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(Military M en,
pp. 120-12 1).
Another officer, Lieutenant Colo–
nel Edward King, also found that
moral convictions could play havoc
with a career in today's Army. Then
opposed to the Vietnam War, he
wrote a Jetter to the Secretary of the
Army stating:
"It
is impossible to
render honest, beneficia) service to
the nation or the Army in the atmo–
sphere of fear, repression, injustice
and selfish career promotion and
advancement-seeking that tlour–
ishes within the command Jevels of
the U.S. Army." T he Army in return
asked King to undergo a psychiatric
examination.
The Corporate Cop-Out
The highly competitive career-ori–
ented environment found in many
modern corporations also tends to
rob individuals of their personal in–
tegrity and moral scruples. The
pressure to produce, meet corporate
goals, and turn a handsome profit
often take their toll. As Vanee Pack–
ard wrote: "Those who reacb the
top leve! of hierarchy are, increas–
ingly, those who have successfully
shed their rough edges of individ–
ualism.
"Sorne corporate hiring agents
are favorably impressed if an appli–
cant has been through military
training because that training.
among other things, has taught him
to accommodate to hierarchy"
(The
Status Seekers,
p. 109).
One executive involved in a price–
fixing scheme by the General Elec–
tric Corporation in the 1950s per–
haps best summed up sorne of the
primal forces that shape the think–
ing and personalities of many in po–
sitions of power: " 1 guess I am an
organization man," he told the in–
vestigating congressional com–
mittee.
" I
felt
I
had to go along with
the price-fixing scheme or
I
couldn't
get promoted in the company.
1
al–
ways felt guilty about it, yes, but
1
felt
1
had to go along."
Another executive explained:
"The tendency is for executives,
who get stock optíons, big salaries,
pensions and so on, to accept the
facts of life going on around them.
lt
is very hard to quit when you get
a big compensation, and it's also
The
PLAIN TRUTH
August
1978
tough to be a nonconformist under
such conditions."
The problem is compounded in
government circles, where it is often
difficult to identify the real villains.
Politicians and bureaucrats are usu–
ally quick to make pious pronounce–
ments about the sins of business and
labor, but will vigorously decry any
efforts to eliminate wasteful spend–
ing as a threat to "the vital public
service" role of government. The
upshot is that countless thousands
of less-than-public-spirited individ–
uals can cleverly disguise the per–
petuation of their existence at
taxpayer expense.
An Age-Oid
Problem
Those who tend to unashamedly
voice their personal convictions
often end up being placed in virtual
political exile. While a few individ–
uals may profit politically or eco–
nomically, in the long run it's the
man in the street, the citizen who
has no voice or control, who suffers.
But in this respect there is nothing
all that unique about our society.
For centuries men have found ways
to oppress their fellowmen in order
to maintain a firm grip on the reins
of power. Ancient Israel in the time
of the kings certainly was no excep–
tion. Notice how the prophet lsaiah
addressed this problem in the tenth
chapter of his book: "Woe unto
them that decree unrighteous de–
crees [legislation designed to benefit
not the majority but powerful politi–
cal supporters, entrenched bureau–
crats, government monopolies, and
public employee unions?], and that
write grievousness which they have
prescribed; to turn aside the needy
from judgment, and to take away
the right from the poor of my
people, that widows may be their
prey, and that they may rob the
fatherless!" (Verses 1-2.)
Also, in the third chapter, he
wrote: "The Lord will enter into
judgment with the ancients of his
people, and the princes thereof [the
leaders]: for ye have caten up the
vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in
your houses. What mean ye tbat ye
beat my people to pieces, and grind
the faces of the poor?" (Verses
14-
15.)
The same practices were preva–
len! in New Testament times. "Look
here, you rich men," the apostle
James wrote, "now is the time to cry
and groan with anguished grief be–
cause of all the terrible troubles
ahead of you. Your wealth is even
now rotting away, and your fine
clothes are becoming mere moth–
eaten rags. The value of your gold
and silver is dropping fast [like
today's dollar?], yet it will stand as
evidence against you, and eat your
tlesh like tire. That is what you have
stored up for yourselves, to receive
on that coming day of judgmcnt.
For listen! Hear the críes ofthe field
workers whom you have cheated of
their pay [in the mad rush to max–
imize profits and prices above all
else. and the tendency of some man–
agers, past and present, to pay mín–
ima) wages until forced to raise
them. Also the eagerness of politi–
cians to rob people through intla–
tionary governmental spending
policies]. Their críes have reached
the ears of the Lord of Hosts"
(James 5: 1-5,
The Living Bible).
As long as motives of política) ex–
pediency and preserving the status
quo overshadow moral and ethical
considerations, mankind will con–
tinue to be plagued with the same
basic problems. Men of principie
and conviction will be driven from
seats of power. James Bryce, writing
in
The American Commonwealth,
eloquently explained what can hap–
pen when people in positions of
leadership fail to have the courage
of their political convictions. In criti–
cizing the Whig party for not taking
a strong stand against slavery, Bryce
noted that "they did not perceive
that in trying to preserve their party
they were losing hold of the people.
aliena ting from themselves the men
who cared for principie in politics,
sinking into a mere organization
without a faith worth fighting
for .... "
Perhaps Bryce's narrative on
American history stands as a
w~rn
ing to us today ifwe are unwilling lo
demand the most difficult and cou–
rageous course of unwavering
honesty and integrity from our–
selves, our leaders, and our institu–
tions.
o
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