BlogObservation of the Day - Loyalty - Granite Grok

BlogObservation of the Day – Loyalty

And there’s dang little of it around anymore – especially in politics:

“People trust their leaders not only because of their competence but also because of their courage and commitment, and because they believe that their leaders will remain with their own in times of crisis rather than being helicoptered to the emergency exit. Paradoxically, it is the convertible competencies of the present elites, the fact that they are equally fit to run a bank in Bulgaria or in Bangladesh or to teach in Athens or Tokyo, that make people so suspicious of them. People fear that in times of trouble, the meritocrats will opt to leave instead of sharing the cost of staying. Unsurprisingly then, it is loyalty — namely the unconditional loyalty to ethnic, religious or social groups — that is at the heart of the appeal of Europe’s new populism.”

And this isn’t just about Europe.  It is clear that those of us not of the bi-coastal Elites here in the US feel the same way – and voted out the Democrat / Progressives that felt entitled to drive the national car into the wall. Regular folks saw their non/anti-committment to THEIR values (e.g., traditional values) and felt belittled as they were reduced to “Rube-ville” status: if you won’t “convert”, then just shut up and stand there in line.  Worst was the perceived globalist orientation taking over our “Land of the Free and Home of the Brave”.  They knew that there was little comittment to that – that the Elites didn’t really understand what that meant to most of us and worst, could care less.

The Elite have forgotten a most valuable and necessary truth: Loyalty upward is dependent on loyalty downward.  And when it didn’t flow down, why should people be trusting upward?

(H/T: Instapundit)

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