Loyalty -- more important a value than Truth, Honesty and Integrity

[Eloriel]

I was stunned today by rightwingers on cable denouncing Felt because of his DISLOYALTY to Nixon and his administration. Just stunned.

Again and again people like Pat Buchanan, Monica Crowley (who infuriates me no matter WHAT she is saying), and even the usually reasonable and thoughtful David Gergen attacked Felt for what he did, for displaying such a lack of loyalty toward Nixon.

Some of them also questioned whether what Felt did -- leak stuff to the press "instead of to authorities" -- wasn't itself obstruction of justice. :wtf:

I guess they wanted a Code of Silence. I want everyone here -- or as many as I can reach, anyway -- to understand that such things as Codes of Silence or Family Secrets are at the very heart of dysfunctional families and dysfunctional/corrupt organizations.

Think of the harm that stays secret and hidden because of the Code of Silence among cops. Think of the harm that goes unchallenged, unpunished and gets perpetuated by the "loyalty" displays in organizations like the Catholic Church over pedophilia, for example. Or normal families where children are being abused in one way or another but don't tell anyone about their abuse out of fear of harming the family (more "loyalty" to the family unit than taking care of one's own needs, which is counterproductive because the welfare of the family suffers more under these circumstances).

Think of the harm being done now, across the whole freakin' world (and especially Iraq) because we have a press that is toooooo "loyal" (and/or merely intimidated by) this American president.

Loyalty -- not even to family members -- can never be allowed to take 2nd place to honesty and integrity and doing the right thing.

It's a shame the rightwing doesn't understand this. But the fact that they don't is testimony to just how sick, dysfunctional and corrupt they really are -- AND how corruptible.

[Protagoras]

1. And now you know the rest of the story.

This is the mentality that lets people shoot others in the back of the head...then go home and eat a meal and go to church on sunday and bemoan the lack of morals in the world.

[omega minimo]

2. also the mentality of The Emperor's New Clothes

That may explain the post-2000 nightmare that Americans refuse to wake up from.

[omega minimo]

3. Cloak and dagger

Gergen on Jim Lehrer tonight re: Deep Throat said it was important to remember that Watergate era was a time of lots of "cloak and dagger" stuff going on-- mentioned J.Edgar Hoover and "the bugging of Martin Luther King." Not sure he made a point, except to adroitly avoid endorsing a hero's laurel for Deep Throat.

[snowbear]

4. Buchanan has been WHINING all day and trying to twist this..

You're so right!!

Buchanan is shoving his big feet down his throat and is making himself sound like a complete and total fool!

And Monica Crowley.. :puke: she was actually idolizing Nixon when she spoke of him.

Together, the two of them were making Tricky Dick out to be the most prime example of what their party is....

Huh.. :think:
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Come to think of it.... :think: .....they're right!

Nixon "is" the epitomy of the Republican party! :rofl:

[orleans]

6. great post

i was totally disgusted as i listened to buchanan spew his vile and i was puking right along with you over this little piece with monica and her boook.

yuck.

so basically buchanan was saying what a horrible piece of shit felt was for Telling the Truth! (sounds like some party could use a lesson or two on moral values)

on edit

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. The right wing lives by a modified code of Omerta

no doubt in my mind any longer

[Eloriel]

7. What's that?

'Splain, please?

[Jacobin]

8. Here ya go

One entry found for omertà.


Main Entry: omer·tà
Pronunciation: o-'mer-tä
Usage: foreign term
Etymology: Italian
: submission : code chiefly among members of the criminal underworld that enjoins private vengeance and the refusal to give information to outsiders (as the police)

I would say the poster nailed it.

[smartvoter]

9. Mob rules for elected fools. nt

[Eloriel]

10. Well, I can't help it

I don't start all THAT many threads any more --

:kick:

[johnaries]

11. Felt WAS loyal - to the American People, his REAL employers!

That's the only loyality that counts. Why do Politicians keep forgetting this? :shrug: