Theos-Talk Archives (November 1994 Message tl00061)

Liesel <For those of you who're bored with the same old thing,
how about discussing the ethics of transnational corporations?
That'd fall under the topic of what affects one affects all.>

I worked for the Government for 30 years before retiring.  But I
never really came across the kind of ethical things that happen
in business.  Except for one particular incident.  I made an
evaluation of a system for the Army to the effect that it was an
unsafe item, and was overruled by my 2-star general who
personally re- wrote my conclusions.  I refused to sign my name
to the report, and so my supervisor signed it.  The Army bought a
lot of those things, and as far as I know, they have had a lot of
accidents with them.  I also observed some waste of paxpayers
money here and there, but nothing criminal (mostly stupidity).
It is my experience, however, that Jerry H-E is right when he
describes the fate of whistle-blowers.  Government, like
business, wants "teams" and whistle-blowers are not team players.

I think the literature is pretty clear, though, that most people
who have to lie or cheat in business and who sit in church and
hear morality preached to them, will eventually have a mental
breakdown at some point.  The psychological term is cognitive
dissonance - we rationalize away impossible or immoral situations
because of practical necessity.  Those who have a conscience will
only be able to do this temporarily.

Jerry S.