"Adam Smith's enormous authority resides, in the end, in the same property that we discover Marx: not in any ideology, but in an effort to see to the bottom of things." Robert L. Heilbroner commenting on An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations-- We are no Adam Smith, but we are putting forth "an effort to see to the bottom of things."
Thursday, April 27, 2006
accountability
Does a publication make a man? It is production or rather a distribution of ideas or information? Is building a wall for our southern border a symbol of communism? Is it a barrier of ideals? You know what I heard today...when asked if my instructor teaches his private sector "boot camp" class any different than his USDA gym class, he said that the intensity is not much different but he holds the private sector more accountable for their actions. By this he said that "if they are late, they do push-ups" and "they monitor what each individual eats". what does this say about the perception of government "people"? If we cannot hold the person accountable, how can we hold an agency or dept. accountable for their actions? I found myself feeling shameful and pathetic. I gotta do some work.
It is a classic example of the theory of bureaucratic organizations. Their goal is to sustain the bureaucracy not produce. Incentives are bastardized.
ReplyDeleteThere will be no free trade as long as the WTO exists. There will be no peace as long as there are armies. It is society's paradox.
No, a publication does not make a man.