The Decline Continues
Won't get into the details much. But, a close coworker of mine (architect, fellow alum of a fantastic school, and Atlas Shrugged fan) were just talking in the hall. We can both see it as plain as day. It's getting worse and worse. Many of the people we deal with in our work are getting dumber. Meanwhile, we hear stuff said by most of the presidential candidates - we hear Pelosi talk - we see our state unraveling, and we wonder how this is all going to end up. I bet that my fellow Gulchers who are not working, but retired, may not see it as much. But, from where we're at the mental state of our nation is in rapid decline. I guess we shouldn't be surprised. We hear some proposals that just leave us shaking our heads anymore. I'll stop here, but I could write a book on this...unfortunately...
Our company (a Fortune 100) is doing it effectively, e.g. dumbing the workforce.
The mechanism is implemented via layoffs. The Co lays of hundreds of workers, mostly those with many years of experience and an intelligence level that is "not needed" any more.
Once the layoff is done, they rehire the same workers even though you'd think the layoff was to facilitate reduction. The new hires are juniors, who supposed to do the same job for a lesser pay (one of the advantages) and of course for a lower level of performance b/c they don't have the experience or expertise.
But top management is convinced this is the right way to go as long as they pocket their years bonus of millions of dollars. The dumbing of the workplace is the last of their concerns.
I dont have a lot of hope for that, however. Look at Venezuela and how they put up with socialism for so long when its totally failed. You could give out millions of copies of AS down there, and I suspect nothing would happen. Its very depressing actually.
I have been saying it for a few years now. I think our country and western civilization is in big trouble. The loons are climbing to the top of the mountain they didn't build and are being allowed to blast it with dynamite.
I did, too.
Passing Series 7 was like a Bar exam.
What you are describing applies to me as well. I left the financial sector in utter disgust. Using sustainability as a criterion is the same "concept" as the "Green New Deal" by the brainless Cortex. The fact that CEOs embrace this idiocy only shows their total uselessness. They don't care b/c they have their "contract" to come out of it winners even if everything collapses.
There is in common usage found the derivative term technocrat. The word technocrat can refer to someone exercising governmental authority because of their knowledge,[12] or "a member of a powerful technical elite", or "someone who advocates the supremacy of technical experts".[13][3][4] McDonnell and Valbruzzi define a prime minister or minister as a technocrat if "at the time of his/her appointment to government, he/she: has never held public office under the banner of a political party; is not a formal member of any party; and is said to possess recognized non-party political expertise which is directly relevant to the role occupied in government".[14]
Examples Edit
In 2013, a European Union library briefing on its legislative structure referred to the Commission as a "technocratic authority", holding "legislative monopoly" over the EU lawmaking process despite being unelected.[21] The briefing suggests that this system, which relegates the European Parliament to a vetoing and amending body, was "originally rooted in the mistrust of the political process in post-war Europe." This system is unique, since the Commission's sole right of legislative initiative is a power usually associated with Parliaments.
The former government of the Soviet Union has been referred to as a technocracy.
The American economist and sociologist Thorstein Veblen was an early advocate of technocracy, and was involved in the Technical Alliance as was Howard Scott and M. King Hubbert (who later developed the theory of peak oil). Veblen believed that technological developments would eventually lead toward a socialistic organization of economic affairs. Veblen saw socialism as one intermediate phase in an ongoing evolutionary process in society that would be brought about by the natural decay of the business enterprise system and by the inventiveness of engineers.
The world is getting better all the time. We have equity separated from liability, a somewhat recent development, AND we are developing ways to make sure that doesn't lead to businesses taking actions that the owners would be ashamed to take if they were also running the business. This is a very good thing.
- Do people have an absolute right to follow their dreams without regard to their race, sex, family origin, etc, as long as they're not treading on others' rights?
- Is it ever acceptable to demand satisfaction in a duel? Suppose someone lies and claims to have had a relationship with your wife or mother; is it acceptable to beat them?
- Is it acceptable for people to peaceable carry signs saying something unpopular, offensive, and incorrect, e.g. Christianity is responsible for the world's problems.
- Is it okay to slap your wife around if she's being an over-the-top nag or shrew?
- If a woman travels without a man, is she sort of asking to be harassed?
- If you make something through hard work, do you have a commandment from god or just good moral values to share what you made with people who tried hard but didn't create wealth?
- If the leader of the country provides protection, is a good role model and is approved by religious leaders, is it okay for that leader to demand high taxes without accountability and to undermine other people wanting to become leaders?
I think more people today than ever would answer on the side of liberty.
If our kids hang out with kids who are depressed or getting in trouble, we worry it will rub off on them, even if our kids know better. The same is true for us. Don't hang out with troubled people all day. Hang out with excellent, amazing people. Methodically move away from projects, jobs, clients, vendors, friends, etc who area all fired up about whether Pelosi made Trump look stupid or vice versa. They're the same people making people shuffling credit/blame for the people who get things done in the world. Don't write a book on the losers of the world. Find awesome people to write a book on.