I share your frustrations about the effectiveness of inside game, but that never was how I conceived of positive change. The agencies are captured, there is no leadership, and the large majority of the professionals are either careerists, dead wood, or burnt out. Given these dynamics, the whistleblower becomes even more important and necessary for public education, environmental organization credibility, and media coverage to force accountability of the deeply corrupt and rigged regulatory game.
I never “met” DeBonis. He was an outsider by the time of my awakening. And I don’t want to discuss too much here, but as I’m sure you’re aware, the number of formal/public whistleblowers is small compared to the number of stealth whistleblowers within the ranks. At least that is my experience. And those stealth operators have very active backchannel communications with outsiders. High Country News, for example, relied on many insider sources. Nuff said.
Also, I couldn’t agree more about the value of those who go public in environmental agencies. (I am more cautious about my evaluation of whistleblowers from national security agencies.) To paraphrase the New Testament, there is no higher love than to lay down your career for the good of others. But, to paraphrase a common saying, there are many ways to bathe a cat.
USFS - Jeff DeBonis friend?
I share your frustrations about the effectiveness of inside game, but that never was how I conceived of positive change. The agencies are captured, there is no leadership, and the large majority of the professionals are either careerists, dead wood, or burnt out. Given these dynamics, the whistleblower becomes even more important and necessary for public education, environmental organization credibility, and media coverage to force accountability of the deeply corrupt and rigged regulatory game.
I never “met” DeBonis. He was an outsider by the time of my awakening. And I don’t want to discuss too much here, but as I’m sure you’re aware, the number of formal/public whistleblowers is small compared to the number of stealth whistleblowers within the ranks. At least that is my experience. And those stealth operators have very active backchannel communications with outsiders. High Country News, for example, relied on many insider sources. Nuff said.
Also, I couldn’t agree more about the value of those who go public in environmental agencies. (I am more cautious about my evaluation of whistleblowers from national security agencies.) To paraphrase the New Testament, there is no higher love than to lay down your career for the good of others. But, to paraphrase a common saying, there are many ways to bathe a cat.
Agree - the stealth whistleblowers are what PEER calls "anonymous activists". PEER model also strongly discourages career sacrifice.