Moral and Ethical Choices in a Trumpian State

We've all had the history lessons and class discussions and seen the movies and documentaries posing the question of what we would do when faced with the impossible ethical choices presented by an oppressive state - e.g. would you, living in Nazi Germany, put your family at risk by helping the targets of oppression?  These exercises are remarkable for being so useful and useless at the same time.  They get you to think about these moral and ethical quandaries, but always in terms so stark that they seem divorced from our daily lives and so end up being entirely academic.


But of course we actually face such choices on a regular basis, only writ small: should I send my kids to an underfunded public school because I believe in public education, or do I give them the resources and advantages of a private school? 


... and then there are all the political choices, as with Trump's nominee for CIA director.  She is by all reports a capable, dedicated career officer with significant management experience and a deep understanding of the organization, and she would be the long-overdue first woman to direct our intelligence service.  If that were that, supporting her would be a no-brainer.  But if that were that, Trump probably would not have nominated her.  The whole torture thing - it's kind of a big deal ... our country's greatest moral failure since "separate but equal," and she was at the heart of it.  A big part of me says that this is absolutely disqualifying for any and all purposes - she should have at least been investigated by the Hague tribunal for human rights abuses, and having exhibited such unconscionable moral and ethical judgment she certainly should not lead the CIA.  Then another part of me hears her accept responsibility for choices she now says were not illegal but were clearly wrong, and promise publicly that they will never be repeated and that she will stand up for that promise, and I think "are we actually going to do any better? Because we could certainly do worse"  ... and I really just don't know ...