Would you become a member of a political party to get a job?

Siamese cat

Siamese cat

Madame Cat strikes again
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So, this is something that happened to me at some point. I was told that in order to be seriously considered for a specific position for which I was more than qualified I should join a political party (specific one) and try to find someone of influence inside it to put in a good word for me also.

Because this relates to the question of morality and personal integrity I put it here.

So, I guess my question is where would you draw a line (if anywhere?) when it comes to getting something you want?

How do you feel about this type of requests, have you ever been told something like this and what did you do?

If you feel that imposing such demands on you would be improper, do you see yourself doing it anyway and for what reasons?
 
I'm sorry that you are, or were, confronted with this ethical question. I suspect that this is a particularly difficult quandary for INFJ's who, in my personal experience IRL, are extremely principle based. Political parties should attract members by the ideas they espouse, not by bribery, which is what the offer of employment is. This is corruption and corruption is always bad for a society. The reality is that, throughout the world, politics is a dirty business. Even if the political party was one whose platform I agreed with, the offer of a job would sully the party in my mind and I would be loath to associate with such corruption. On the other hand, if I were in dire straits, and the party was not too far to the left or right, I would yield to necessity and join. As so often happens with ethical questions, this becomes a matter of weighing practical necessity against idealism.
 
I absolutely would. a job is a job and I don't feel like it has any ties whatsoever to my principles nor beliefs. I do whatever I can to make money, even, selling Walruses to Alpacian Termite Fetish Queens [MENTION=3501]Neuropedia[/MENTION].
 
Yes its a job not a career. Money is money whatever, also if they are pricks just steal their stuff.
 
Just to be clear, I'm not asking advice on this issue, after a lot of thought put into this, I'm aware of my limits and compromises I'm willing to make for the sake of something like this.

I'm interested to hear your thoughts about this issue or similar ones you might have had.

Would it make any difference what kind of job it would be? Would it make any difference if you have a family or not? Would it make any difference if just joining party would not be enough, if they asked involvement in it's life?
 
My personal opinion is divided; on the one hand, neither political part (in america) is worthy of my support... on the other, both progressive and conservative viewpoints have their important roles to play and should be consulting one another rather than fighting one another AND people SHOULD be getting into both parties (not to gain something) in order to change said parties back to what they are suppose to be... take them over, press reset, start measuring the problems and suggesting solutions... take the money out of it, damnit.
 
No, I wouldn't! Unless that was the only job I could get and my survival was to depend on it. :tsk:
Well that's my first reaction :D
It's actually a common practice where I live, fortunately I didn't have to compromise in that way, yet, but I have a few friends that did, and I can understand them,in a way,but I firmly believe I would have more integrity.
I guess you can never know for sure.
I agree with what Norton said.

Norton said:
As so often happens with ethical questions, this becomes a matter of weighing practical necessity against idealism.
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like [MENTION=3019]~jet[/MENTION] I am split on this issue. If it was a good high paying job I would say yes I would. Besides I might learn something new and if I don't like the party once I am done with job I don't have to stay in it. On the other hand what they asked for was illegal and if I could find a way to prove that they asked it of me, I would report them. No company or instituation unless it's the party itself has the right to ask that. Otherwise if it was a job I really needed I wouldn't care. I could pretend to support that party for as long as I need to. They can't actually follow me into the booth to see if I am voting for them or not.
 
I think not, it reminds me too much of contracts in story of dr. Faustus...
Though, there is difference between joining because of better position and joining because of surviving...
My father lived in society where some positions were strongly influenced by communistic party. He never joined and yet he managed with my mother to have good life for us children.
 
As long as it isn't a hate group, I would go along with it.
If you get something out of it, then you have played them as the fool.
 
Well, it matters whether or not the job has anything to do with politics first off. And as I have beliefs that align well with the Democratic party, I would take it as an opportunity to join. I have actually thought about joining a party, I'm just too lazy right now and I don't have the money (I think there are membership fees).

Now, there are other situations where I wouldn't feel comfortable taking a job under a condition like this. If somebody wanted me to join a religion or church, I would pass. No matter the job.

