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Category Archives: bureaucracy
With our X-ray specs, we see what we want…
Scientists can be just as myopic. In 1956, the Oxford-based epidemiologist Alice Stewart demonstrated, with startling data, that the chances of childhood cancer were vastly increased by X-raying pregnant mothers. At the time, these cancers were killing one child every … Continue reading
Demands, leaders, threats et cetera: Old Doonesbury on “Occupy”
The man does good work.
Posted in bureaucracy, competence, economics, fear, framing, humour
Tagged Doonesbury
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In the absence of predators, big beasts get complacent
And come to think that fobbing off scrutineers for months and months will work as a survival strategy. And then they squeal with synthetic outrage when the truth comes out. Do they have what it takes to be big beasts … Continue reading
Posted in bureaucracy, competence, politics
Tagged this is what happens when churnalism rules
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“If it bleeds, we can kill it”
Popped round to a friend’s house, and mid-conversation found myself trying to do Arnold Schwarzenegger’s accent – “if it bleeds, we can kill it” from Predator. Sadly, I came out Mexican. It was in the context of individuals (bullies, specifically) … Continue reading
Posted in activism, bureaucracy, competence, fear
Tagged cognitive limitations, error, mistakes, Mistakes were made
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Between the devil and the deep blue unions
“Suppose the devil were bargaining for the soul of some poor wretch and someone, moved by pity, should step in and say to the devil: “It’s a shame for you to bid so low; the commodity is worth at least … Continue reading
Goodbye to all them
In these last ‘good’ (1) years, what does it matter? What does it matter if the humans riding on the elephants that are our bureaucracies (public and private) are aware of what is going on or not? What does it … Continue reading
What is the currency of bureaucracy? Knowledge? Veto power? Sycophancy?
I write not enough about bureaucracy, despite it being a category on this ad-strewn site. There’s Parkinson’s Law, the Peter Principle, the Pournelle’s law, Galbraith meetings and all that. Max Weber wrote about it occasionally. I am gestating some thoughts … Continue reading
Running to stand still
The more work you do, the more work they give you. The more you try to compensate for gaps in the system, the more those nodes in the system realise that you are compensating, and start to dump work on … Continue reading
Posted in bureaucracy, competence, economics
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