Saturday, January 7, 2017

Dishonesty? In the Trump Administration? Shocking

As an academic, I am always offended when I see plagiarism.  But I am not surprised when a Trump admin pick, such as Monica Crowley, is caught red-handed, having plagiarized much of her book.  I am envious of CNN's graphically clear way of presenting the offending texts.  I wish I could do that when I spot plagiarism.

Why should we care?  Because dishonesty is bad. If Crowley cheats when she "writes" a book, will she be honest in her job as, wait for it, senior director of strategic communications for the National Security Council.  Yes, NSC officials can lie, but to have a reputation as a proven liar means that her credibility both within and outside of the Trump admin comes pre-tarnished.

Also, it suggests that, if the iron law of cheating is correct, Crowley is lazy and dumb.  Not great attributes for someone who is working on the National Security Council.

Will the Trufolks abandon her?  Probably not, as shame is not something these folks care about.  Which juxtaposes quite clearly with what happened to a rising star in German Politics, former Defense Minister Von Guttenberg who lost his job because people found out he plagiarized his dissertation.  The upside: my favorite video from his retirement ceremony

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