Archon Fung weighs in: "We will always need whistle-blowers because democratic institutions cannot be perfect. Inherent in the nature of discretionary power is that politicians and policy makers inevitably act—sometimes legally and sometimes not—in ways are that are unjust or abuse the public’s trust. In the face of such wrong, each citizen must come to his or her own considered judgment [...] that she should break the law or otherwise disobey authority to bring public attention. (...) When whistle-blowers and leaders set the bar of wrongdoing too low, they disrespect the rule of law, degrade democracy, and harm the citizens in it. (...) But when the bar is too high, serious injustices and abuses of power remain hidden in dark corners, uncorrected by the bright light of public scrutiny because those who would speak out are afraid or cannot find a willing ear. Or, they may be driven to take their grievances outside of their society altogether.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Jul 2013 07:31:39 +0000
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