Me: Why do we have an administrator as a co-chair of our faculty committee?
Colleague: Well we really haven't had any problems with her.
M: No, I mean, what is the reasoning necessitating having an administrator as co-chair?
C: Well they've been really supportive and we get a budget.
M: Can't they be supportive and give us a budget without requiring power-sharing on the committee?
C: I guess.
M: I mean, if they really were supportive, they would support the committee regardless of whether or not they had power on the committee, right?
C: I guess.
M: Why, then, do we have an administrator as co-chair?
C: Well, we really haven't had any problems with her.
M: What reasoning necessitates us having an administrator as co-chair?
C: I guess there isn't any, but we haven't had any problems, so I don't mind her being there.
M: This isn't a personal problem; it's an ethical question. Administrators and faculty have different interests when it comes to wages, hours and working conditions. So if there's no reason to have an administrative co-chair, and reasons not to have one, why to we have one?
C: Like I said, if we had a bad admin co-chair, I'd be on your side. But she's OK, so I really don't care.

The age of reason has just walked out the door.

True (and sad) story.