The Rot

[NWRatCon]

There's an old proverb of unknown origin that says "fish rots/stinks from the head", meaning that bad leadership leads inevitably to a rotten organization. While I do not know the reality of how a fish actually rots, the accuracy of the platitude has been demonstrated repeatedly in 2020, and especially over the last weeks.

The contrast between well-run agencies and circus clown cars is stark, and in some cases, deadly. The piece de resistance was the appearance of administration officials on the talk shows and interviews, where Top Trump officials claim there's no systemic racism in US law enforcement agencies as Americans flood streets in protest (CNN). Bill Barr, playing the role of Mr. Corruption himself, and other Trump Actors (in the Trump Disreputory Theater), Chad Wolf and Ken Cuccinelli, were dispatched to repeat the brazenly false claim that "there's nothing to see here".

Because Trump is such demonstrably poor and inexperienced leader (and spare me the idiocy of "he's a successful businessman" because A) it's not true, and B) the "Trump Organization" is just a mom&pop with a large budget, not a "real business" - the real businesses are run by others), he is terrible at hiring. So, he has assembled a rogue's gallery of miscreants, cast-offs, small time grifters and ne'er-do-wells, and it shows. The few competent administrators have left or been fired or indicted, and anyone with an ounce of self-respect wouldn't be associated with it.

Thre same, though, is true of a number of the law enforcement organizations on display in the current circumstance. I've worked with well-run and organized agencies. They don't like like this. Both the Minnepolis PD, and MN State Patrol, and the Buffalo PD and Louisville PD are prime examples. Their behavior and indiscipline are hallmarks of poor leadership. Rot, if you will, at the head.

 

[ataraxia]

There's an old proverb of unknown origin that says "fish rots/stinks from the head", meaning that bad leadership leads inevitably to a rotten organization. While I do not know the reality of how a fish actually rots, the accuracy of the platitude has been demonstrated repeatedly in 2020, and especially over the last weeks.

The contrast between well-run agencies and circus clown cars is stark, and in some cases, deadly. The piece de resistance was the appearance of administration officials on the talk shows and interviews, where Top Trump officials claim there's no systemic racism in US law enforcement agencies as Americans flood streets in protest (CNN). Bill Barr, playing the role of Mr. Corruption himself, and other Trump Actors (in the Trump Disreputory Theater), Chad Wolf and Ken Cuccinelli, were dispatched to repeat the brazenly false claim that "there's nothing to see here".

Because Trump is such demonstrably poor and inexperienced leader (and spare me the idiocy of "he's a successful businessman" because A) it's not true, and B) the "Trump Organization" is just a mom&pop with a large budget, not a "real business" - the real businesses are run by others), he is terrible at hiring. So, he has assembled a rogue's gallery of miscreants, cast-offs, small time grifters and ne'er-do-wells, and it shows. The few competent administrators have left or been fired or indicted, and anyone with an ounce of self-respect wouldn't be associated with it.

Thre same, though, is true of a number of the law enforcement organizations on display in the current circumstance. I've worked with well-run and organized agencies. They don't like like this. Both the Minnepolis PD, and MN State Patrol, and the Buffalo PD and Louisville PD are prime examples. Their behavior and indiscipline are hallmarks of poor leadership. Rot, if you will, at the head.

I used to think of Democracy as the "wisdom of the masses", as in you can't make bad decisions in a democracy. Well, clearly, that's not correct. Mob psychology does not mean that the mob always makes wise judgments and decisions. I guess the key is that the option to fix your mistakes is always there for the people. Hopefully, they realize they messed up, based on ever-more intolerable consequences of bad judgments, and can go back and correct course. But this assumes the mistake is not irreversible (like credibility, reputation, trust, and integrity in the international arena, or the fraying of trust of long-time international allies), or that you can go back and fix the problem (those in power consolidate it and refuse to step down), etc....