Do Ends Justify the Means?

"The ends justify the means" to me means that one should use any means necessary to accomplish what one wants. In certain times of our history this could have been the basis for survival. In today's society a person should be careful of what they say or do. Leaders statements can be held to a high standard of truthfulness. A leader should not stretch, twist, or distort facts and get away with it. President Johnson's distortions of the truth about Vietnam forced him to stand down from reelection. President Nixon's false statements about Watergate forced his resignation, and now President Bush is under the spotlight because of his possible distortions on the facts about Iraq. Leaders of today are held accountable for their actions; their decisions may or may not result in the ends that they desired.…