Illuminated Lunar Bureacrats

From: Nick Fortune <nick_at_nymar.demon.co.uk>
Date: Sun, 17 Mar 1996 01:07:14 GMT


I was pondering Peter's original point about the Illumination of Lunar bureaucrats, and about the means by which they attain the desired state. I still can't quite accept Illumination-By-Rote as a vaiable path to Illumination, but I think I have a viable counter proposal.

Consider the nature of bureacracy: it contains numerous obfuscations, obstructions, misdirections and deceptions. This isn't a design feature, more by way of "the nature of the beast". Given this, I suggest that Illumination-By-Rote is not required for Peter's suggestion.

I submit that the very structure of the Lunar bureacracy is a clerical eqivalent of the Puzzle Canal in Pavis. It is so complex, so byzantine, and so steeped in Illuminated thinking, that anyone forced to grapple with the inner workings of the system will perforce be exposed to the equivalents of one or more Nysalor Riddles. The average citizen would have to be very determined and/or very (un)lucky to become illuminated by exposure, but for a career civil servant, anyone dedicated enough to attain high office would almost certainly acheive Illumination, almost as a side effect.

Of course, the very highest posts would not be open to anyone not Illuminated. But that doesn't mean Illumination is a requirement - just that lack of same indicates an insufficient level of dedication.

Nick Fortune                                         nick_at_nymar.demon.co.uk
===========================================================================
+++ Sense Of Humour Down For Maintainence +++ Witticism Unavailable +++

Powered by hypermail