What is to be done?

 At the American Thinker today, Steve Feinstein tells us that he is Tired of the 'Rank and File.' The term 'Rank and File' is a leftist term for the salt of the earth working men and women, who are individuals, not cogs in a machine. These are the people who make America work. They have families, loved ones, children to educate not indoctrinate.  But in this article, the 'rank and file' are the individual bureaucrats following the often illegal orders of those at the top.

We hear this a lot: “The rank and file are fine. It’s the leadership that’s bad.” That’d be nice if it was true. But it’s not.

If there is one thing that progressive Left governance has accomplished in the last two Democrat administrations, it’s been their complete (and sadly, likely irreversible) destruction of formerly non-partisan governmental organizations. The FBI, DoJ, IRS, and CIA used to comprise the bedrock foundation of a just and equitable American society, ensuring an unbiased legal system, providing national security and pursuing America’s best interests around the world.

Regrettably, that is no longer the case. These formerly neutral national institutions are now blatantly and unapologetically nothing more than extensions of the Democrat Party. With their actions predictably covered and excused by the mainstream liberal media, these establishments have taken to proactively opposing and undercutting all manner of conservative politicians and initiatives

Feinstein then points out how agencies such as the IRS, FBI, CIA and DoJ have been turned into literal arms of the Democrat party. It has probably happened to the DoD and certainly Homeland Securtity. I have written about some of my experiences at the Department of the Navy. Most of the people I worked around were nice enough, and a few I considered friends. But the fact is that most either "leaned left" or were outright socialists. I have written about how, even though many of these people believed that man was causing global warming, none were willing to act on their beliefs. Which is the problem. How many of the "rank and file" have refused orders to do things which are clearly questionable if not illegal. How many have resigned in protest?  How many have quit?  If enough had done so the leaders might well have reconsidered their own actions.

However, the IRS, FBI, DoJ, and CIA are highly selective, specialized enterprises, demanding the very highest professional qualifications and the most stringent individual principles. Every employee is bound to a code of ethics and a sworn duty to respect and uphold every aspect of American law. The rank and file do not have a “Get out of jail free” card when their superiors flout the law in deference to factional political considerations. On the contrary, when the Comeys, Lerners, and Garlands of the world act with such contemptible disregard for the rule of law because of their misplaced political leanings, it is the responsibility of the rank and file to say, “No! This does not stand. It stops here and now.” These rank-and-file employees are purportedly the most intelligent, honest, and skilled people in the world at what they do.

They need to act like it. Or else, everyone will see the obvious: This is all their fault.

I frankly have no clue what to do about this. It seems that we not only need to perp walk the leaders of these organizations to the public square, and the DoJ is not up to the task. But we also need to make some expamples of those who followed those orders. The Nuremberg trials established that "just following orders" was not enough. These people have sworn to defend and uphold the Constitution of the United States. That Constitution is clearly not compatible with the idea of a Marxist dictatorship, and that is where the current situation is leading.