Rise of the Midwits
- Weetabix
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Re: Rise of the Midwits
The explanation of Midwit spread as a function of incentives rather than of a master plan makes sense.
Question is, how would one remove those incentives from a large organization, or is that even possible?
Question is, how would one remove those incentives from a large organization, or is that even possible?
Note to self: start reading sig lines. They're actually quite amusing. :D
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- Vonz90
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Re: Rise of the Midwits
There is a lot of discussion about this phenomena in some studies about the Nazis. The administrative class went all in for the Nazis more than any other and they did not have to be told to implement every detail because they just did it on their own based on the party's stated priorities. This is the same thing in modern form, for almost the same ideology.
- HTRN
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Re: Rise of the Midwits
He wasn't wrong - take a look a lot who inevitably winds up in charge of HOA organizations for example.
Last edited by HTRN on Tue Jan 25, 2022 4:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
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- blackeagle603
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Re: Rise of the Midwits
That is worth a quote, not just a link. Quoting for truth:
Pournelle's Iron Law of Bureaucracy states that in any bureaucratic organization there will be two kinds of people":
First, there will be those who are devoted to the goals of the organization. Examples are dedicated classroom teachers in an educational bureaucracy, many of the engineers and launch technicians and scientists at NASA, even some agricultural scientists and advisors in the former Soviet Union collective farming administration.
Secondly, there will be those dedicated to the organization itself. Examples are many of the administrators in the education system, many professors of education, many teachers union officials, much of the NASA headquarters staff, etc.
The Iron Law states that in every case the second group will gain and keep control of the organization. It will write the rules, and control promotions within the organization.
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"The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered, as the palladium of the liberties of a republic;" Justice Story
- scipioafricanus
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Re: Rise of the Midwits
Damn true.blackeagle603 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 24, 2022 3:50 pmThat is worth a quote, not just a link. Quoting for truth:
Pournelle's Iron Law of Bureaucracy states that in any bureaucratic organization there will be two kinds of people":
First, there will be those who are devoted to the goals of the organization. Examples are dedicated classroom teachers in an educational bureaucracy, many of the engineers and launch technicians and scientists at NASA, even some agricultural scientists and advisors in the former Soviet Union collective farming administration.
Secondly, there will be those dedicated to the organization itself. Examples are many of the administrators in the education system, many professors of education, many teachers union officials, much of the NASA headquarters staff, etc.
The Iron Law states that in every case the second group will gain and keep control of the organization. It will write the rules, and control promotions within the organization.
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If God wanted men to play soccer, he wouldn’t have given us arms. - Mike Ditka
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Re: Rise of the Midwits
Nazis, Commies, same deal.Vonz90 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 22, 2022 2:06 am There is a lot of discussion about this phenomena in some studies about the Nazis. The administrative class went all in for the Nazis more than any other and they did not have to be told to implement every detail because they just did it on their own based on the party's stated priorities. This is the same thing in modern form, for almost the same ideology.
I remember reading something once about the early days, when the Nazis and Commies would engage in low level warfare on the streets, how both groups were similar enough ideologically that they recruited from the same types of people so anything that would give a recruiting advantage was HUGE. Enter Hugo Boss. It was just *cooler* to be a Nazi.
I don't think the recruiting overlap went away when the need changed from brawlers to bureaucrats. Each organization, in different locations, went through the same type of evolution when it established itself.
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If you know what you're doing, you're not learning anything. -Unknown
Sanity is the process by which you continually adjust your beliefs so they are predictively sound. -esr
- randy
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Re: Rise of the Midwits
C.F. STASI and VOLKSPOLEZI after the change in management of the Eastern half of Germany in 1945
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- Windy Wilson
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Re: Rise of the Midwits
Home Owner Association disputes are particularly ferocious because so little is at stake.
The use of the word "but" usually indicates that everything preceding it in a sentence is a lie.
E.g.:
"I believe in Freedom of Speech, but". . .
"I support the Second Amendment, but". . .
--Randy
E.g.:
"I believe in Freedom of Speech, but". . .
"I support the Second Amendment, but". . .
--Randy