But many of their civilian federal brethren shamefully can't fathom that they don't get to determine what the orders they must follow will be:
By any historical and constitutional standard, "the people" elected Donald Trump and endorsed his program of nation-state populist reform. Yet over the last few weeks America has been in the throes of an unprecedented revolt. Not of the people against the government—that happened last year—but of the government against the people. What this says about the state of American democracy, and what it portends for the future, is incredibly disturbing.
Maybe they need to take an oath, too; which would provide a basis for firing them outside of civil service protections when they violate it by brazenly trying to reverse the election results.
The media can't seem to wrap their heads around the idea that bureaucratic guerilla warfare is contrary to democracy and rule of law.
But this is par for the course with these partisans. Back in 2008, the media's best and brightest couldn't seem to grasp that our military accepts democracy and rule of law even if they perhaps don't like the new orders from the new boss.
I can't find it, but I know I wrote a post that said the election of Obama would be a good example for the Iraqis as they witnessed an American military smoothly following orders of a new administration.
I truly don't get this attitude. It is repulsive. When I was an employee of the Michigan Legislative Service Bureau, I worked for both parties regardless of who held the majorities. I worked for the state legislature as an institution. I worked hard to give good information and good products to whoever placed the request. I did not occur to me that I should pretend that I had more authority than the people who sent their chosen representatives to Lansing.
And this refusal of government employees reinforces my longstanding complaint that our government is too big and the federal bureaucracy such a center of power that it is madness to fight to control the few who sit at the top of the bureaucracies.
Far better to dramatically reduce the bureaucracies by trimming back their powers so that their open revolt--disgraceful as that is--just doesn't matter that much.
Or a good decimation (as I mentioned in item 25 of that Trump Hysteria Condition data dump). That would focus minds.
