I frequently tell people that I’m not part of the administration’s MyFaves at work. I am not on the naughty list per se because I am not involved in anything untoward and because I am reliable as a source of solutions. I just don’t hang out with the GOBNet or validate them or brown nose them. Consequently, I have little hope that my lot will look better as long as the current administration remains in power. The funny thing is that long term it’s the best strategy because I don’t have to brown nose. I am known by my merit rather than my associations, and I don’t have to keep up the tribute.
When Thomas Jefferson became president and discovered that we were paying tribute in perpetuity to the Barbary Pirates, he was aghast. He ordered the construction of four new frigates and sent them over as the year’s tribute because the pirates were still attacking American ships even though we were paying the tribute of $2 million in 1804 dollars. “Millions for defense; not a penny for tribute” became one of his slogans. You see, he knew that, like lying, bribery, and brown nosing, that once you start it’s almost impossible to stop.
The children's nursery rhyme about Jack Horner actually deals with this. It was the practice during medieval times to send a pie to your liege or Lord with a bribe, or a plum, stuck in the pie. Jack Horner in the poem takes the plum for himself, and the poor blather scythe who was supposed to bribe the king probably lost his head over it. You see, the lords came to rely on these bribes as part of their incomes, and since they like our modern government spent money in anticipation of as yet uncollected taxes, you can imagine how important it was that the plums kept coming. It's a self-licking ice cream cone that eventually consumes itself. Once you start, you can't stop, or your final plum is followed by a trip to the guillotine.
Once you start, when do you stop? In order to stay in the good graces of the administration, I would have to continually send them pies with ever-increasingly valuable “plums” to stay in their good graces. I could buy better favor and opportunity with it, but the cost might abrogate any gains I came to expect to keep up with the expectations of the granting authority. Plus, when the administration changes, I am no longer in favor and must either start a new bribing regimen if the new authority can be bribed or hope that I can get by on merits. Many people who engage in bribery have no merits on which to get by.
When you rely on merits, you can rely on employment. Maybe the GOBNet will let you go to keep their MyFaves, but someone will pick you up for what you can do. I have been blessed in my life that, each time I have changed employers, I have been hired on merits and my resume rather than on my associations. So the jobs may not be prestigious or pay as well as others receive for the same work, but my conscience is clear, and I am not beholden to them for special favors.
I have decided for me to be me. Be you. Do what you do. If you don’t like where or what you are, improve your lot and then hold your ground. If you cheat and lie and bribe or brown nose, you have to keep doing it and hope that it continues to pay. You are basically allowing yourself to be blackmailed rather than earning what you receive. I cannot see how the law of the harvest will back you up in the end. If you do not sow, how can you reap? If you reap ill, how can you not sow the negative consequences? I will be me, and maybe I’m not great, but I ams what I ams, and God is ok with that, so things will work out fine, and He will lead me to a land of promise just like He did for Moses.
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