Tag: Ethics in Government

“For the Want of . . .” (with apologies to Ben Franklin):

by James P. Shafer, posted in Bridges Not Walls, Defending the Constitution, Ethics in Government, Politics, Resist Trump

For the want of a Soul, Honor is lost,
For the want of Honor, Honesty is lost,
For the want of Honesty, Trust is lost,
For the want of Trust, the President is lost,
For the want of a President, the Nation is lost,
And all for the want of a (single) Soul.

You may think it far-fetched (as most of our elected representatives from the Republican party apparently do).

If you think about what has REALLY made America one of the greatest Nation’s in History, though, you may begin to see what I mean:

It has not been our military strength.  With no disrespect intended to the members of our armed forces, we have fought and won most of the wars in our past from the position of the unmistakable under-dog.

The one notable loss, in Vietnam, was despite our vastly superior military power and the horrific sacrifices made by the soldiers we sent to fight on our behalf.

It has not been our economic power.  For most of our history we have been largely an agrarian economy, squarely in the also-ran category.

And even though our Nation’s Founders were uncommonly wise and well-intentioned, our laws and national institutions (often cited as the source of our strength), have frequently proven to be fallible and insufficient.

Think of the blight of slavery and the illegal incarceration of U.S. Citizens of Japanese descent during World War II, not to mention the more recent failing of the Electoral College to function (as intended) as the emergency brake on the disastrous outcome of a general election.

As a Nation we HAVE been favored with tremendous natural resources, a strong tradition of hard work and self-reliance, and a citizen-army that has heroically pulled our fat from the fires of tyranny and destruction more often than we can count or have any right to expect.

What has really distinguished us, though, from the long-line of nation states which have risen (and fallen) before us, is our “Soul” as a Nation.  That is the True source of whatever greatness we have attained in the past (and hope to regain in the future).  It is embodied by our shared ideals and aspirations, even if we don’t always live up to them.

It is not that we are always and infallibly exceptional among the Nations of the World, past and present.  As the degenerate who currently occupies the highest office in the land has delighted in pointing out (and actually exemplifies), we frequently fall far short of the standards by which we measure other nations and their Leaders (or rulers as the case may be).

That Soul, though, is the spark that has fired the courage of countless Minutemen, Infantrymen, Doughboys, and G.I.’s facing overwhelming odds in all corners of the globe throughout our history.

It is the source of the ambition which relentlessly drives our fellow-citizens to improve their own lives in pursuit of a better future for themselves, their children, and the World as a whole.

It is what has drawn countless millions of destitute but strong-willed and stalwart souls to our shores, making themselves and all of us immeasurably richer by any standard you can think of as a result.

It is why we stand up to bullies (individuals or nations) rather than join them – because there are many who have tried to bully US.

It is why we root for the underdog – because we have quite often BEEN the underdog.

It is why we, as a people, are drawn to honest effort, fair play, and civil behavior among and between ourselves and our neighbors – because many of us, directly or through our forebears, have borne the scars of corruption, malfeasance and injustice.

Most of all, it is THE defining trait which, in spite of our many failings and shortcomings, has marked America as an unmistakable and indispensable force for good throughout most of our History.

AND – it is the one trait that our current leader (aided and abetted by the party for which he is the chosen standard bearer) so obviously, irrefutably and catastrophically lacks.

As a Nation we have proven time and time again that we are able to shoulder any burden, overcome any hardship, and defeat any foe of Liberty.  Thanks to that shared “Soul” inculcated in all of us, we have faced those challenges with bravery, steadfast determination and more confidence than a rational people should be able to muster.

The one enemy we have not had to face until now, though, is an elected president who neither shares our commitment to those lofty ideals nor even believes in them.

How we, as individuals and citizens, respond to this threat will surely determine the fate of our Nation – as surely as the want of a horseshoe nail determines the loss of a kingdom.

Are Some More Equal Than Others?

by James P. Shafer, posted in Election, Emoluments Clause, Ethics in Government, Politics, Resist Trump

No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince or foreign State.

Article 1, Section 9, Clause 8 of the United States Constitution is not some nefarious plot hatched by narrow-minded, bleeding heart Liberals intent on tripping-up our glorious new leader.

It was made an integral part of our Nation’s founding document specifically because the Framer’s of that document saw from personal experience how easily the loyalties and priorities of even the most honorable people could be swayed by the promise of personal gain resulting from official actions.

It has been part and parcel of the “job description” for every President aspiring to or holding our Nation’s highest office since George Washington.  Every one of those individuals, and most of their political appointees, have willingly complied with its strictures, often at great personal sacrifice.

As of January 20, 2017, we have, for the first time in our Nation’s history, a President who stands in blatant violation of this most basic of Laws as of his first day in office.  Although directly contradicted by some of the Country’s most accomplished legal and constitutional scholars, the man who would lead our “Nation of Laws” has unilaterally decided that THIS law, which he finds personally inconvenient, does not have to be obeyed by him.

There are many concrete examples illustrating why this particular Law is of crucial importance, especially given the situation in which we currently find ourselves:

As Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces, Trump has the authority to order the men and women who VOLUNTEERED to defend us all into harm’s way.  Those individuals should not have to wonder whether his orders are based on the need to defend our Country or based on the need to defend their Commander-in-Chief’s business interests.

For those of us whose main contribution to our Country is the taxes we pay, we should not have to wonder whether the relative pittance most of us have to cough-up every April 15 will have to compete in our government’s eyes with the influence conferred by the (recently doubled) initiation fee of $200,000.00 at the golf resort in Florida which just happens to have the same name as our newly elected head of state.

Perhaps even more central to the argument, though, is this: Throughout our Nation’s 200+ year history, we have prided ourselves on the premise that All Are Equal Before The Law.  Richard Nixon tried (and dismally failed) to make the argument that “If the President does it, it’s not illegal”.  So the flimsy moral and legal grounds upon which Trump bases his claim of immunity have already been soundly rejected.

Are we now to make a “special exception” to one of the key pillars upon which the success of the American experiment in open and honest governance has rested for over 200 years?

No matter what your personal opinions may be concerning the course and outcome of last year’s election, I think any rational citizen would have to concede that Trump is now the President.  For the good of the country he should at least be given the opportunity to govern.  I am personally willing to give him that opportunity AS LONG AS he is willing to do so in accordance with the laws of our Nation.

To faithfully discharge the duties of the office and to uphold the very values he swore to protect and defend when he took the oath of office on January 20, it is a requirement of the Constitution (which is, after all, the highest law in the land), that he divest himself, immediately and completely, of ALL his business interests.

Failure to do so amounts to nothing less than the betrayal of the Office and of the trust placed in the new President by the millions of Americans who voted for him.