That's one helluva' great paragraph.
But no, it's not that "our guy is infallible". It's that most of us, I would hope, have an intrinsic goodness, sense of justice, and ethical compass, even if it's buried deep-away somewhere.
I've made my mistakes and done plenty of wrong in my life, but when I'm faced with those huge & important life's decisions, in the end I usually let my moral compass guide me. Not just because it may be the right thing to do, but because I have to live with myself, and I can't live with myself or be at peace with myself - if I've given away my soul. It's all I've really got.
So I would find it very foreign, to make a choice to purposely **** over huge parts of humanity. I think most of us if we dig deep-down inside, and are honest with ourselves, will feel the same.
In the recovery from addictions we inventory our deeds of the past and 'reveal to God, ourselves and another human being the exact nature of our wrongs" May sound simple but its the widow maker of the 12 steps.
I can honestly say that like you I have met life challenges the best I could, armed with what I had. I can say also like you in the end, I erred on the side of "the right thing to do." Which often causes damage to those in the cycle and I think of staffing decisions that had to be made, losing the argument not to let the person go so close to Christmas, needing to fire a friend.
However, the closer you get to the top, the more those decisions become acute and affect others. And in political leadership those decisions get very hard, jobs are lost, lives changed, sometimes ended.
And sometimes those decisions **** over huge sections of the populace. I cannot, say, judge a president of an African country who allows his country's rivers and lakes to become polluted by big industry because he is faced with 90% unemployment and 45% homelessness.
However, when it is for personal or domestic political reasons, the question of criminal activity comes in. Who should be judged when Trump says he's moving the Israeli embassy causing widespread rioting and death? It was a great move to his "base" but was it necessary, was it honest, was it kind?
War raises even more horrible questions. George Bush was a god-like hero in the invasion of Afghanistan, but a "incompetent liar" for invading Iraq. What will history say? Will it largely ignore certain aspects like it has for Abe Lincoln defying SCOTUS, or damn him for trying to rise in the poles through an unnecessary war? You see, what was "truth" one decade becomes a horrible lie in the next, all based on available information and changing attitudes.
Where I judge is in the motive. Abe Lincoln was fighting a civil war, his life and the lives of his cabinet were under threat, and rioting was not far off. From this great distance I can only say I probably would have done the same.
Then we have HST and the dropping of not one, but two atomic bombs over Japan. It was questioned at the time, and even more so today. People note the polls were hugely against old Harry the hat maker, the people wanted the war ended. People were already starting to rebuild in Europe, American boys were coming home in great numbers. What pressures was he under and did the polls make a difference?
You see how the traditional thinking can change in a heart beat, but note in every one of them A "truth" has emerged; we know now there were alternatives to dropping that bomb, just as we quickly came to know "Mission Accomplished" was propaganda we will, as a people eventually learn an "unbiased truth".
This is where Trump is doomed. His denials today are thinner than a free dinner, expect history to be more judgemental and see him for the self seeking asshole he is.
