Alternate title:
A Few Observations on Authority and Power, but Oh Crap I Need to Get Stuff Done!
We're moving next Friday, so I won't be checking in on the 'net half a dozen times a day for a while. I have about a zillion things to do - last haircut with Dave-the-Hair-God, teach the "new" bookmobile driver one last procedure, and then a whole bunch of %$#&*% I'd rather not do. Call utilities, finish some cleaning, pack down to "camping," and pack half of the garage. WolfAlpha hasn't had time to properly sort and pack it, so it's on me now.
I do have one serious subject bouncing around in my head, and I need to let it escape:
In public and in private, positions of authority usually attract two types of people - those who want the power to serve others and those who want the power to serve themselves. Authority positions with greater accountability attached, are more likely to attract those who serve others - people who have nothing to hide. Authority positions with less accountability attached, are more likely to attract the self-serving and corrupt.
This is a pretty simple concept and it should be obvious, but it's a concept often overlooked by those who serve others. Relative naivete comes naturally to altruists; they don't spend their lives scheming for personal gain, and they tend not to notice all of the ways in which others do. This is actually a boon to the self-serving, because it further reduces their accountability. When they surround themselves with altruists who rarely criticize them, they look good, almost regardless of what they do. They hide their corruption behind the good work and honest intentions of their altruistic associates.
Add a few trillion dollars and the carefully incited fears of the largely ignorant public, and you have a system that is vulnerable to some of the most corrupt people on this planet.
TSA
NDAA
VAWA
BATF
Homeland Security
The Fed
The Department of Education
Labor Unions
Penn State
PETA
The Catholic Church
Westboro "Baptist" "Church"
This could become a VERY long list...
Minimal oversight by people who are too busy keeping up with the Kardashians, allows maximal corruption, waste and suppression of rights.
Period.
The sad thing is, there is very little we can do because the corrupt, power hungry types are so imbedded their systems. How do you clean house? And speaking of cleaning house, good luck with your move. That is one of the toughest jobs ever.
ReplyDeleteFeel for you doing the packing and moving stuff. Youngest and his family are moving to Utah next week. My last visit they were busy packing and fixing their rental house. A lot of work and stress. At least the Army is paving for their move.
ReplyDeleteWestboro should also have quotation marks around Baptist. They are not Baptists, and are not accepted as such by the Baptist Church. Thank you for including those freaking morons on your list.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Good point. I'm changing it now.
Delete