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Atlantic
6 days ago
- Politics
- Atlantic
The Virtue of Integrity
Jean Guéhenno lived in Nazi-occupied France, where, unlike so many of his contemporaries, he refused to write a word for a publishing industry under Nazi control. He felt shame about the Vichy government's collaboration with Nazi Germany. 'What to make of French writers, who, to stay on the right side of the occupation authorities, decide to write about anything but the one thing all French people are thinking about,' Guéhenno asked in his journal, later published as Diary of the Dark Years, 'or worse still, who, out of cowardice, bolster the occupants' plan to make it appear as though everything in France continues as it did before?' In an essay for Liberties, Ian Buruma writes that Guéhenno's journal 'is wise, witty, and scathing about his fellow writers' who had elected to proceed as if nothing had changed. 'Incapable of being in hiding for long,' Guéhenno wrote, this type of literary figure 'would sell his soul just to keep his name in print.' The United States today isn't occupied France, and nothing currently in America is comparable to the worst of Nazism. But any number of regimes, though they fall short of the German Reich, act in ways that are morally problematic or even wicked. Collaboration and capitulation—the selling of a soul—take many forms, including in America. INTEGRITY IS A VIRTUE on which good character is built. Other virtues can be admirable but isolated. One can be courageous in the pursuit of injustice. A person can be honest but ungenerous, forgiving but lazy. Al Capone, after all, sponsored a soup kitchen during the Great Depression. Peter Wehner: The unconstitutional conservatives Integrity—whose root word, integer, means wholeness, a thing complete in itself—assimilates other virtues. A person of integrity possesses an inner harmony, a moral coherence. As the philosopher Robert C. Solomon put it: 'Integrity is not itself a virtue so much as it is a synthesis of the virtues, working together to form a coherent whole.' Integrity is a subject of ancient interest. Plato believed that a tripartite soul included reason, desire, and spirit. For Aristotle, virtue was divided into moral and intellectual categories. Virtue was not a matter of isolated acts; it was an ingrained disposition, an orientation of the mind and heart, developed through practice and habituation. This led to a unified life, which in turn led to the highest human good: eudaemonia, or human flourishing, a life of purpose devoted to the good. To be sure, people of integrity aren't perfect. But they are individuals who possess an internal cohesiveness among distinct parts. Their values and behavior display a consistency that is the foundation of trust and mutual respect. 'No man is a hero to his valet,' says the 18th-century proverb. Many of those who serve another see a different, darker side to those whom they serve. The closer you get to other people, the more obvious their flaws become. Their public and private lives are at odds with each other. In contrast, a life of integrity works in concert with itself, has a consistency regardless of the circumstances an individual finds themselves in. 'Except for the point, the still point / There would be no dance, and there is only the dance,' T. S. Eliot wrote. People of integrity are still points in a turning world. I'VE BEEN THINKING about integrity a lot lately, in part because more and more it's seen, certainly in politics, as unfashionable. It wasn't always this way. The central figure in the American founding, George Washington, was universally respected for his rectitude. Even the British recognized the quality of his character. (When King George III heard that Washington might surrender his commission as commander in chief of the Continental Army, he reportedly said that if Washington did so, 'he would be the greatest man in the world.') Washington was a complex and elusive figure, as his biographer Ron Chernow wrote, full of pent-up passion. But Washington was also a man of sterling character, brave, devoted to his country, civic minded, and possessed of an unsurpassed sense of duty. Although he was given great power, he never abused it. As Major General Henry Lee eulogized Washington at his funeral, 'The purity of his private character gave effulgence to his public virtues.' No other president, with the possible exception of Lincoln, was Washington's equal. But for nearly the entirety of American history, up until a decade ago, Washington set the standard. Presidents had to at least appear to be better than they were, offering the tribute that vice pays to virtue. No more. Donald Trump's corruption is borderless, in ways we've never quite seen before. But what's also precedent-shattering is