CommentsGELFAND’S WORLD-With all the criticisms of Donald Trump, there is one thing that isn't sufficiently remarked on.
Trump is entirely lacking in honor. This should be the central point of any attack on Trump yet has been left to languish.
Honor refers to a number of things, importantly the desire to live up to a code of truthful conduct and equally important, the personal recognition of one's weaknesses and mistakes. To borrow a dictionary word, it refers to integrity.
We obviously have not seen this kind of conduct from Trump. Those who have done their best to support Trump for partisan political reasons must be called to account regarding his entirely dishonorable actions. Something as transparent as the recent call to hold the G7 meeting at his own resort should be recognized as just one more dishonorable act in a lifetime of such behavior.
What is particularly distressing about the Trump record is his appointment of a few honorable people who were forced either to dissemble or to quit. In the end, most of them tried to bend to Trump's demands at least for a while, but eventually most of them left government service. It is hard to imagine that all of Trump's appointments were completely dishonorable, but they too have been tarnished by service in his administration. It is time for them to speak out, at least at the level of opposing Trump's reelection.
We should be talking to military officers, both retired and still in service: The U.S. Military Academy is famous for the following 12 words:
"A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do."
Further: "A cadet is truthful, fair, respectful and responsible."
It is particularly timely to bring these concepts up, because it is overdue for those who have supported Trump, yet also claim to support a culture of honor. It is time for them to recognize the separation of the one from the other. Perhaps we should be blunt and point out that southern culture respects military service and reveres its retired heroes but has not yet criticized Trump in the appropriate way.
Also -- It is long since overdue for retired military officers to make known their distaste for Trump's failure to treat his office in an honorable way, particularly in regard to our military and foreign policy issues. The recent surrender of the land and lives of the Kurds is, in a word, dishonorable.
The discussion of honor is not just an attempt to pry voters away from the Trump reelection campaign, although it would be disingenuous to pretend that there is no such motive. But beyond simple partisan motives, it is important to attempt to restore the concept of honor to our culture at a time when it has been treated with total contempt by the right wing.
(Bob Gelfand writes on science, culture, and politics for CityWatch. He can be reached at [email protected]t)
-cw
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