Former Defense and State Department official Matthew Hoh, who resigned over the Afghanistan war, challenges the notion of institutional resistance within the U.S. government.
"This idea that you have within the American government some type of functionaries or officials that would provide real resistance to these illegal acts, to these people in power, it just doesn't exist. And it never has existed," Hoh stated.
He argues that loyalty—not principle—is the defining currency in Washington. "What you have within the capital of the empire is this understanding that loyalty is the most important quality. That's what everything revolves around. This idea that you are just taking orders, in effect."
Hoh's remarks come from someone who walked away from the system, offering a rare insider critique of how power operates in D.C.
"This idea that you have within the American government some type of functionaries or officials that would provide real resistance to these illegal acts, to these people in power, it just doesn't exist. And it never has existed," Hoh stated.
He argues that loyalty—not principle—is the defining currency in Washington. "What you have within the capital of the empire is this understanding that loyalty is the most important quality. That's what everything revolves around. This idea that you are just taking orders, in effect."
Hoh's remarks come from someone who walked away from the system, offering a rare insider critique of how power operates in D.C.