We’re regularly subjected to the obscene notion that the president of the United States is the “commander in chief” of the American people. It’s part of the cult of the presidency, the notion that we live or should live under a powerful ruler. It’s an idea that goes against everything the country was founded on.

The Constitution says: “The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States.” If you’re in those categories, then he’s your commander. Otherwise, no. If you’re a civilian employee of the executive branch, he’s your boss, not your commander.

Recently I corrected a computer security expert on Mastodon who referred the the president as “our” commander in chief. He cited the aforementioned clause of the Constitution to back up his claim and tried to make it an issue of my being “offended.” Does he think we’re in a state like ancient Sparta, where the entire population was under military authority? I don’t know.

A related expression is “respect for the office.” We should respect the office of the president of the United States, in the same sense and for the same reason that we respect a nuclear power plant. We should keep a close eye on it, make sure it does only what it’s supposed to, and call attention to anything inappropriate that it does. The notion that we should temper our criticism because he’s so powerful is stupid and insulting.

Don’t use these expressions just because you’ve heard them a lot. Reject them when you hear them.