that he doesn't try to hide it. His depravity is all in the open. That his supporters celebrate his bad behavior makes this even more discouraging. Many of them find his behavior thrilling, including large swaths of Christian fundamentalists and evangelicals, men and women who worship Jesus with their lips while giving priority to Trump and the MAGA movement in their heart. Add to the mix the craven, across-the-board capitulation to Trump by one elite institution after another —law firms and tech giants, universities and entertainment companies, news networks and once-great newspapers. All of this ramifies through society. Every day, in a thousand different ways, Trump's corrosive ethic is validated and replicated. Cruelty is the coin of the realm; it's the way to get ahead. Americans ask themselves, and one another, the inevitable questions: If the president can get away with it, why can't we? If breaking the rules helps him, why shouldn't it help us? The only way out of this wreckage is to rewrite the cultural script, to make excellence in character admired again. And that starts with recognizing the power of moral example. 'Finally, brothers and sisters,' Saint Paul wrote to the church in Philippi, 'whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.' MY WIFE, CINDY, AND I have recently discovered a compelling and highly entertaining way to think about such things. We've been watching Foyle's War, a British detective series that began broadcasting in 2002, was canceled for a time, and was revived until it ended in 2015. The series was initially set during World War II, in Hastings, a seaside town on the southern coast of England. The drama revolves around Christopher Foyle, a detective chief superintendent; his driver, Samantha 'Sam' Stewart; and Detective Sergeant Paul Milner. The series, notable for its meticulous attention to historical detail, later shifts to London, as Foyle and Stewart join MI5 after the war. The plots are multilayered and intricate; they deal with complex moral dilemmas—justice in ordinary times versus justice in wartime, for example, and which moral compromises should be made for the 'greater good' of the war effort—with nuance. But what makes this series so remarkable, apart from the brilliant (and brilliantly understated) acting of Michael Kitchen as Foyle, is that the character is 'a quiet man who makes a religion of honor, responsibility and competence,' as the television critic Mike Hale wrote in The New York Times. Foyle does so without ever appearing self-righteous or moralistic. Rather, he is a good man trying to do the right thing in a fallen world. It's not so much that we know every ethical line Foyle draws is the exact right one; it's rather that we know he's doing the best he can to pursue justice. He does so even—and sometimes especially—when there's enormous pressure on him to buckle, including from those in power. Foyle's moral compass can't be demagnetized. Foyle treats those over whom he has authority with respect. He's restrained, not glamorous; wry and scrupulous; a man of quiet strength; and uncompromised. It helps, too, that his private life is unstained. He is, to invoke a rather old-fashioned word, a gentleman. You can't imagine Foyle selling his soul for anything, which makes him particularly anomalous today, when we see soul-selling all around us. THE SOCIAL SCIENTIST JAMES Q. WILSON, in his 1993 book, The Moral Sense, argued that our moral sense is rooted in human nature. He believed that we have a natural capacity for ethical behavior, but that it needs to be nurtured. 'Mankind has a moral sense,' Wilson wrote, 'but much of the time its reach is short and its effects uncertain.' And so, when it comes to cultivating moral excellence, we must take our allies where we find them. Jonathan Rauch: One word describes Trump The best allies are people in your life who personify integrity, who live with honor, and who show us the way. In my own life, I count such people among my greatest blessings. I think of them more than they may know. But fictional characters can help us too. In his essay ' On Three Ways of Writing for Children,' C. S. Lewis, who also wrote The Chronicles of Narnia, said, 'Since it is so likely that [children] will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage. Otherwise you are making their destiny not brighter but darker.' Lewis knew the power of stories, and the power of heroes, to mold the character of children, to inspire them, even to help shape how they see the world. I'd add only that what is true for children is also true for adults. It may not be in quite the same way, but it can still make a difference. We all need to hear from time to time about brave knights and heroic tales—and even, perhaps, about police detectives in small towns on the south shore of England.