Tell me if I am wrong but I think joining political parties is also less of a moral stretch than making people join something like a religion for a job. But, I digress, it has more to do with what makes you feel uncomfortable. If it does, the job or career may not be for you as long as what they want you to do is something really bazaar.
 
bickelz said:
Well, it matters whether or not the job has anything to do with politics first off. And as I have beliefs that align well with the Democratic party, I would take it as an opportunity to join. I have actually thought about joining a party, I'm just too lazy right now and I don't have the money (I think there are membership fees).

Now, there are other situations where I wouldn't feel comfortable taking a job under a condition like this. If somebody wanted me to join a religion or church, I would pass. No matter the job.

Tell me if I am wrong but I think joining political parties is also less of a moral stretch than making people join something like a religion for a job. But, I digress, it has more to do with what makes you feel uncomfortable. If it does, the job or career may not be for you as long as what they want you to do is something really bazaar.
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[MENTION=3545]bickelz[/MENTION]

I'm not saying you are wrong or right about this, actually I think this is a matter of opinion really, but why do you think that joining a political party is less of a moral stretch than joining a religion?

And I think you are right, it has everything to do with what makes a person uncomfortable.
 
Siamese cat said:
Would it make any difference what kind of job it would be? Would it make any difference if you have a family or not? Would it make any difference if just joining party would not be enough, if they asked involvement in it's life?
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All make difference...That's why some choices are tough...
Politics has bad name in our side of world, don't you think so, Cat:)
 
saru said:
I absolutely would. a job is a job and I don't feel like it has any ties whatsoever to my principles nor beliefs. I do whatever I can to make money, even, selling Walruses to Alpacian Termite Fetish Queens @Neuropedia.
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HAHAHAHA You real dawg, you MAD REAL. Make that money.
 
No, I would not. I wouldn't be able to justify it to myself. If the party aligned with my highly personalized opinions, I would already be a member. Otherwise, I see it as a great danger to individual freedom. Political parties grow in strength by numbers and money (and assuming that joining gets me a job, they sure as hell are getting something out of me joining), and I wouldn't ethically or morally be able to support an institution I do not agree with.
 
So my answer to the OP is.... no. The only way I'd compromise my sense of values/principles is if I'm emotionally really disturbed. Like if I'm in deep shadow state, or I'm really upset and just don't give a fuck anymore. If I'm in a sound state of mind, the cognitive dissonance I'd suffer would be massive and I just wouldn't be able to do it. I'd just feel so sick about it.
 
I would only join a political party if it didn't have to be one I was heavily against, like the conservatives in this country.


I'd happily join a party that I would vote for, which would basically be the Labour party.

If you feel that imposing such demands on you would be improper, do you see yourself doing it anyway and for what reasons?
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absolutely not. a few years ago, when world youth day was here in australia, I was offered money to perform in a show that was designed to protest abortions and raise awareness about how horrible they are etc. there was to be a cd and dvd too...


I agonised about it for a long long time, and then decided not to do it because it went directly against what I believe in, and I didn't want that to my name. as a folk singer I believe too highly in my integrity as a songwriter and musician to give my values away so freely.
 
Is this position have being a member of that party as part of the BFOQ's? If not I think you could sue them.

I woul djoin their party though hypothetically speaking. Changing politcal parties is just exchanging one lie for another.
 
Jana said:
All make difference...That's why some choices are tough...
Politics has bad name in our side of world, don't you think so, Cat:)
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[MENTION=1069]Jana[/MENTION]
I think politics is a shady business everywhere, but yeah, in our part of the world I guess it does have a bad name and I think it's with a reason.

corndogman said:
Is this position have being a member of that party as part of the BFOQ's? If not I think you could sue them.

I woul djoin their party though hypothetically speaking. Changing politcal parties is just exchanging one lie for another.
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[MENTION=731]corndogman[/MENTION]
Nope, it's not a part of BFOQ and I could sue them, but I would never win.





For those who are curious, no, I didn't join the party, and I didn't get that job obviously. I thought that implications in this particular case were to severe for me, and I wasn't prepared to compromise myself that much.

I guess I'm curious where other people stand on this issue. IRL I got a lot of "you should have done it, it's not that big of a deal" responses, and I do understand their point of view, though I'm not really sure that they understand mine. It's not really important anyway if they understand it or not.

I could see myself doing it, as Norton put it, if I were in dire need, let's say had a family to support and no chance of finding another job soon enough. But in the long run, I guess that my biggest problem would be with me knowing why I got the job in the first place and expectations that go along with it, which I probably wouldn't be willing to fulfil.
 
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