George W. Bush - Ethics & Values Be Damned
Recently President George W. Bush held a press event where he asked a group of soldiers about the “successes” and events in Iraq. After the event was aired on several television stations, including cable news channels, we learned that it was a staged event. President Bush’s aides had set the entire event up, complete with a script for each soldier to follow.
Now I find several things wrong with this approach. The very first thing wrong with the “event’ is that it violates a sense of decency that one expects from the White House. George W. Bush holds the highest executive office in the United States and is generally considered the “most powerful man in the world.” One would think that a person holding such an office would stick to a higher standard of ethics and morality. Alas, we have not seen much of that from this administration.
The second thing I find wrong with this event goes to the president’s personal ethics. George W. Bush proclaims that he is a “Christian.” In fact, he often dons the title, “evangelical Christian.” He has publicly put his Christian values out for display. However, as we have seen in video clips located on several of the web sites that host “funny videos,” Mr. Bush has a penchant for giving the wrap-up of some of his rehearsals and media events the “finger.” Flashing the middle finger at someone is a vulgar gesture that one does not find many evangelical Christians using on a regular basis. Mr. Bush may claim to be Christian, but his actions speak louder than words.
In the case of the staged media event, Mr. Bush has staged a lie to further his image of being in control. Somewhere I remember the Bible discussing a set of standards that included, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” It seems to me that when you stage a media event to make your actions and leadership look better than it is, that the principle of not bearing false witness comes to focus. The staged event calls into question what little integrity Mr. Bush has as an individual, as a Christian, and as a political leader.
The third thing is that the staged event wronged the soldiers in question. Whether or not these soldiers chose to speak at such an event, the fact that the questions and responses were rehearsed and scripted violated the rights of these individuals to speak freely. The idea of a military member speaking to their commander-in-chief could be an intimidating event. The fact that they were required to remain consistent with a script robbed these soldiers of their First Amendment rights, their integrity as military professionals, and their individual integrity as persons of honor. If they were allowed to speak their minds at a non-staged media event, then the integrity of what they had to say could only be questioned by the facts. Their belief in the cause of being in Iraq would not be questioned, only the facts that were pointed out to support their beliefs. One cannot question the integrity of personal beliefs, only actions and facts that call into question the validity of those beliefs.
If we were to review the 46 principles derived from the US Constitution discussed in the Suddenly Seeking Values series posted on this blog, we find that President Bush’s staged media event violates the following principles:
2. Government must strive to be better, always seeking the highest possible principles and standards.
10. Free political speech may not be hindered, impeded or prohibited in our political processes.
13. Principles of good government and the protection of the rights of the people are paramount.
14. Government, with very few exceptions, must operate in the open, under scrutiny of the people.
15. Government representatives and officials must act in faith and commitment to the Constitution.
20. Citizen rights are universal and applicable in all US jurisdictions.21. Governments, and its representatives, are required to always act in good faith.
25. Government shall not function on the basis of religious beliefs or standards.
27. Government cannot restrict, control or prohibit free speech.
I contend that Mr. Bush is (and has been during his entire administration) in violation of his oath of office. He does not faithfully serve, execute or defend the Constitution. He has put self-interests, religious beliefs, and personal gain (power, money, influence) over justice, integrity, and proper use of authority. Like his father (George H.W. Bush), Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, Lyndon B. Johnson, and others, he has placed the Constitution to the side of his personal gains. His political ideology and personal gain comes first and foremost... ethics and values be damned.
October 15, 2005
Now I find several things wrong with this approach. The very first thing wrong with the “event’ is that it violates a sense of decency that one expects from the White House. George W. Bush holds the highest executive office in the United States and is generally considered the “most powerful man in the world.” One would think that a person holding such an office would stick to a higher standard of ethics and morality. Alas, we have not seen much of that from this administration.
The second thing I find wrong with this event goes to the president’s personal ethics. George W. Bush proclaims that he is a “Christian.” In fact, he often dons the title, “evangelical Christian.” He has publicly put his Christian values out for display. However, as we have seen in video clips located on several of the web sites that host “funny videos,” Mr. Bush has a penchant for giving the wrap-up of some of his rehearsals and media events the “finger.” Flashing the middle finger at someone is a vulgar gesture that one does not find many evangelical Christians using on a regular basis. Mr. Bush may claim to be Christian, but his actions speak louder than words.
In the case of the staged media event, Mr. Bush has staged a lie to further his image of being in control. Somewhere I remember the Bible discussing a set of standards that included, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” It seems to me that when you stage a media event to make your actions and leadership look better than it is, that the principle of not bearing false witness comes to focus. The staged event calls into question what little integrity Mr. Bush has as an individual, as a Christian, and as a political leader.
The third thing is that the staged event wronged the soldiers in question. Whether or not these soldiers chose to speak at such an event, the fact that the questions and responses were rehearsed and scripted violated the rights of these individuals to speak freely. The idea of a military member speaking to their commander-in-chief could be an intimidating event. The fact that they were required to remain consistent with a script robbed these soldiers of their First Amendment rights, their integrity as military professionals, and their individual integrity as persons of honor. If they were allowed to speak their minds at a non-staged media event, then the integrity of what they had to say could only be questioned by the facts. Their belief in the cause of being in Iraq would not be questioned, only the facts that were pointed out to support their beliefs. One cannot question the integrity of personal beliefs, only actions and facts that call into question the validity of those beliefs.
If we were to review the 46 principles derived from the US Constitution discussed in the Suddenly Seeking Values series posted on this blog, we find that President Bush’s staged media event violates the following principles:
2. Government must strive to be better, always seeking the highest possible principles and standards.
10. Free political speech may not be hindered, impeded or prohibited in our political processes.
13. Principles of good government and the protection of the rights of the people are paramount.
14. Government, with very few exceptions, must operate in the open, under scrutiny of the people.
15. Government representatives and officials must act in faith and commitment to the Constitution.
20. Citizen rights are universal and applicable in all US jurisdictions.21. Governments, and its representatives, are required to always act in good faith.
25. Government shall not function on the basis of religious beliefs or standards.
27. Government cannot restrict, control or prohibit free speech.
I contend that Mr. Bush is (and has been during his entire administration) in violation of his oath of office. He does not faithfully serve, execute or defend the Constitution. He has put self-interests, religious beliefs, and personal gain (power, money, influence) over justice, integrity, and proper use of authority. Like his father (George H.W. Bush), Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, Lyndon B. Johnson, and others, he has placed the Constitution to the side of his personal gains. His political ideology and personal gain comes first and foremost... ethics and values be damned.
October 15, 2005
posted by Jim Downey at 4:15 PM
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