This isn’t the quiz question, but are we entering Julie Principle territory here? Should I keep flagging this very Trumpian conduct as ethically dubious, or just resign myself to “fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, Trump’s gonna troll ’cause he likes to, that’s why”?
Those banners are currently hanging at the Department of Agriculture building in Washington, D.C. Naturally, my Trump-Deranged Facebook friends (and certainly the rest of that zombie herd that I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting), is triggered. “This is SHOCKING,” writes one of the TDS inflicted (whose posts I have noted before). “Authoritarian craziness is now on full display. What happened to DOGE? We now have Soviet style banners. POTUS is a very ill man.” A reply asserts, “Unfortunately, the ‘uneducated’ would never see this.”
Funny, I must have missed the class that explained how just having your photo displayed in public is “authoritarian.” Is it a violation of the Constitution? Is it an abuse of power? Does it take away anyone’s rights or freedoms? Is it the size that’s “authoritarian”? What size of Presidential portrait isn’t authoritarian? Hey, come on…I want to be “educated”!
The banners may be stupid, however.
I see a couple possible motives behind this. One, the most likely I think, is trolling, which Trump, to his detriment, is addicted. He wants to drive people like my friend crazy, as well as, of course, Democrats and the news media. The crazier they are, the crazier they’ll act, and the crazier they act, the less influence they will have. I get it, but it’s a dangerous game.
The other likely motive is defiance. As in his first term, the news media is declaring every other decision, policy, word or gesture by President Trump to be a threat to democracy as journalists and pundits try to block his agenda by any means necessary. The message of that banner paired with Lincoln’s visage is “Bring it on, haters! I’m President of the goddamn United States of America, and just like Honest Abe, I’m going to save this country in spite of all of you! I’m not afraid of you, so go fuck yourself.”
This is known as “poking the bear.” Trump loves to do that, too.
Nevertheless, the public display of giant photos and drawings of leaders is a practice associated almost exclusively with bad guys and dictators: Big Brother. Mao. Stalin. Trump is spitting into the metaphorical eye of the Cognitive Dissonance Scale. He’s attaching himself to a practice that has universally negative connotations to a vast majority of voters and citizens. Is that responsible? Is that competent?
Your Ethics Alarms Ethics Quiz of the Day is…
Ethics Alarms 
I’m not worried about it. Departing Afghanistan…..now that got me going. Leaving behind billions of dollars in armaments, to eventually, possibly be used against the U.S. or Israel….now that got me going. Besides, a pic of “honest Abe” could not trigger me like the rainbow, gay pride banner, that Biden had hanging from the White House.
(“It’s not the worst thing”? #22?)
Subtle trolling is fun….but overdone, it’s stupid and provoking those one might prefer to win over with logic and competence.
if he had these banners on every government building in Washington, that might be an issue. On the department of Agriculture that has been somewhat lukewarm in its’ support of this administration, who really cares?
(“It’s not the worst thing”? #22?)
Given the level of depravity and secrecy within the Demonocratic Party, I think it’s unethical not to.
The Dems had been so effective at burying the true nature of what they wanted to inflict on this nation over the last couple decades, we’d have been like the frogs in the pot (or whatever that story is), not realizing how much freedom we’d lost, how truly corrupt our institutions had become, without him.
If you’d told me only 5 years ago the top universities were as violently antisemitic as they are, I wouldn’t have believed it, and it’s known for decades how far left they really are.
If you’d told me 10 years ago, a reporter would call protests mostly peaceful with a building burning in the background, I’d never have believed you, and it’s been known for decades how liberal the news media is.
If you’d told me two years ago a US Congressman would fly to a foreign nation to meet with and defend a criminal illegal alien with ties to one of the most violent gangs on earth, I’d never have believed you.
For whatever reason, Trump exposes how depraved they are.
If democracy dies in darkness, Trump is one of those giant anti aircraft spotlights from WW2 pointed directly at people bent on destroying what is good about our way of life.
I don’t think we get that with any other political leader in our time, so, yes, I’ll take the cringey “mean tweets” that go with it.
At this point, I think all but TDS sufferers see it for what it is, and I doubt he’s losing any real support (I think he’s been at 50% approval since inauguration, save a short stint when the tariffs began).
I think that it’s an unnecessary expense, at a time when all government expenditures should be minimized. Like the “climate activist” who flies to a protest rally, it is a physical contradiction of the primary message.
