Last week the author finally came forward. In somewhat of a letdown, it turned
out to be Miles Taylor, a youthful former mid-level staffer in the Department
of Homeland Security. Not exactly in Trump’s inner circle, but close enough to
provide a reasonably accurate assessment of what he saw from the “box seats” as
one reviewer described the author’s reporting.
While the book was generally panned by the critics, A Warning did remind
us about what happens in all types of organizations when people become lose their
courage to question authority when they see things that are morally, ethically
and legally wrong. Taylor left government work in 2018, and hid his identity in
order to avoid the President’s personal attacks and to force Trump to address
the issues the book raised.
Regardless of where you are on the political spectrum, I still recommend
reading Anonymous as we wait for Tuesday’s election results to be officially
tallied. Taylor—a self-described history buff—weaves in valuable perspective
about what happens when powerful societies as far back as the ancient Greeks
and Romans let hubris and divisiveness get in the way of democracy and common
sense. Perhaps the books should be re-titled: “A Cautionary Tale.”
Taylor argues that we have two
choices today: ”We can bury our heads in
the sand hoping it gets better by itself. Or we can recognize the situation for
what it is and, rather than allow political turmoil to hasten our demise, begin
a restoration.” He adds that we need a “civil renaissance for our day and age
that requires active participation in our civic life.”
Moving forward
One of the first steps in making that happen, wrote Taylor, is straightening
out the media by “restoring a climate of truth, by clearing the air of
misinformation and changing how we report, consume and share news so we aren’t
living in different realities.”
Ironically, Taylor told CNN’s Anderson Cooper in an on-air interview in August that he WAS NOT the author of “Anonymous.”
A month later he became a paid CNN contributor and remains employed there as this
post went live.
If you do plunk down hard cash
on the book, know that Taylor refused advance payment for his work and he has
pledged to donate a large portion of any royalties to nonprofit organizations,
including the White House Correspondents’ Association, the membership
organization for reporters who cover the president. Hmmm.
Taylor concludes his book
with the observation that we must also “relearn the art of agreeing to
disagree with people whose political views we don’t share.” He added
that it’s also important for us to “begin re-associating in person. Sadly, our
growing interconnectedness online is making us disconnected from one another,
so we must find new ways to engage,” he adds in the final pages.
Conclusion
You may not agree with Taylor’s account of the White House or the politically
motivated timing of his self-revelation. However, it’s important to gain
perspective from people from all walks of life, not just from those who share your
own viewpoints, experiences and financial circumstances.
Bottom line: You don’t need to read “A Warning” from cover to
cover, but it’s worth a good skim shortly before or after you head to the
polls.
What’s your take? I’d love to hear from
you.
#Election #civildiscourse #respect #milestaylor
#AWarning
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