India’s Pathetic Politicians

The U.S. Congress may suffer dismal popularity ratings (less savory than head lice, according to one survey), but it’s saintly compared to India’s legislatures, which include six accused rapists at the state level and two in the national parliament. And 36 local officials have been charged with sexual assault (according to India’s Association for Democratic Reforms). In December, the association reported 162 of the lower house of Parliament’s 552 members now face criminal charges. The problem’s compounded by India’s notoriously paralyzed justice system, practically ensuring the charges go unresolved for years, if not decades.