Ah HA! That’s what the DOGE reference meant!
l don’t know why this is a big deal. The odd part is Abraham Lincoln. The president and secretary of agriculture graces every USDA office waiting room. That it’s outside instead of inside makes no difference.
I go to the US District Court in Houston all the time. There are photos of Pres. Trump and VP Vance on wall above the security check point. Same as the US District Courts in Galveston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Austin. Same with Biden and Harris during their administration. I simply can’t get excited or upset about these banners. Not the worst thing? Nah. Just not a thing.
jvb
Jack: “Nevertheless, the public display of giant photos and drawings of leaders is a practice associated almost exclusively with bad guys and dictators: Big Brother. Mao. Stalin.”
Ask the same question about ethics with respect to Lincoln. I have no idea why there would be a Lincoln banner on the USDA building.
If Teddy were on a banner on the National Parks building (if there is one), or even on Mount Rushmore, that would be fine.
Or, FDR on the Social Security Administration Building. That would make sense.
Or Carter on the Department of Education Building. (Giggle.)
Trump and Lincoln on USDA? Makes no sense for either of them. But, if it is Trump-fascism, the same has to be said about Lincoln. But, it doesn’t. That is why it makes no sense. Totalitarianism? No. Hanlon’s Razor? Yes.
Unethical? No.
In that regard, you, Jack, as a student of Presidential history, should appreciate the profound influence of the office which has no nefarious purpose. I have often commented that FDR is the closest thing the U.S. has had to a fascist dictatorship (and that is the standard by which all fascist allegations should be judged). I am right, but am often met with jeers by stupid people. You understand that we should have respect or reverence for the occupants of the office, without revering them. we can put up banners and statues of them all day long, but we always know that they are simply fellow citizens, even if we hold them up (or used to) as exemplary citizens.
I cannot think of a single monument of Washington or Lincoln that would imply fascism. It would be more akin to the English respect for its Monarchy, but we are not even monarchical. The English are proud of their monarchy and the history it represents. We should treat our Presidency in a similar manner, even as our Presidency reflects an Everyman characteristic that is, perhaps, unique to American culture.
-Jut
The MLK Jr. Statue!
You can’t think of one single connection between Lincoln and agriculture?
Honestly, I look at that and what I see is Trump setting himself up on the same level as Abe Lincoln, implying that he’s comparable and/or on equal footing with the generally-accepted “greatest” U.S. President of all time. Think very highly of yourself there, Mr. President?
But then . . . yeah, we all know that he does. Does he think he’s Lincoln’s equal or better? I don’t know. That I don’t know with certainty that he doesn’t think so is the part that’s the most telling.
I also don’t quite understand why there’s a giant picture of any POTUS in front of the USDA. Have they always had that, or is this new?
But to answer the quiz itself: I’d say ethically neutral. This does no harm, and does no good, except maybe for the President’s ego. I’m pretty sure I’d think the same thing if it had been Biden or Obama doing the same.
–Dwayne
Isn’t the USDA simply a protectionist organization for big time ag? (Is there any small time ag anymore?) Is the Trump administration doing some trade negotiating that will benefit ag and he wants them to know it? Getting U.S. grain and other commodities into China?
I will start with raising my glass to the most famous troll of all time, the Greek philosopher Diogenes the Cynic, who drove other philosophers crazy with his wit and provocation.
In Amsterdam during the Sixties there was an anarchist movement called Provo that focused on provoking violent responses from authorities using non-violent bait. Their demonstrations were often forbidden out of concern for public order, the police reacted to them in more and more repressive ways (water cannons, batons), and the police brutality led to increasing sympathy for the Provo’s, and eventually the dismissal of Amsterdam’s police chief.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provo_(movement)
The Trump administration is doing something similar, in my opinion. I am able to shrug my shoulders about his antics, however the Democrats seem to be unable to do that as they are constantly provoke into actions that freeze and fix them in the worst possible ways and making them look to always be on the side of the 20% in an 80/20 issue. In the mean time the Trump supporters are having fun. This is all right out of Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals.
Is it ethical? As long as it helps accomplish Trump’s political goals it is, as achieving political goals for the good of society is the touchstone for political ethics.
However Trump should also be aware of Alinsky’s rule 7 “A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag”.