🚀 go-pugleaf

                 Historically civilization's whose classes fail to
            cooperate effectively are easier prey to external threats.
            Officers (and "Gentlemen") are either drawn from, or as
            closely made to relate to, the ruling elite as possible.
            Cannon fodder <is drawn from>  the masses. But an
            increasingly complex technology makes economies and armies
            not of generals and footsoldiers but of an array of
            specialized technical personnel with multiple interrelated
            hierarchies of their own. Unless each performs his function
            to his best ability, the complex technology , upon which
            modern economies and militaries depend,  begins
            to breakdown especially when  in competition with less
            restricted societies.
            .

                  An alleged meritocracy whose supporting masses
            perceive it otherwise may find  such  masses less inclined
            to exert themselves on behalf of the society
            or, as they see it, their virtually  hereditary rulers.
            Dissembling  leadership ,elevated on cronisim and
            showmanship, may well breed dissembling in lesser, albeit
            quite crucial, areas. Dependent upon deceit rather than
            competence such leadership lacks the respect that earning
            such position would accrue in a true meritocracy. Hence,
            fear and force become the preferred tools of such
            leadership. The greater the relative level of injustice and
            inequity of opportunity used, the greater the need
            for force and terror as a tool of leadership. Hence
            "private"  and public security is a major growth area. In
            the ideal of a free meritocracy, enthusiastic  cooperative
            ventures by true  competents can make leadership almost a
            chore forced on the unlucky rather than a privilege of
            exploitation reserved to the connected - regardless of
            competence. Slave labor forces are notoriously inefficient
            compared to free workforces -  whether the coercion is the
            lash of old or the more subtle social and economic
            means of today.


                  The fact that the FAA inspector responsible for
            overseeing the Value Jet Safety program was unqualified
            has a significance that may have gone unrecognized. Hired by
            old army buddies who passed on falsified qualifications, he
            was in place to permit the live  oxygen generator shipment
            that is believed to have been the Everglades crash cause.
            One wonders how many other crashes, with "unrelated  causes"
            might have a more global cause that such "leadership",
            remains blind to. Indeed, how many  massive weapons
            systems development efforts, Governments and Organizations
            are prey  to  crippling inefficiencies with vast potential
            for  disasters?



                 Those who actually do the work are hardly blind to who
                 is advanced and why. If hard work, merit  and results
                 are irrelevant to advancement - why  target one's self
                 for exploitation by such efforts? Why actually learn
                 when an appearance of knowing and, proper sponsors are
                 far more effective at gaining advancement?  Why reveal
                 innovation and be efficient when the results thus
                 gained are credited to those of the proper color or
                 relationship? Lead by  less task oriented and less task
                 competent showmen and, crippled by such disincentives
                 to subordinate support,  such organizations destroy
                 themselves and the nation's competitiveness from
                 within.


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