Accountable To No One: Really?

Current events are becoming an increasingly rich pool of lessons for all.
I see lessons…I see lessons everywhere….

Ok let me get immediately to two current examples of unaccountability gone awry, in high places; a word about their consequences and then my final cautionary observation/question for all of us, regardless of the organizations we work for, serve, live in...

1) US General McChrystal, who this year took over invasion and occupation operations in Afghanistan, said that the cornerstone of his strategy would be to eliminate or greatly minimize civilian casualties; when recently confronted with why it hasn't happened, he said that most of the recent civilian casualties occurring are caused by the US special forces who "unfortunately are accountable to no one"...I say:  - really "General"?

2) The Pope, a well known micromanager and punctilious detail oriented manager (I know priests who have worked for him in Rome), claims uncertainty as to whom the pedophile men of the cloth, were accountable and that he knew nothing. I say:  - really, "Your Eminence"?

The consequences of just these two "unaccountability" examples, will be disastrous and we are already seeing that: the majority of the people of the world is questioning the wisdom of both of these institutions, the credibility of their related power structure, AND the genuineness of their respective proclaimed “missions” :
Anyone paying attention, cannot deny that there is an invasive, palpable, erosion of trust of even the most passive, sleepy citizens,  and furthermore, I contend it will lead to dissent, dissatisfaction and defection.
Caution/lesson/questions:
Look at your organizations' power structure, its organizational charts (written and unwritten), its sacred cows and then, with a clinical eye look carefully if there’s anyone whose behaviour tells you that they believe and operate as if they are “above the law”. Let's look critically, with courage, at the organizations we serve and let's ask ourselves these questions:
>Do I have anyone who is accountable to no one?
>Do I have anyone immune to regular policies and procedures?
>Do I have anyone whose performance is not measured and documented? Not only by their superiors but by those they serve?...


If you or I answered yes to any of the above questions; what will we do? Because I assure you, the"unaccountable/above the law" types will be the cause of dissent, dissatisfaction, defection and ultimately destruction. Really!

The Audacity Of Regrettable Leaderhip

I recall General Mc Crystal , upon recently taking over the macabre theater of invasion in Afghanistan, immediately informing us, that the cornerstone of his strategy would be his valiant, surgically precise vision of limiting civilian casualties to single digits. He was the cogent commandant par excellence, master of all selective destruction he surveyed.

It so happens that his strategy of surgically selective destruction hasn’t quite worked out at all, after dozens of civilians have been killed and family dwellings destroyed; so today he conveniently says that it is the fault of the special forces. It was the special forces who did it because…well, the good General says: “they were really not accountable to anyone”… Really General? So the cogent, strategic and benevolent General has decided that he will now begin to “reign in the special forces”.

And the NY Times once again proves consistent by having the audacity to print this and presenting it as a strategically progressive move, another outrageous propagandistic lie.

When in fact, with these words, Maj. Gen. Zahir Azimi, the chief spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Defense sums up the reality of accountability.
“These special forces were not accountable to anyone in the country, but General McChrystal”

There you have it. We know this was all carried out by careful destructive design! Where are the true patriots, those who care about our future, that of our children, that of the children of the world? And not afraid to question leaders and hold them accountable?
The article tells us that “civilian deaths have been cut 28%”; oh my! Are we supposed to jump up for joy? This is precisely the kind of statistical analysis one expects from a genocidal mentality, in which humans are depersonalized and their killers exalted for lowering the body count. Did we forget what Einstein said so well?
"War cannot be humanized. It can only be abolished."
Apparently we did forget!
I am outraged at the lack of anger by our people. Are people that naïve, that poorly informed? Where are the voices of patriotic dissent and justice?
There is no acceptable level of "civilian casualties," much as we are being conditioned to believe there is. And such deaths are not simply "regrettable," as every McChrystal apology suggests. They are, in fact, entirely avoidable.
But not when you have arrogant unaccountable leadership supported by a nation afraid to dissent and too timid to declare peace.