The Wire
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
‘Army Bowing at Modi ji's Feet': Why a Deputy CM's Gaffe Doesn't Bode Well
Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now Politics 'Army Bowing at Modi ji's Feet': Why a Deputy CM's Gaffe Doesn't Bode Well Badri Raina 5 minutes ago As of now, India's armed forces swear allegiance to the constitution, not to any person or political authority. Representative image. Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets armed forces personnel during a visit at the Adampur air base, in Jalandhar, Punjab, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. Photo: PTI Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Contribute now When the then German president, Paul Von Hindenburg, died in August of 1934, Adolf Hitler combined the posts of president and chancellor. He thus became Fuhrer, head of both the state and of the armed forces. Until then, German soldiers were required to take the following oath: 'I swear loyalty to the Constitution and vow that I will protect the German nation and its lawful establishments as a brave soldier at any time and will be obedient to the President and my Superiors.' Hitler now created a new oath: 'I swear by god this sacred oath that I will render unconditional obedience to Adolf Hitler, the Fuhrer of the German Reich and people, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and will be ready as a brave soldier to risk my life at any time for this oath.' Never mind that one fall out of this change was that German soldiers often excused whatever atrocities they committed as acts deriving from their oath of loyalty to the Fuhrer. In our own time, Donald Trump was heard to say during his first term as president of the United States how he would like to have the same kind of loyalty from his Generals as Hitler had from his. His subsequent denial that he had said so flew rather in the face of the fact on record. Here at home, flush with the chastisement meted out to a terrorism-spawning Pakistan, the unending cacophony of braggadacio seems now to have culminated in a statement rather potentially ominous. The honourable deputy chief minister of the BJP-ruled state of Madhya Pradesh, Jagdish Devda, has informed the nation how the armed forces are 'bowing at Modi ji's feet'. Once again, subsequent sophistries on behalf of the minister have persuaded few. To Modi ji's credit there is nothing on record thus far to say that he requires the sort of personal allegiance from the armed forces as has been alluded to by the minister. Nor, on the other hand, has he taken any cognisance of the unconstitutional and degrading aspersion cast by the erring minister both on the armed forces and on him by default. One imagines that had Jawaharlal Nehru been in his place, the said sycophant minister would have had his ears pulled pronto in public rebuke and rejection. We recall that Nehru once wrote an anonymous article in The Modern Review, 1937, castigating himself for his dictatorial predilections. Modi ji has of course often been heard to refer to himself in the third person, as royals were wont to do. Savour his frequently declared 'Modi ki guarantee' as a gold standard of credibility – rather like Caesar's pronouncement in Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar, 'When Caesar says do this, it is done.' Nor has his tenure been above desiring executive sway (inevitably meaning his own) over institutional mechanisms, to the detriment of the Constitutional injunction about the separation of powers. As to the army, he has in the past used such epithets as ' mere jawan (my soldiers)' even if as an expansive paternalistic metaphor. The question that must worry the law-abiding citizen is whether the fawning deputy minister's hyperbole may go uncorrected. As of now, India's armed forces swear allegiance to the constitution, not to any person or political authority. It is to be hoped that Modi ji will ensure that such allegiance continues to be the authorising legitimation of the life of our soldiers. The deputy chief minister's gaffe is too serious a matter to be bypassed. Badri Raina taught at Delhi University. Make a contribution to Independent Journalism Related News 'Nation's Army Bowing at Modi's Feet': BJP Leader Sparks Row With Remarks on Operation Sindoor Row Over Operation Sindoor Message on Train Tickets: Opposition Says Govt 'Using War as Opportunity' Gujarat Samachar Owner Held by ED, Congress Says Critical Writing Against Modi Govt Led to Arrest National Unity Cannot Be Celebrated Merely As a Wartime Gimmick 'We May Not Accept Modiji Has Failed But People Are Comparing How Indiraji Stood Up to US Bullying in 1971' Kharge Alleges Modi Cancelled J&K Visit Due to Intel Report Before Pahalgam Attack Second Speech in 24 Hours, Modi Invokes Religious Figures But No Mention of Trump Mediation Claims Anchored in an Unsustainable Plan, Modi's Speech Presented Old Ideas as New, Bold Thinking Will the Modi Government Carry Out the Caste Census or Will it Remain an Eyewash? View in Desktop Mode About Us Contact Us Support Us © Copyright. All Rights Reserved.
