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Over the weekend the news broke that the administration pulled the nomination of Jared Isaacman as the head of NASA. Isaacman, a billionaire like so many in Trump’s cabinet, was a pilot, a civilian astronaut, entrepreneur, and a person committed to crewed space exploration. Even with the budget cuts proposed, there were many in the space flight community that had been thrilled for Isaacman to have been nominated as NASA Administrator and among the grifters, charlatans, addicts, and conspiracy nuts already serving in vital posts of this government Isaacman represented a rare competent pick. The action of Trump 86’ing the nomination really should have come as no surprise.

From White House spokesperson Houston “It’s essential that the next leader of NASA is in complete alignment with President Trump’s America First agenda and a replacement will be announced directly by President Trump soon.”

Many have described that as meaning that Isaacman was not sufficiently ‘loyal’ to Trump personally, but I do not feel that loyal is the correct word here.

Loyalty is inspired not commanded. A person feels loyalty as a spontaneous emotional reaction to the person or ideal that provoked it. A person acting out of loyalty wants to perform the services to the subject of their admiration. To not be of service creates emotional wounds that the person would likely carry for the rest of their lives. Loyalty is generated within the person who acts upon it not from any external source or order.

Obedience is commanded. It derives from external authority. The captain of a naval ship orders a sailor to perform a legal action, and the person complies because to not do so invites unpleasant consequences. Compliance is imposed by exterior forces with the person acting selecting the least painful course.

Subservience, which is what Trump demands, is abasement of one’s own will, wants, and desires to another. Subservience comes not from an inspiration born of admiration nor from a legal authority but the self-destruction of one’s ego, the corruption of one’s soul to please another from a desire for either selfish reward or terror of the consequences of disobedience.

It would appear that Isaacman refused to sink to subservience and has been cast out of Trump’s circle which at least saves the man from verbally prostrating himself in public meetings mouthing endless exaggerated claims to sooth the fragile ego of the man-baby currently occupying our highest office.