Being Oneself in the Face of Power and Money

I was listening to a talk show today with a host who clearly doesn't easily fit the conservative or liberal label.  My kind of guy!  He made an interesting comment regarding the present Attorney General and his prosecutor, Durham.  He said that he supported both of them in being in the positions that they're in.  He also said that he was surprised and disappointed by their actions regarding the IG report.  A caller didn't understand why he wouldn't just take their side, because in todays day and age that's what is expected.  You support people in your political party regardless of whether they're right or wrong.  The talk show host couldn't understand why Barr and Durham seem to be different people than the ones he supported to be in their jobs.  I think that I understand.  Why? Because, in some ways, I've been there.

I can look back over my life and career and think of situations where I was face to face with someone with power or money.  In that situation, you're not yourself.  I recall specific instances early in my career when I know I didn't say what I should have, or what I said was influenced by whom I was speaking to.  It's ironic, because I pride myself on my willingness to speak truth to power, which I've also done many times in my life and career.  Still, I have to acknowledge that I'm human.  Sometimes, I've adjusted what I might have said.  Other times, I just haven't said anything.  I don't believe that I've ever lied.  At the same time, I've allowed myself to believe things based on the influence of my surroundings.  I think that's pretty normal.

If one is in a job that they like, or even more importantly, that they need, how easy is it to be influenced by ones surroundings?  As human beings, we're all pretty good at rationalizing things when we need to.  Again, I am not unique in this, nor is anyone else.  Which brings me back to the topic at hand.  Barr and Durham are presumably good people, trying to do good things in their job.  Like many others before them, they assume that they can do good in a chaotic environment.  What they don't realize is what that environment is truly about.  When you have people like Rex Tillerson and John Kelly, no slouches in their own right, run headlong into the world of Donald Trump and ultimately fail, you've got to ask yourself a question.

I believe that the question comes down to how Trump influences those around him.  It is 100% clear to me that Donald Trump has an obsession with being right.  If someone disagrees with him, that is immediate cause for him to lash out at them.  Today was a primary example.  His FBI chief said some things about the IG report that Trump didn't like.  He immediately tweeted some very negative things about a person that he personally placed in that position.  I would ask my Trump supporting friends if they can site a single instance where Trump is supportive of opinions that are not lock step with his own?  In fact, Trump goes out of his way to bash anyone who disagrees with him.  That's one thing that twitter has allowed us to see.  Furthermore, I would argue that he also has little to no impulse control, and therefore doesn't take the time to process information in a way that would allow him to look at all sides and ponder the consequences.

This leaves us with a President who has enormous influence over the people around him, who abhors and lashes out at anyone who disagrees with him.  What type of environment does that create? Sounds like a monarchy to me.