Standards

Kurt Schlichter, at Townhall.com has an article today entitled Kash Patel Has His Work Cut Out for Him Fixing the Disgraced, Incompetent and Poorly Dressed FBI. The last, being poorly dressed is a testament to the fact that the FBI, like a lot of today's institutions, lacks standards. When I worked for the Navy, civilians were expected to wear a suit and tie to work for men. Women had more leeway, but either a nice dress or one of those horrible pant suits. Still, both men and women were expected to dress in a professional manner.  When someone introduced the idea of "casual Fridays" we suddenly got to loosen the tie on Friday.  In today's federal government, that has all changed.

Just when you thought the once proud Federal Bureau of Investigation was utterly broken, it had to go out and completely humiliate itself in public by putting the woefully unprepared Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Nosering Uptalky out there to explain that the Muslim dude who everybody else had called a terrorist wasn’t a terrorist. Yeah, he was a terrorist. Let’s not even get into how they left all sorts of relevant evidence at his unsecured house after searching it. Great work from a garbage organization whose sole focus, besides pursuing the latest DEI fads, has been terrorizing parents going to school board meetings to complain about perverts, praying Catholics, and grandmothers taking selfies in the Capitol Rotunda. What a disgrace. Boy, does Kash Patel ever have his work cut out for him, but he can do it with the right combination of institutional savvy and utter ruthlessness in pursuit of excellence.

Kash must start by enforcing standards, something the FBI hasn’t had in a very long time.

Let’s be clear about the problem. It’s a problem for many once-venerated institutions. At one time, these institutions had respect, even awe. If you grew up as a kid in the 70s, you watched Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., as Inspector Erskine, chasing bank robbers, mobsters, and commies on “The FBI” every Sunday night. No, the FBI wasn’t perfect, but they had a standard then. When they showed up, they looked like professionals. They spoke like professionals, not like valley girls spewing irritating jargon (“That is my ask.”) They weren’t a bunch of gender studies majors recruited straight out of the University of College. Most were lawyers, veterans or had previously been in law enforcement. Right now, we have an FBI that’s hiring baristas. Seriously.

The need for improved standards affects all levels of society today. There was a time when plain clothed officers wore suits and concealed their weapons. Today they wander around in casual clothing with the weapons hanging out for all to see. Somehow, to me that undermines the whole purpose of being plain clothed officers. But the FBI is a special case, as they not only can affect national security, but people's very lives and rights. Distrust of the FBI leads to distrust of the entire Federal government. FBI agents should be the best and brightest, and oh, by the way, should not be able to lie to people being interrogated. Lying to a Federal agent is a crime. It should equally be a crime for Federal agents to lie to the public.

In the name of diversity, inclusion, and equity (DIE) the FBI has been hiring people who are not qualified to be there. Some, of course, may not be qualified to be in any position, but what must be understood is that not being qualified to be in the FBI does not make one a second-class citizen. There are many jobs that must be done in society, and all are important and necessary. It is yet another fallacy of the Left, that because you aren't qualified to be, say, an FBI agent, you are nothing. Not so. There are no jobs for which people will pay someone, that do not have certain skills and knowledge. Even an entry level McDonald's job requires someone to show up on time, sober, properly attired with a good attitude. It takes skill to be a good barista, but these skills do not translate to being a good FBI agent.

You may be thinking that all this fuss over sartorial taste is beside the point. But strangely, dressing professionally is the first step in being professional. I have noticed that men going to seminary to become Lutheran pastors dress in the way of actual pastors, wearing a Roman collar. Why do you think that is? But please, read the whole article. And say a prayer for Kash Patel. He has his work cut out for him.