Work - Personally Rewarding Endeavor, or Necessary Evil

I think most of us view work as a necessary evil... a means to the end. Sure, it would be great if we all had jobs that we actually enjoyed and it may be true that there are certain aspects of our jobs that we enjoy, but as a whole I believe we all could find things to do with our time that would be much more appealing. Unfortunately, those things usually don't pay the bills.

I've pretty much come to accept that I will continue doing what I do, if for no other reason than it pays good and allows me to pursue other things that fill the "fun" void. However, in the past couple of months, I've been faced with a new conundrum.

In all my 35 years on the job I've always felt good about or at least understood the business case for everything I've been asked to do... until now. Recently, I've been pulled into a project, the outcome of which goes against every fiber of my business instinct. It doesn't make sense, defies logic, and we've been there - done that - and it failed about 10 years ago. What makes us think it will be any different this time? When I've oh-so-delicately surfaced my concerns, the only reason I've been given is that we have different executives who think differently, and (let this sink in) it's the "industry trend". Well, that's like saying, "everybody else is jumping off the bridge, so I will too."

I can't say what this "thing" is because it is not yet public knowledge. That should tell you something. If it was perceived to be a good thing, wouldn't the company want to get out the good news ASAP? But Noooooo - this thing has the potential to be controversial to the shareholders.

Apparently, the decision to do this "thing" has already been made without regard to the financial bottom line. As an employee am I not obligated to do what's in the best interest of our customers and shareholders? According to our Code of Ethics (which I have to read every year), yes I am obligated.

So here's the conundrum. Do I stick to my principles, abide by the Code of Ethics, chastise my superiors for even considering such a "thing" and refuse to be a party to it... followed immediately by my hasty trip to the unemployment line (feeling good about having taken the high road to get there)? Or do I keep my mouth shut, try to keep a low profile, and hope for the best because the economy sucks and my budget can't withstand the absence of a paycheck?

Dear Lord, can I please just retire?????????