partheus wrote: ↑Thu Feb 04, 2021 1:13 pm
Only the fear of a spoilt ACR or denied promotion can ultimately deter officers from indulging in hubris or overlooking important details.
Please excuse me if I sound overly philosophical here, but I'd like to note that government that presumes the goodness of its officials is generally bad, but government which presumes that its members are not good are, paradoxically, good.
The idea is that everyone is weak and tempted to favoritism, imposition of individual opinions on others, and corrupt, and therefore everyone needs to be accountable to someone else, is included in the idea that the exercise of power is always checked by another party.
Unfortunately, there are some governments that are designed to do this, but the citizenry -- the final and ultimate check -- does not function, but instead puts some other concern above the common good.
Here, I'm reminded of this: "We believe, as Mahatma Gandhi taught, that rights flow from duty well done." - Indira Gandhi
It's imperative that the public does its duty and stands up for the right and for the rule of law, which is vital to guaranteeing everyone's rights. As Partheus points out, this sort of petty tyranny, based on ignorance and private opinion flourishes where serving the people is not the paramount concern and where the public is satisfied not to demand it.
I hope that Partheus's wish may come true in this case, and in many others like it.