We have to examine the new myth of the ‘dutiful civil servant.’
This is the new term for #resistance types inside government, particularly inside the Trump Administration. The media wants to portray these people as heroes standing-up for Democracy. They are written-about as if they are the last safeguard of the Republic.
The reality is, these people are the swamp. They know it, and they work to make do they best they can. These are the people who undermine President Trump in every way, and every day.
Remember those pictures of the inaugural? Those were leaked by ‘dutiful civil servants.’ The Russia smear and talk of the 25th Amendment? Same ‘dutiful civil servants.’ The Wisconsin Elections Commission staff who wanted to put their thumb on the scale of the recount? You guessed it.
Sophia Tesfaye over at Salon has a piece titled A new #Resistance hero emerges amid the Trump endgame: The dutiful civil servant.
The piece talks about the Wayne County Board of Canvassers who are trying to rush through the vote count in Detroit despite obvious questions about voter integrity.
The piece celebrates Ned Staebler who lectured Republican canvassers by saying “"The Trump stain, the stain of racism that you, William Hartmann and Monica Palmer, have just covered yourself in, is going to follow you throughout history.”
From the piece:
The Michigan episode exposes how loyal some Trump supporters are when faced with even the slightest bit of scrutiny. To be sure, it's beyond dismaying to watch one of only two major political parties in the nation use any means necessary to sow doubt about the integrity of our democracy. And while there's no question our political situation has radically shifted for the worse, it's also worth noting that, as damaging as the Trump era has been, the last two weeks have reintroduced the nation to a species many believed to have long gone extinct: Republicans in elected office, and even in the Trump administration, who act with integrity.
Things would be undoubtedly worse right now if not for a handful of honest Republican election officials and dutiful civil servants.
Let’s be clear. Most people who work in government see it as a job. They want a paycheck, the benefits, and to be left alone.
But there are a growing number of government workers and perfunctories who see their jobs as more. They love lines like ‘standing up for Democracy.’ They enjoy the power they have. Whether that is to do something or simply be a wrench in the system.
Government, at its core, is about power. The government has the power, and they will use it against the people. Some of these ‘dutiful public servants’ are little more than power hungry elected-wannabes. They are not standing up for Democracy, they are publicly trying to thwart someone they disagree with. That is not service, that is government-sponsored pettiness.
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