Blagojevich - Democracy at Its Worse -- Is Anyone Really Surprised?
Illinois Governor, Rod Blagojevich, was caught on tape, in his own words, abusing the authority granted to him as a representative of the citizens--trying to sell a political appointment to the US Senate for his personal gain.
If such blatantly unethical, abusive behavior happens at this level, why would anyone doubt that bad bosses, all the way down the hierarchy, do the same thing with their authority?
If you’ve reported to a boss who behaves like Blagojevich, you’re not at all surprised. Just sick to your stomach all over again, and wishing you could have recorded your slimy manager--but it was illegal for you to do so.
On the other hand, if you know anyone who tells you about the nightmare in which s/he lives with a bad boss, now you have reason to start paying attention and stop pretending it can’t really be happening.
The investigators in this case said that the public must speak up to help them stop criminal behavior. That’s how democracy can work. But, sadly, workplaces operate outside of democracy--where you can be punished for trying to stop criminal behavior in your employer’s organization.
Values in our country have shifted from “do no harm” to “don’t get caught doing harm.” Perhaps we’ll get back some day.
