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Servants Who Think They Are Masters

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@FullSizeTabby
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We on Ricochet complain a lot about how employees of the federal government act like the masters, and think citizens are their servants. According to our Constitution, the truth is the opposite.

But particularly galling is the audacity of the more than 400 government employees from many different departments signing a letter demanding that the President (elected by the citizens of the United States) adopt policies to the liking of those employees. The letter demands the President change policy to support a “cease-fire” in the Hamas-Israel war. (NBC report. National Review via MSN report.) Following up on the post of @SusanQuinn .

Obvious to us, but apparently not to these people, is that employees of the federal government are servants of the American citizens. The citizens (directly or indirectly) elect the President, Senators, and Congressional representatives to develop policies of the federal (national) government. The jobs of the government employees are to implement the policies developed by the elected representatives of the citizens. The employees (servants of the citizens of the United States) do not get to demand of the citizens’ elected representatives adopt the servants’ preferred policies.

Yet here are these employees of the federal government – servants of the American citizens – claiming some power to tell the elected representatives of the citizens what policies those elected representatives should favor. That is a particularly egregious offense to the principles of American governance.

First off, I’d recommend firing immediately all 400-plus signatories to that letter for clear gross incompetence. They fail to understand basic American civics that is essential to the conduct of their jobs.

Longer term, perhaps the government should contract with an outfit like Kite and Key Media or Hillsdale College to put together some short videos or a short course for all new national (federal) government employees on the Constitutional role of the national government.

This post was promoted to the Main Feed at the recommendation of Ricochet's members.

Discussion (17)

  • cdor@cdor

    They are Federal employees, but they are also citizens of the USA, I hope. As such, they have the right to petition their government...our government. I believe there are approximately 2 million Federal employees. 400 is a tiny, tiny, tiny percentage. As a percentage, there are probably more jerks than that on my block.

  • Susan Quinn@SusanQuinn
    Full Size Tabby (View Post):

    First off, I’d recommend firing immediately all 400+ of the signatories to that letter for clear gross incompetence because of their failure to understand basic American civics that is essential to the conduct of their jobs.

    Longer term, perhaps the government should contract with an outfit like Kite and Key Media or Hillsdale College to put together some short videos or a short course for all new national (federal) government employees on the Constitutional role of the national government.

    I love this plan! Although if we fired everyone that we thought deserved it, we'd have no servants at all! But they clearly need to be re-educated and at least disciplined. It is so outrageous. (Thanks for the hat tip.)

  • Full Size Tabby@FullSizeTabby
    Replyingtocdor

    cdor (View Comment):

    They are Federal employees, but they are also citizens of the USA, I hope. As such, they have the right to petition their government…our government. I believe there are approximately 2 million Federal employees. 400 is a tiny, tiny, tiny percentage. As a percentage, there are probably more jerks than that on my block.

    The problem is that they "signed" the letter as employees, not as citizens. They act as though their employee status gives them superior claim to dictate policy than does their status as citizens.

  • Full Size Tabby@FullSizeTabby
    ReplyingtoSusan Quinn

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    Full Size Tabby (View Post):

    First off, I’d recommend firing immediately all 400+ of the signatories to that letter for clear gross incompetence because of their failure to understand basic American civics that is essential to the conduct of their jobs.

    Longer term, perhaps the government should contract with an outfit like Kite and Key Media or Hillsdale College to put together some short videos or a short course for all new national (federal) government employees on the Constitutional role of the national government.

    I love this plan! Although if we fired everyone that we thought deserved it, we’d have no servants at all! But they clearly need to be re-educated and at least disciplined. It is so outrageous. (Thanks for the hat tip.)

    I often think that if we fired half or more of the federal government employees (I don't care which half - pick them at random) the citizens would be better off just by the reduction of the drag. The American public doesn't need 4 million (or whatever the number is) federal (national) government employees, even if they did understand their roles as servants.

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