Team loyalty is a surefire route to corruption, regardless of what team you’re talking about.
Let’s just start with the big example: War crimes are war crimes and should be punished appropriately. It does not matter what the ethnicity, nationality, faith, sexual orientation, or gender of those committing the war crimes. If an institution is encouraging those war crimes, then it too should suffer consequences.
Opposing those committing war crimes — and let’s be clear, we’re talking about genocide, rape, bombing hospitals and aid workers, all very established and obvious war crimes — is not the same thing as judging all members who happen to share the criminal’s nationality, faith, ethnicity, etc. Apply that statement as you like to Hamas, Israel, Russia, Ukraine, the US, China… the list goes on.
On a smaller scale, I’m glad Hunter Biden was convicted of a crime that he committed {1}. That is what is supposed to happen, even if it’s not a great thing for my "side". Likewise, I’m glad Donald Trump was convicted of a crime that he committed. That is what is supposed to happen, whether or not it’s a good thing for my "side".
The corruption sets in the moment that your "side" winning becomes more important than your morals, ideals, and laws. And you know that it has taken over when disagreement — particularly over supposedly shared ideals — is treated as betrayal.
Post-script: And right on cue (emphasis mine)…
House Freedom Caucus drops two members in one night
The right-wing House Freedom Caucus on Monday voted to kick out one of its members — and then immediately saw another resign in response.
Why it matters: Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) is at least the third lawmaker ejected from the Freedom Caucus in the last year for breaking with the group’s leadership.
{1} Yes, we can talk about how laws are often skewed to preserve power for a group of people, such as the racist origins and motivations behind immigration law, which is why I used the example of war crimes instead.
Fetured Image by Willfried Wende from Pixabay
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