Both Democrats and Republicans referred to McCain's absence as 'he is recovering'. Even though everyone with any common sense knew he was never coming back. We are holding his seat for his return. (ridiculous)
Nobody on either side wanted to say "the emperor has no clothes". So they all just 'pretended' it was true, all of them knowing full well that it was pure nonsense. This is what they are doing with RBG now. Everybody knows that she will not make it to the end of next year.
But this situation along with McCain really does emphasize the fantasy world bubble of government employees verses the real world commercial workplace. This stuff could only happen in government. There is no corporation in the world which would tolerate a functionally debilitated employee remaining in an important decision making role up to and past their funeral. They may keep someone on as a figurehead or a retiree, but their role would be replaced with a real employee who can actually function.
The American government is its own little world unlike anything else that exists anywhere. In the last generation, government service meant low wages. These days, a government job is like winning the lottery.
Unlimited benefits. Unlimited holidays and vacation. Perks that cannot be found anywhere else. Retirement benefits which are beyond belief. Once government employees/politicians discovered that they could either by vote or regulation control their own salaries. The sky is the limit. And even the sky is not enough for them. They can do any damn thing they want to, whether it makes sense or not. If they want RBG to keep her job after her death, somehow, some way they can make it happen. And nobody will say a word about it.
