Morality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Morality - Essay Example The lies, deception, aggression, bias or secrecy exemplified by politicians and lawyers have a certain practical value as proven by history. The late US president Lyndon Johnson is the perfect example of the practice of lying for the sake of the good. Known by the American citizens as a â€Å"candidate of peace,† Johnson won the election, but secretly launched Operation Rolling Thunder against North Vietnam (Bok 181-182). Nevertheless, although Johnson did not give the citizens a chance to accept or refuse the plan, he did it in order to do what he believed was good for everyone. Besides, had Johnson been transparent and had he given a chance for the electorate to make the decision instead of him, he would have caused not only widespread panic in the whole country but also a possible anarchy or overthrow of the government just to accommodate the people’s rage towards his proposed scheme. The question is not whether it was a wrong decision for Johnson to wage war against North Vietnam but whether the people should be informed at all times every time a decision has to be made. If one chooses to do the latter, then on what basis that should be done? What right do the majority of citizens have in order for them to be qualified to make a political decision in behalf of the government? Perhaps, one has to remember that, in a democratic society like America, the people vote for the President and for the other politicians because they have placed their trust in them. Therefore, whatever Lyndon Johnson did, there was no way the people could put the blame on him for that, because in the first place, the people were the ones who had him elected as President and have somehow given him all the right to make decisions for them. it would therefore be absurd to think that the people voted for someone to make decisions for them but for them to dictate which decisions he should make. It is like hiring a painter to paint your wall, and guiding his hand every time he paints. In such cases, one had better do it himself. The point therefore is that no one can blame politicians for telling lies and for keeping things secret because they would not be doing those things had they not been elected by the people in the first place. Nevertheless, as in the example of Johnson and of many other presidents and politicians who have made drastic decisions in behalf of their country, most of the time the purpose is for the benefit and survival of all. Moreover, when President Franklin Roosevelt made the decision for the United States to join the Second World War, he did not have to consult each and every American, for two reasons – the war would be over even before he finished doing that, or it would certainly be met with tough opposition from religious and peace-oriented groups while Americans at Pearl Harbor were being slaughtered by the Japanese. Secrecy and lies have their own wisdom, and every politician who was honestly elected by his constituent s have every right to do these things if it were to ultimately benefit the people. These negative moral acts also have a practical value based on theoretical philosophy. Although negatively moral, it is true that â€Å"a certain amount of illusion is needed in order for public servants to be effective [and