Shooting the Messenger

The protests in Wisconsin and in other places in the world illustrate beyond a doubt that typical corporate (profit is religion), paternalistic (father knows best), militaristic (you will obey), oligarchic (few number of rulers, vast number of workers) practices and philosophies alienate and dichotomize (us-versus-them mentality) the means of production (the people who produce the product upon which the corporation relies for its profits).

The fundamental rules of repressive, paternalistic, authoritarian corporate (or governmental-corporate, which is what we've become by tolerating its stranglehold on every aspect of our lives) management are:

1. Knowledge is Power.
2. Power is not to be shared with underlings except when it serves management.
3. Money is Religion.
4. Profits drive all decisions.
5. The means of production exist to serve the needs of the autocratic oligarchy.
6. Hierarchy is militaristic and vital to obedience-style management.
7. Ownership trumps the means of production.
8. Means of production need careful top-down manipulation to avoid rebellion/revolution.

The fundamental rules of progressive, egalitarian, representational, democratic management are:

1. Truth-telling and knowledge are the right of everyone on the team.
2. There is a team, and all team members are equal.
3. Knowledge enhances understanding and promotes shared values and vision.
4. The management exists to serve the needs of and to facilitate the means of production.
5. The means of production (people who produce the product) trump ownership and autocratic governance.
6. Team work trumps hierarchical paternalism.

Change is scary, but change is inevitable. This is a central or core truth that conservatives (right-wingers) deny and/or do not wish to acknowledge. Autocrats and oligarchs would like everyone (the ruled) to know just enough information to psychologically prepare them to embrace the changes they want and to cooperate with their agenda so they can continue to control the means of production and so that the masses (who do not rule) never quite realize that the rulers are not operating in the best interests of the masses.

This battle has been going on for a long time, but over the years, the rulers have worn down the resistance of the ruled (who are the means of production) to the point where there is complete capitulation to the "system" that's been immorally imposed upon the masses. Until now. Perhaps what we are seeing in Wisconsin and in other places (like the Middle East) is a sign of awakening, a sign of intolerance of the intolerable, and a sign that FAIRNESS needs to be restored. With fairness comes sanity. In my humble opinion, we have reached the point of utter insanity, and that largely comes from utter unfairness.

To those who mutter that the world is not fair: Yes, you are right. But it should be. And if it were, everybody (except the corporate-government rulers who desire to perpetuate and grow their control and agenda) would be happier, healthier, more productive, and considerably more imaginative and creative. There would be no need for crime or violence or mind-altering substances to abuse.