Reflections by Stonekettle

I curated a Twitter thread by Stonekettle for this post.

Because I've had some time to think about this while cleaning up dinner: We spent four years watching Trump's kids profit off the presidency. Every day. Not just in the obvious ways, but also from connections, power, and ways we're still discovering.

It's not about a book. Personally I wouldn’t mind if Hunter made millions off his book. I can’t imagine being demonized to the degree he has been by Trump and the GOP and their propaganda machine, with assistance from hostile nations. The pain and suffering and EXPENSE to his life must be unmeasurable.

It's not even about Hunter Biden. It's about ethics. GOVERNMENT ETHICS. What may be perfectly ethical for you or me, may very likely be UNethical for government. And vice versa.

The ethics of government are vastly different from the ethics of individual citizens. (Or the ethics of business for that matter -- which is ANOTHER reason you should be immediately suspicious of anyone who promises to run government like a business) The ethics of government are COMPLICATED and not always obvious. Which is why there is an office of government ethics staffed with people who specialize specifically in such matters.

Let me give you an example: YOU can attend any political rally you like. So long as the affair is conducted legally, there's nothing unethical about it. That's your right as a citizen. Hell, YOU can attend a communist rally. Or a Klan rally.

Now, I might not agree with your politics, I might consider your attendance immoral and a shitty thing to do, but it's not unethical for YOU AS AN INDIVIDUAL -- unless YOU yourself think it is.

Your employer, however, might see it differently. And if you signed an ethical agreement as part of your employment, and you did something that identified you as an employee of that organization, you could be legally fired for ETHICAL reasons.

And people have been.

If you are part of the military, you can't wear your uniform to a political function. You can't attend certain functions at all, such as that aforementioned Klan rally. Why? Because it's unethical for you to do so as a member of the military. Your personal rights don't apply.

I knew an officer who did something, I won't tell you what, but it was perfectly legal as a civilian. Hell, it was perfectly legal as a member of the military at that time. HOWEVER, if it became public would have brought discredit to the service.

That's actually a thing. "UCMJ Article 134, Conduct of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces. “Discredit” means to injure the reputation of ... makes punishable conduct which has a tendency to bring the service into disrepute or which tends to lower it in public esteem..."

That's about ETHICS. The officer was convicted of Article 134 and given a reprimand. And that was the end of his career. Even though what he did was perfectly legal. Because it's about public confidence and GOVERNMENT ethics are different from the ethics of individuals.

Government often must do things that would be unethical to the individual. Government must spy on the nation's enemies, for example. Foreign and domestic. Government might have to incarcerate citizens, or even execute them. Government must impose laws. Etc.

In America, as many alleged "patriots" have noted recently, government exists only with the consent of the governed -- or the majority of the governed anyway. For that to work, the public must have confidence in government. And THAT is the very heart of government ethics.

Sometimes a thing that is legal, and would be perfectly ethical for YOU, citizen, is unethical for government, for those who work in government, and especially for elected officials -- even if such restrictions seem ridiculous to you, the INDIVIDUAL.

Just because you CAN do something as a member of government, doesn't always mean you SHOULD. Even if the people who elected you think it's a great idea. Because government applies to ALL citizens, not just those who voted for you.

Again, government ethics are COMPLICATED.

The examples I gave above are ridiculously simple compared to the enormously complex ethical problems of governing a nation, of international relations, of regulating business, of ensuring individual rights, et al.

It's complicated. Which is why we have professionals in such matters. Because there are ethical matters in government that we as individuals can't always see.

And which is why sometimes those professionals tell you things you don't want to hear.

Does that mean you have to do everything the professionals tell you to do?

If we were talking about COVID instead of the actions of the president's relatives, you might be more inclined to listen to the experts. Or demand your government do so. Or not.

Expertise isn't supposed to be tyranny. There are times when it's okay to acknowledge the advice of the experts, but still go ahead with the action -- KNOWING that you risk an ethical crisis.

That's your decision as a leader, and your RESPONSIBILITY if it goes wrong.

Again, government ethics are very often NOT the same as the ethics of individuals. It's complicated. There often are no simple answers.

And so, it ALWAYS the duty of the professionals to offer the advice, to give the warnings. Even if it makes them unpopular.

Government of the people, by the people, and for the people IS A REFLECTION OF THOSE PEOPLE.

Good government, government that is admired and respected, is a government that is held to the highest of ethical standards.

It's really just that simple.