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1
. Which best describes your interpretation of Geithner's behavior?
Which best describes your interpretation of Geithner's behavior?
A. Inoffensive. I am indifferent to the constitutional conduct of affairs in general.
B. Inoffensive. I am a political partisan. I am willing to ignore behavior I might otherwise consider unconstitutional if I believe it serves my personal agenda.
C. No comment. I find acknowledgment of even a theoretical concern regarding this behavior a deep embarrassment to my partisan commitments which it is more expedient to ignore.
D. Offensive. I find it politically expedient to raise this issue in order to further my own partisan agenda, but I will not seriously consider my own party's complicity in approving Geithner's nomination in the first place or the lack of clear alternatives proposed by my party. Geithner was on the short list of potential nominees for both Obama and McCain in 2008.
E. Offensive. However, there is no remotely realistic scenario in which such blatant power grabs can be effectively opposed. I am a nihilist.
F. Offensive. However, my concern is directed toward Geithner's refusal to comply with executive orders rather than the merits of Geithner's actual policy.
G. Inoffensive. My belief in the correctness of Geithner's policy overrides any concerns whether his countermanding of Obama's orders is or is not unconstitutional or anti-democratic.
H. Inoffensive. I believe both that Geithner's policy was correct and constitutional, despite the continued deterioration of the economy and the fact that, as an unelected member of the administration, he acted to thwart the orders of a duly elected president.
I. Offensive. I do not understand how the United States government can jail American service people for years for refusing 2nd, 3rd or even 4th tours of duty in Afghanistan on grounds of personal conscience or incapacity while simultaneously refusing to prosecute Geithner for conducting a single handed coup over American economy policy.
2
. Which response do you believe is most MORALLY correct (i.e., not necessarily politically feasible, but philosophically defensible)?
Which response do you believe is most MORALLY correct (i.e., not necessarily politically feasible, but philosophically defensible)?
A. Geithner should be terminated immediately. No prosecution should take place, however.
B. Geithner should neither be terminated nor prosecuted nor rewarded.
C. Geithner should be both terminated and prosecuted.
D. Geithner should be tied by rusty barbed wire naked to a jagged metal spike set on an ice flow headed for Antarctica, covered in honey and a swarm of angry fire ants.
E. Geithner should be rewarded for persuing the interests of his real constituency against the public interest.
3
. Which course of action do you think is most PROCEDURALLY appropriate (i.e., not necessarily morally optimal, or politically probable, but wisest for the achievement of your long-term goals)?
Which course of action do you think is most PROCEDURALLY appropriate (i.e., not necessarily morally optimal, or politically probable, but wisest for the achievement of your long-term goals)?
A. Geithner should be terminated immediately. No prosecution should take place, however.
B. Geithner should neither be terminated nor prosecuted nor rewarded.
C. Geithner should be both terminated and prosecuted. Prosecution should be on grounds theoretically similar to those underwhich service people are jailed when refusing 2nd, 3rd or even 4th deployments.
D. Geithner should be both terminated and prosecuted. Prosecution should be on grounds of high treason, for overriding the executive order of a duly elected president to deploy public assets in pursuit of a policy clearly at variance with the public good.
E. Geithner should be tied by rusty barbed wire naked to a jagged metal spike set on an ice flow headed for Antarctica, covered in honey and a swarm of angry fire ants.
F. Geithner should be rewarded with state honors for persuing the interests of his real constituency against the public interest.
G. Geithner should be rewarded in the customary manner (i.e., lucrative post-administration board appointments, book contracts, speaking tours, etc.) for persuing the interests of his real constituency against the public interest.
4
. Which course of action do you currently believe is most LIKELY (i.e., not necessarily morally defensible or procedurally effective, but likely to actually take place)?
Which course of action do you currently believe is most LIKELY (i.e., not necessarily morally defensible or procedurally effective, but likely to actually take place)?
A. Geithner will be terminated immediately. No prosecution will take place, however.
B. Geithner will be neither terminated nor prosecuted nor rewarded.
C. Geithner will be terminated, prosecuted and convicted by the current administraton.
D. Geithner will be prosecuted and convicted by a subsequent administration.
D. Geithner will be both terminated and prosecuted, but not convicted.
E. Geithner will be tied by rusty barbed wire naked to a jagged metal spike and set on an ice flow headed for Antarctica, covered in honey and a swarm of angry fire ants.
F. Geithner will be rewarded with state honors for persuing the interests of his real constituency against the public interest.
G. Geithner will be rewarded in the customary manner (i.e., lucrative post-administration board appointments, book contracts, speaking tours, etc.) for persuing the interests of his real constituency against the public interest.
5
. Which do you think is the lesson that SHOULD be learned from Geithner's behavior and its practical consequences (i.e. not necessarily the lesson the public WILL learn)?
Which do you think is the lesson that SHOULD be learned from Geithner's behavior and its practical consequences (i.e. not necessarily the lesson the public WILL learn)?
A. American democracy is a farce and there are no effective means to enforce the public's policy preferences.
B. Might makes right; elites acquire the moral right to defy orders of publically elected officials by virtue of their personal wealth, connections and informal control of institutions.
C. Obama himself may be an impotent non-entity, but failure to punish what could be, depending on your point of view, gross insubordination or high treason, is not necessarily an unavoidable feature of the system. Other persons would have responded more effectually in similar circumstances.
D. Obama may yet learn by these embarrassing revelations and become a more effective president going forward.
E. Future presidents will view Obama as an ineffectual whimp who will stand for generations as a prime example of how executives should NOT behave when confronted by actions like Geithners.
F. I decline to draw any lessons from this episode because it is politically expedient for me to do so.
G. Regardless of considerations of political pragmatism, such behavior should be vigorously punished under all circumstances.
6
. Which do you think is the lesson that WILL be learned by the public (i.e., not necessarily a philosophically or historically valid interpretation)?
Which do you think is the lesson that WILL be learned by the public (i.e., not necessarily a philosophically or historically valid interpretation)?
A. American democracy is a farce and there are no effective means to enforce the public's policy preferences.
B. Might makes right; elites acquire the moral right to defy orders of publically elected officials by virtue of their personal wealth, connections and informal control of institutions.
C. Obama himself may be an impotent non-entity, but failure to punish what could be, depending on your point of view, gross insubordination or high treason, is not necessarily an unavoidable feature of the system. Other persons would have responded more effectually in similar circumstances.
D. Obama may yet learn by these embarrassing revelations and become a more effective president going forward.
E. Future presidents will view Obama as an ineffectual whimp who will stand for generations as a prime example of how executives should NOT behave when confronted by actions like Geithners.
F. I decline to draw any lessons from this episode because it is politically expedient for me to do so.
G. Regardless of considerations of political pragmatism, such behavior should be vigorously punished under all circumstances.
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