Spirit of Judas (UPDATED)

We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honour and are shocked to find traitors in our midst. We castrate and bid the geldings be fruitful. --C.S. Lewis

I don't know what it is about spineless, disloyal "men" that arouses blinding, nearly homicidal fury in me but they do. Perhaps it's due to being a veteran or being descended from and nurtured by real men and loved by yet another. (And I bet that if the most feminist of women are honest, they will admit that they too despise the simpering, girly so-called men who kiss their backsides on every issue.) Perhaps it's the contrast. Or perhaps my antipathy indicates something even more spiritually basic.

"Miserable Creatures Like You"

I do not know whether a crime was committed by any of the Administration officials who revealed Valerie Plame’s identity to reporters. Nor do I know if there was an attempt by any person or persons to engage in a cover-up during the investigation. I do know that it was wrong to reveal her identity, because it compromised the effectiveness of a covert official for political reasons. I regret that I played a role, however unintentionally, in relaying false information to the public about it.

--Scott McClellan, Former White House Press Secretary to President George W. Bush, testifying before the House Judiciary committee on June 20, 2008

Senator Bob Dole--a World War II veteran and recipient of a Purple Heart--feels the same way about the spineless and the traitorous as I do, the way such a man might--one who has had to depend on superiors, peers and subordinates for his very life. A couple of weeks back Dole lit into McClellan in response to the latter's public treachery toward his benefactor. (McClellan's new book, unimaginatively titled What Happened, is said to contained innuendo--but nothing concrete--about the Bush White House regarding the Plame/CIA/Armitage affair.) But Dole's reaction and rebuke of McClellan and devastating summation of his character isn't surprising. People who have been called into military service or volunteer for it seem to have a more visceral understanding of what disloyalty indicates--whether life and limb are at stake or not. (Aside: McClellan seems such a pathetic figure--he always appeared hapless before the Washington press corps and it appears that he was duped by a Democrat-leaning publisher into marketing his book as some sort of indictment against the president. So, in short, he’ has already received his due earthly reward, outside of an a**-kicking.)

But sometimes the pattern is not so cut and dried. Sometimes the very men and women who have voluntarily taken on the greatest of responsibility—who know the import of fidelity or are supposed to—will, nevertheless, turn on those who depend upon them. From such people is perfidy particularly galling.

The Speaker and the General

4000-plus dead and many victories to be savored in Operation Iraqi freedom, including the apparent success of the Surge carried out by the United States Armed Forces stationed in that country; yet the Speaker of the House of Representatives of those United States, Nancy Pelosi*, pronounces the Surge a failure and in the same breath, without the dimmest (no pun intended) awareness that she is contradicting herself, claims that any Surge success is due solely to the benevolence of the Iranian government. The competent, loyal, obedient and heroic troops and their leadership and those among that number who gave their lives for the mission or have had their lives permanently altered don’t count according to the Speaker of the House—not unless they are accused/convicted of a crime or can be cast in some sort of victim role. Our enemy, however--the foe which contributes weaponry that has produced a good portion of the aforementioned casualties and who gives shelter to another set of enemies--is to be lionized....by the Speaker of the flockin' House.

And J.B. White outlines the case of Former Secretary of State General Colin Powell, USA (ret.), his former chief of staff at State Colonel Larry Wilkerson, USA (ret.) and their faithlessness toward their benefactor, again President George W. Bush. This is a must-read and if your opinion of General Powell hasn't already been altered by his behavior since his little show before the UN preceding the invasion of Iraq, it will be after reading J.B.'s piece.

Betrayer Beatified

I should have known that Gerard Van der Leun noticed what time it was long before I did. He republishes a two-year old classic on National Geographic’s feature, The Gospel of Judas.

It was never a question of "if," but only a question of "when" our contemporary society would discover an avatar who would make treason acceptable. It only codifies the realities of their secular belief system. Treason against others or one's country has long been as common as adultery in this country. Like adultery the rate of treason is on the rise because, like adultery and similar forms of personal betrayal, it no longer has any consequences at all. [SNIP]

For when our own desires ride us like a drunken demon lodged on our shoulders, betrayal is the first order of the day when others seek to thwart our desires, or even when others become a mere inconvenience to our wants and whims. [snip]

Both betrayal and treason are still weighted down by a lingering sense of shame within at the same time they are made safe from the onus of blame without. Both are permitted by our cults of personal freedom and "sensible" selfishness, but both are formed of dark matter and not easily expunged from one's soul no matter how reduced it may have become. [snip]

What is needed, in this secular age of self-intoxication, is a Saint who will remit our sins of betrayal; who will by his very existence sanctify treason. And who better fits this role than the man who betrayed the greatest love for the smallest change, Judas?

And from the fulfillment of that need come the prophets of faith(lessness), those who flip the manifestation of Judas's crime on in its head, turn it into a virtue and urge others to "go and do likewise."

I witnessed something a week or so ago, a male whose objective and method of thinking were the very personification of Gerard’s point. A miserable creature named Mark Dice was interviewed by FNC’s Megyn Kelly. Dice runs a site called ‘Resistance’ and his life goal is to “help” members of the U.S Armed Forces serving in Iraq and Afghanistan by sending them letters and emails in order to "educate" them--because they’re ignorant and uneducated, of course. See, Dice is a 9/11 Truther--he thinks that the US government perpetrated the 9/11 attacks and he feels that it is his duty to inform soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines that they have been duped by the government. Dice just knows that these men and women are duped, ignorant and uneducated because there is no way that these people would enlist/re-enlist in the military after 9/11 and after the beginning of OIF unless they had been fooled. Because they couldn’t possibly have more information than Mark Dice does; they couldn’t possibly be better educated than Mark Dice is; they couldn’t possibly be operating from a more cogent philosophy of conducting their lives than Mark Dice is able to fathom. Not possible!

