Is working against the president treason or patriotism?
Sep 6, 2018, 7:21 AM
(AP Photo/Tyler Evert)
President Donald Trump’s response to the anonymous New York Times Op-Ed – revealing mass insubordination among his top staff – was to tweet “treason.”
But you know what the op-ed actually reminded me of? Dilbert. The Scott Adams comic strip. Inspired by the absurdities of corporate America. So I thought ‘I’ll check out Scott Adams’ podcast.’ And sure enough, he says:
The stories you are hearing about Trump where he is so dumb he doesn’t understand things — totally normal. That’s everybody talking about heir own CEO; their own boss.
Exactly! This is like Dilbert venting about the boss with the funny hair.
So that’s not unusual. But what is unusual is to go public in such an explosive way. And I think the reason for that is because unlike a corporate boss, the boss in the White House controls the military. And I think this anonymous person is trying to reassure panicked military officials that he – and his co-conspirators – have got this. That Trump may someday press what he thinks is the red button, but we made sure it’s not hooked up.
And while it is clear insubordination, whoever wrote it believes that it is the opposite of treason. This is someone who doesn’t want to say when they get to the pearly gates, “I was just following orders.” It sounds like someone who actually believes in “America first,” but who has now concluded that the only way to truly serve the country is not to serve the president.