The Hill
14-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Germany bans far-right ‘Kingdom of Germany' group
The German government banned the far-right 'Kingdom of Germany' group on Tuesday and arrested four of its leaders in raids throughout the country. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced the ban, calling the group a threat to democratic order whose members refuse to recognize the legitimacy of the German government, follow its laws or pay taxes or fines. 'The members of this association have created a 'counter-state' in our country and built up economic criminal structures,' Dobrindt said. 'We will take decisive action against those who attack our free democratic basic order,' he added. The group is part of the 'Reich citizen' movement, which claims the historical German Reich still exists. Dobrindt noted that the group's claim to power is built on antisemitic conspiracies, which he said cannot be tolerated. 'This is not about harmless nostalgia, as the title of the association might suggest, but about criminal structures, criminal networks,' Dobrindt said later to reporters. 'That's why it's being banned today,' he said. Approximately 800 police officers participated in the raids Tuesday. German law enforcement arrested four high-ranking members of the group, including its leader, Peter Fitzek. The Associated press contributed.
Western Telegraph
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Western Telegraph
Germany bans the largest ‘Reich citizen' group and arrests four leaders
Since early Tuesday morning, 800 police officers in several states have been searching the association's properties and the homes of leading members. Interior minister Alexander Dobrindt said: 'The members of this association have created a 'counter-state' in our country and built up economic criminal structures.' More Stories He added that the members of the group underpinned their supposed claim to power with antisemitic conspiracy narratives — a behaviour that the country cannot tolerate. 'We will take decisive action against those who attack our free democratic basic order,' Mr Dobrindt said. The so-called 'Reich citizen', or Reichsburger' movement, does not recognise Germany as a state. Many of them claim that the historical German Reich still exists and ignore the country's democratic and constitutional structures such as parliament, laws or courts. They also refuse to pay taxes, social security contributions or fines. The so-called 'Kingdom of Germany' was proclaimed by its leader Peter Fitzek in the eastern town of Wittenberg in 2012 and says it has around 6,000 followers, the interior ministry said in a statement. It claims to be a 'counter-state' that seceded from the German federal government. 'This is not about harmless nostalgics, as the title of the association might suggest, but about criminal structures, criminal networks,' the minister told reporters later in Berlin. 'That's why it's being banned today.' The group's online platforms will be blocked and its assets will be confiscated to ensure that no further financial resources can be used for extremist purposes. It is not the first time that Germany has acted against the 'Reichsburger' movement. In 2023, German police officers searched the homes of about 20 people in connection with investigations into the far-right Reich Citizens scene, whose adherents had similarities to followers of the QAnon movement in the United States. Last year, the alleged leaders of a suspected far-right plot to topple Germany's government went on trial on Tuesday, opening proceedings in a case that shocked the country in late 2022.
South Wales Argus
13-05-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
Germany bans the largest ‘Reich citizen' group and arrests four leaders
Since early Tuesday morning, 800 police officers in several states have been searching the association's properties and the homes of leading members. Interior minister Alexander Dobrindt said: 'The members of this association have created a 'counter-state' in our country and built up economic criminal structures.' He added that the members of the group underpinned their supposed claim to power with antisemitic conspiracy narratives — a behaviour that the country cannot tolerate. 'We will take decisive action against those who attack our free democratic basic order,' Mr Dobrindt said. The so-called 'Reich citizen', or Reichsburger' movement, does not recognise Germany as a state. Many of them claim that the historical German Reich still exists and ignore the country's democratic and constitutional structures such as parliament, laws or courts. They also refuse to pay taxes, social security contributions or fines. The so-called 'Kingdom of Germany' was proclaimed by its leader Peter Fitzek in the eastern town of Wittenberg in 2012 and says it has around 6,000 followers, the interior ministry said in a statement. It claims to be a 'counter-state' that seceded from the German federal government. 'This is not about harmless nostalgics, as the title of the association might suggest, but about criminal structures, criminal networks,' the minister told reporters later in Berlin. 'That's why it's being banned today.' The group's online platforms will be blocked and its assets will be confiscated to ensure that no further financial resources can be used for extremist purposes. It is not the first time that Germany has acted against the 'Reichsburger' movement. In 2023, German police officers searched the homes of about 20 people in connection with investigations into the far-right Reich Citizens scene, whose adherents had similarities to followers of the QAnon movement in the United States. Last year, the alleged leaders of a suspected far-right plot to topple Germany's government went on trial on Tuesday, opening proceedings in a case that shocked the country in late 2022.
