Posted by Atticus on October 11, 2004, at 20:11:15
In reply to Re: The Doctrine of Bob Infallibility, posted by verne on October 11, 2004, at 16:55:13
Let me be sure I understand your argument. The crew was to blame for Captain Queeg's incredibly poor judgment and stewardship of the vessel he commanded, and if it had just let him go on his merry demented way, all would have been well? So even if a leader proves himself or herself utterly unfit for command, those under that command shouldn't question his or her decisions? I couldn't disagree more, if that's what you're asserting. We have critical faculties for a reason: to independently assess situations and apply our own moral and ethical standards. If we don't, I feel, we become sheep. The crew wasn't Queeg's downfall; Queeg was. I ask anyone who remembers his meltdown during the court martial to ask themselves if this man should have been in charge of anything anywhere. Enabling such behavior only reinforces it, I believe. I firmly believe that all of our leaders, those we agree with and those we don't, should always be subject to our constant scrutiny and appraisal. Because if they make a poor judgment call, a lot of people stand to get hurt. It's essential to question authority -- the most basic tenet in a democratic-thinking society, even if the forum is PB. Atticus
poster:Atticus
thread:400918
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20040927/msgs/401852.html