
“The buck stops here.” — Harry Truman
In 1948, Harry Truman made an executive order at the risk of losing popularity: he determined that segregation within the U.S. military was illegal. It was an election year, and this decision could have cost him the presidency.
Regardless, he made the decision because it was the right thing to do. And he was prepared to accept the consequences of his behavior. That seems a rather quaint and even antiquated notion now, doesn’t it?
We live in an age when evasion, obfuscation, and accusation are the defensive arts of choice when prominent individuals are called out for improper behavior.
What once would have toppled entire administrations or candidacies is now minimized or leveled with a tu quoque logical fallacy.
Avoiding responsibility and pointing blame at others is the order of the day.
It’s not those who have breached the norms of ethics and the rule of law; it’s the whistleblower’s fault for disloyalty. It’s the media’s fault for reporting it.
Have you noticed this pattern?
“The supreme quality of a leader is unquestionable integrity.” — Dwight D. Eisenhower
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Timeless & Timely to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.