> As ever, your role as the employee (triply so as a contractor!) is to stay professional and follow directions

The company is your employer, not the manager. If you see that the orders you get are harmful, it's your responsibility to raise an alarm.

And I don't see the things the manager says as directions. He's trying to make his wishes sound as if the team and the post author decided to do it themselves. Total coward.

EDIT: The employee can't be responsible for disobeying orders if he got no orders.