A HIGHER LOYALTY; OBSTRUCTION TO PRESIDENTIAL PERFORMANCE BY T.S. KHANNA, MAY 7, 2018

FOUNDATION FOR BETTER GOVERNMENT,

A HIGHER LOYALTY: OBSTRUCTION TO PRESIDENTIAL PERFORMANCE 

BY  T.S. KHANNA, MAY 7, 2018.

Reading the book: "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership  By James Comey, has triggered me to write a few words:

To eliminate confusion, it is important to clarify the meaning of facts, truth, God and higher loyalty.

Facts, Truth, God and Higher Loyalty:  

Facts are physical, corporeal, or tangible and value free that do not change; Truth is perception rooted in values and belief systems, quite often intangible like believing "Truth is God" or "God is Truth".  Truths drawn from the same facts can vary considerably.

God is an "imaginary reality" created by man for three purposes; (a) to dominate others, (b) to free himself from others' domination, and, (c) to stabilize the mind for determination to fight for or defend ones internalized values or beliefs.  All through the history, human struggle has  been not to find or preserve the truth, but to dominate others by using the name of God and truth.  That is why, in power circles, truth, as rare as it is, its supply is usually greater than its demand.

Higher loyalty is an expression of non-conformance by pretending  or falsely believing that one has a connection with the highest power-----God of one's belief system.

During the younger years, we are taught to have faith in God and truth designed to suit our respective faith systems and to believe that truth always wins.  From experience and observations, we learn that who ever wins is called the truth.

Loyalty To Organization v/s Higher Loyalty

Every organization strives to achieve its goals decided by the top management.  All employees are expected to be loyal in pursuit of those goals.  If an employee feels that the organizations goals are in conflict with his higher truth or loyalty, he/she has an option to compromise or quit.  It is not correct for an employee to stay on the job and not give full loyalty to the employer.

 Constitutional Confusion

  The U.S. Constitution was adopted in general terms providing guide lines to adopt and pursue specific goals of the government from time to time.  Some public employees believe that their loyalty is to the Constitution and not to the governmental organization they work for.  They interpret the Constitution as it suits them.  There can be no organization if every employee ignores the goals of the organization in the name of his own interpretation of the Constitution with his own higher truth.

President, elected by all Americans, is the Chief  Executive of Federal Government. In consultation with his Cabinet and the Congress, he sets the goals and strategy to pursue them.  Public employees are not to question those goals but loyally pursue them as directed by the President or his reps.  The constitutionality of the Presidential actions, when challenged, is checked by the Supreme Court, by convention,  even though not required by the Constitution.

Bigger Truth v/s Smaller Truth 

As bigger lies are built on smaller lies, bigger truths or goals are pursued by sacrificing smaller truths or objectives.  Occasionally,  to overcome certain exigencies, we have to deviate from the practice of smaller accepted truths to pursue goals based on higher truths.  Example: deviation from the practice of peace and non-violence to destroy enemies of the nation.

Greatness in peace becomes a weakness in conflict.  No evil can be fought by rubbing greatness.

Some questions For Mr. Comey

1.  On October 28, 1977, your brother lied to Ramsey Rapist that there was no one else at home and then you made up lies to protect yourself from Ramsey Rapist-killer.   Sacrifice of smaller truths for the bigger purpose of self-protection was smart and justifiable.  Similarly, if President Trump asked you to sacrifice your smaller truth loyalty for the sake of pursuing some higher purpose for America, why would you hesitate?

2.  Philosopher-theologian Reinhold Niebuhr influenced you deeply with his emphasis on "our obligation to seek justice in a flawed world".  No one contests that statement but what if justice or truth are rooted in conflicting and sanctified values.  How do we decide what is justice and how should we pursue it?  Do you think sacrifice of some smaller truths would be justifiable in pursuit of the larger interests based on American values?  Larger interests are protected and promoted by the elected President and his Cabinet.

President Trump has been elected to (a) to make America greater, (b) control and regulate immigration, (c) improve economy, and, (d) defeat ISIS, among other items on the agenda.
He has a wider and better view of the larger interests of America.  Why would you not want to fully cooperate in your loyalty for the sake of the nation?

3.  You have mentioned that "we are experiencing a dangerous time in our country, where basic facts are disputed, fundamental truth is questioned, lying is normalized, and unethical behavior is ignored, excused, or rewarded.....".  Rational observations support your views.   Do you think the cause of this plight could be attributed partly to the existence of too many conflicting small truths resisting the pursuit of  bigger goals?  Do you think your non-cooperation with the President's agenda would help solve what is wrong or will it fortify the problem?

4.   During the election period, you short circuited the then Attorney General and exonerated Hillary Clinton.  Only a couple of week before the election day you again announced opening the Hillary Clinton case and closed the case a week later.  This may have caused considerable damage to her voting base.  In fact, you kept all voters on a yo yo.
What ethics were guiding your impulses then?

5.  You have shown sparks of self-realization in admitting your flaws: "stubborn, prideful,over-confident, and driven by ego".  Most of us have such flaws, but as we mature, we learn to control them.  Do you think your flaws might have obstructed your needed loyalty to the bigger purpose of the President' Agenda?

ELECTED PRESIDENTS NEED SUPPORT, NOT OPPOSITION, FROM EVERY   PUBLIC EMPLOYEE, NO MATTER HOW SELF-RIGHTEOUS.