Aries which asserts. Rather than dissolving the slush funds, Uranus made the nebulous nature of campaign funding an accepted practice. Neptune moved into the sign it rules – Pisces. Neptune idealized the secret funding of campaigns – Citizens United is doublespeak for Citizens InTheDark. Uranus in Aries made it sound like people were “united” in supporting unknown entities with large pockets contributing to election messaging.

Facts

Then: While politicians have always lied and hid information, there was still a standard in journalism to provide facts to support news. If the news said that a man walked into a room yesterday, it probably did happen. Of course, there were times when “facts” were nebulous, like whether one lone shooter actually assassinated John F. Kennedy. But we do know Kennedy died.

Now: Journalistic standards have not gone away, they’ve just been buried in a pile of junk news that is pushed to citizens every day, all day. The politicians would like us to disregard good journalism as it’s counter to their own narratives. Like food, Pop Tarts can be a much tastier snack than carrot sticks. Americans may be trying to eat healthier, but we don’t think healthier. That may be a trend for Pluto in Aquarius that has just begun.

What happened? Pluto entered Capricorn in 2008 destroying and transforming government. While many would like to see government “destroyed,” it’s simply transformed into a different power structure. Pluto is about power and coercion. Government still exists but is now run by elites and corporations through puppet figures. Uranus in Pisces provided understanding of the power of technology to manipulate and Neptune in Pisces is bringing us a society that has no foundation of understanding with which to collaborate.

Pay phones and camera-less parking garages

Then: Woodward had a source on “deep background” in the executive branch who in recent years has been identified as Mark Felt of the FBI. Felt provided bread crumb trails that helped the two journalists down the trail of the scandal. To hide Felt’s identity, Woodward used pay phones and met Felt late night in parking garages.

Now: Today, where would Woodward and Felt meet to have private conversations? I’d say “nowhere” but there are probably people doing this today and not explaining the how or why of it. And one can turn off a phone and its ability to trace, but then later we turn it back on so it’s evident we’re hiding. Cameras are everywhere so there’s path that won’t be on film at some point.

What happened? Pay phones went away when hand-held devices became more prevalent as Uranus moved into “me” Aries and Neptune into Pisces. Pay phones also use coins which are becoming less and less available. Camera-less parking garages? Cameras seemed to appear everywhere during Pluto in Sagittarius when foreigners (very Sagittarius) carried out a terrorist attack. Uranus in Aries brought all the things government does in this regard to the individual level. You too can put up a camera! My neighborhood site had a posting recently about someone running through a person’s backyard. Today, everything needs to be in Pluto-in-Capricorn control and order. There was a time kids running through backyards did not cause great fear. Our homes were not fortresses.

Telephone books

Then: In one scene we see Woodward trying to find a person in all the phone books that are available on the phonebook shelf. Oh my, I think, wouldn’t it be so much better if there was an Internet where he could just find someone?

Now: Today the information is more easily accessible but also can have a cost. Phonebooks were provided to every household for free when landlines were prevalent. But the company providing them was a monopoly, so the cost was embedded in the service. Technology provides numerous points of contact with which to “monetize” an interaction so it probably costs more to gain the same information, although must faster.

What happened? Technology is still the big story as Uranus and Neptune had traveled through Aquarius bringing us our hand-held devices. The “monetize” part of the story is pure Pluto in Capricorn. Capricorn’s keyword is “I use” and nothing in the world, no interaction, should go unpaid. Neptune in Pisces has added the glamor of this monetization process where the Average Joe and Jane now dream of a Social Media Stardom.

Bugging

Then: Listening in on others’ conversations was called “eavesdropping” and considered a bad behavior and a crime. (For the visual, there was something called a “Peeping Tom” describing men who looked in windows at other people doing stuff).

Now: Pluto at the end of Sagittarius when some violent religious activities took place led the government to diminish civil rights and allowed more surveillance. It’s the old program of changing things when folks are in a fear state

What happened? Smartphones are “smart” not just for the consumer but for any “smart” entity that wants to get in and listen. Folks are more aware now that anything said on the phone (or text) is recorded somewhere as we see the results come back to us in social media feeds. Don’t believe? Give it a try but be careful. As with cameras, this is pure Pluto in Capricorn using, controlling and monetizing.

Watergate Lessons

What are the lessons of Watergate?

For the voting public, it was proof of the lies, misdemeanors and felonies committed by politicians. It was a big deal in 1972. Today, an ex-president being charged with rape doesn’t raise an eyebrow. The voting public went into acceptance. Technology assisted by providing so much stimulation, that distraction is a new norm. And even if one wanted to trace the lies and malfeasance created by politicians, there would not be enough time in a day.

For politicians, the lesson was “don’t get caught again.” The best way not to get caught is to change the rules. And the best time to change the rules is when folks aren’t looking because they are busy with something that is super interesting (like 24/7 feeds of entertainment) or something that is super scary (terrorist attack, spreading illness).

There would be no “Watergate” today because there would be no acknowledged crime; the information war about the crime has become the news.