Dice thinks that his "revelations" will cause the soldiers to question their superiors and, ultimately, to refuse to follow orders. Dice wants to create a climate in which there is no formal or informal censure for a GI who reneges on his contract. He wants to make it easy for Oath-Breakers to not only be accepted by the larger society but even to be admired. Oh and get this: he’s doing all for Christ!

Is loyalty something which only those who have chosen public service can understand? Of course not. But voluntary service to a superior—a ‘lord,’ if you will—indicates explicit and implicit allegiance to that lord (commander, head of state, etc.) and, conversely, that superior has a parallel allegiance to his/her vassal. And when that trust is broken…there’s Hell to pay. I’d say ‘ask Judas,’ if you were able. (Of course Judas didn’t go to Hell because of his betrayal of his lord/Lord; he went to Hell because he put himself beyond absolution by killing himself. He went to Hell because he did not believe that his Redeemer lived. He was serving a cause he did not believe in and, therefore, betrayed himself.)

Outside of the spiritual consequences, why are oath-breakers so hated? Because when you act decisively in any endeavor, you’re expecting those who promise to assist to do just that. “I’ve got your back.” That expression isn’t slang. It’s a short form of saying that you’re protecting another’s blind side—the back side; the "six"—of an ally, whether it’s a subordinate, superior or an equal. Your liege (related to the word ‘allegiance’) is depending on you to indeed protect that back side; and when, instead, you turn around and stab him in that side, you become a thing to be despised by friend and foe alike. (Or at least that’s how it used to be.) Because, after all, who could trust a person who would do such a thing? Everyone keeps their literal or figurative front side to such a person for quite some time; she “bears watching.” Earthly redemption can only sometimes be had and that’s after many deeds of repentance and the passage of time.

But breaking a trust seems to be no big deal anymore. It’s almost as if the spiritual ground were being tilled for some massive grand betrayal, or Grand Betrayer. Gerard:

Saint Judas, step right up to the Gates, ring that bell, and don your halo -- you the man.

Bow down and worship the (Miserable) Creature. (Thanks to Commentary Magazine)

*Obviously Nancy Pelosi is not a man but she sits in a leadership position—an honorary man, if you will. And, no, I do not care who is offended by that concept.

UPDATE: McClellan don't know nothin' about nothin'. But his job is done.

Comments

[DarkStar]

Personal observation: politics in D.C. seem to appreciate loyalty more than integrity. I'm not saying McClellan has integrity, but all of the comments made about this book has led me to voice the observation.

Your mileage may vary.

[waltj]

I'd argue that McClellan has neither loyalty nor integrity. He's certainly not shown loyalty to this Administration, and if he'd had any integrity, he'd have resigned over the goings-on that he said he didn't approve of. "Apologizing" several years after the fact is weak tea indeed.

[sillyblindharper]

This is a wonderful article. Thank you, Ma'am

[RattlerGator]

Well done, madam, well done.

[DonRodrigo]

Lord help us, but our House is headed by a genuinely Stupid Cow, the Senate by a snivelling little old lady from Nevada, and we may soon have a President who is a cowering, henpecked, metrosexual twit.

Must. Learn. To. Cope.

[Duck Bank]

I voted for President Bush, and I don't regret it.

But this open treason is entirely his fault for never defending himself or his policies, and for not only never rebuking his enemies, but embracing them.

When the last war-funding supplemental was passed, Pelosi issued a formal statement as Speaker of the House, decrying the passage because the war was based on a false premise.

Bush's reaction was to thank her for passing the supplemental.

People think he's a liar because he never tries to persuade them otherwise. He smiles at Pelosi as if he's in love with her.

He decided to be all big and gentlemanly and magnanimous and shrug off the lies told about him. He personalized them, and now, because of his pathological refusal to see the bigger picture, the country may just elect the biggest fraud in our history.

Another aspect is that President Bush revels in self-pity. He enjoys having a low approval rating, because it allows him to play the martyr. He absolutely reeks of weakness and defeat now, as if he can't wait to get out. He's said many times he had no idea the job would be so hard.

In this area President Bush has failed us. He had the duty to vigorously defend his policies and denounce the lies told about him. He let losers like Reid and Pelosi define him. In a more rational time, Reid and Pelosi would've been laughed off the political stage, as would Obama.

But President Bush has turned the War on Terror into his own private psychodrama, and the entire world will have to pay.

It's a disaster. He had no right to do this to us. We'll be dealing with his mental issues for decades to come.

[baldilocks]

Of the things you've mentioned, what has turn out, objectively, to have been a disaster?

All the things you mentioned are subjective things--feelings or how *you* think he should react to having his *pride* stepped on.

[baldilocks]

I don't agree with President Bush on a few things. One reason, however, that I admire him is that he doesn't whine--even when he may be justified in doing so.

[mhgdairy]

Excellent article. I also liked your point on Judas' eternal destiny. You are correct in saying Judas could have been forgiven. Peter betrayed His Lord and yet was forgiven. Peter failed but unlike Judas he believed His Savior and was sorrowful because he had betrayed Him. Judas only felt sorrow for himself and took the chicken's way out.