to cover up the systemic abuses it continues to inflict
Whenever a government panders to a group, you can be sure it is covering for something. How true it is that the systemic abuses are being inflicted by the government, which is trying to convince the average joe that the average joe is inflicting the abuses!
pat themselves on the back for doing something,
For every new law, regulation or holiday they make, they should rescind two.