“In questions of power, then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.”
– Thomas Jefferson
I’ve intentionally made the Desk of Brad an apolitical forum. Living and working in D.C. over the last 20+ years has given me a perspective about how the government runs and how politics intersects with policy. When I was working for Microsoft, one of my jobs was managing most of the Cabinet-level agencies. I became very familiar with the mission, operations, and budgeting of these agencies. I regularly advocated on behalf of Microsoft’s interests and even testified before Congress. I watched three different presidential administrations change the way the agencies operated and leave their marks from a policy perspective. I could go on and on about what I learned and how government works.
I remember the Clinton impeachment quite vividly. It raised a lot of questions about ethics, the law, and our political system, to be debated on Friday nights at the bar by my friends and me. The two parties were a lot closer together back then and politics hadn’t quite devolved into something that resembles cheering for your favorite football team in a match against your arch-rival. I am a student of the Supreme court, I read most of the major decisions each year, including the dissenting opinions — there are many books in our Tahzoo D.C. office about the history of the court. I find the evolution of our laws to be a fascinating retrospective of our history and another way to understand how the values of America have changed over time.
Being a citizen in a democracy is not something to be taken lightly or left to others to figure out on your behalf. It is the primary obligation of every citizen to be informed and educated about the issues. We should all be actively involved in understanding the issues and the proposed policies that affect your liberty and the liberty of others. A democracy sits on a razor’s edge and complacency among the citizens is a recipe for disaster. It’s not just the Senators that are jurors during an impeachment trial, each of you is a juror too. I strongly encourage each of you actually read the documents and the evidence presented by both sides. Turn off your favorite news channel and don’t leave your conclusions to the pundits. Tahzoo is a company full of smart and happy people, each of you should use your given cognitive horsepower to read the evidence and reach your own conclusions.
2020 is an election year, each of you has a civic duty to vote. The rule of law is what has made and will continue to make America a great country. It’s not someone else’s work to ensure the values of our country are being upheld. Three times in history a president has been impeached, it’s a big deal. So, don’t shirk your responsibility, get involved, read and remember it’s your country too!
Let’s go be great!
Brad