Here's a pertinent quote from Alexander Solzhenitsyn: "The simple step of a courageous individual is not to take part in the lie". Employees are often called upon to take part in a lie, and it takes much fortitude to refuse. "Getting away with" the refusal takes much wisdom!
A similar idea from John Steinbeck: "An unbelieved truth can hurt a man much ore than a lie. It takes great courage to back a truth unacceptable in our times. There's a punishment for it, and it's usually crucifixion."
I admire your emphasis on what the state owes its citizens. Pieper himself would have done well to himself develop that theme. Instead, he offers a theory that there is nothing effective that can be done to correct unjust government. Democratic elections could be managed to do this - e.g. qualify the candidates (as Pieper does suggest correctly), recall, etc. Negotiators as good as St. JP II (viz. talks with Russia for Polish workers) are effective to correct unjust government. And then there is always the specter of the failed state to correct - or prevent - unjust government.
Pieper is also wrong about democracies being the worst totalitarian states. cf. the democracy index by country 2023.
Here's a pertinent quote from Alexander Solzhenitsyn: "The simple step of a courageous individual is not to take part in the lie". Employees are often called upon to take part in a lie, and it takes much fortitude to refuse. "Getting away with" the refusal takes much wisdom!
A similar idea from John Steinbeck: "An unbelieved truth can hurt a man much ore than a lie. It takes great courage to back a truth unacceptable in our times. There's a punishment for it, and it's usually crucifixion."
I admire your emphasis on what the state owes its citizens. Pieper himself would have done well to himself develop that theme. Instead, he offers a theory that there is nothing effective that can be done to correct unjust government. Democratic elections could be managed to do this - e.g. qualify the candidates (as Pieper does suggest correctly), recall, etc. Negotiators as good as St. JP II (viz. talks with Russia for Polish workers) are effective to correct unjust government. And then there is always the specter of the failed state to correct - or prevent - unjust government.
Pieper is also wrong about democracies being the worst totalitarian states. cf. the democracy index by country 2023.