Management 101

I've just returned from bureaucratic defeat, and have come to realize that the first thing that must be taught in management school is to support your underlings until you're ready to ax them. Up to that point, back them up, no matter what bad things they do, no matter who is harmed, back them up, back them up, back them up. Then, later, get rid of them when you're convinced that they've done something inconsistent with the institution's goals. Don't rectify their errors, their immoral acts, nothing, until you've been harmed. The devil take those trampled during the process.

Treasury Follies

"Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency."

This extraordinary statement (and what does "committed to agency discretion" mean?) in Secretary Paulson's request for bailout funds, and the subsequent results of his actions vis-a-vis the actual economy makes one wonder about the egos of these people, these giants of industry, who deem themselves fit to run our affairs.

One sees this clearly when the CEO's of "the big three" auto makers fly into Washington on private jets to beg for help cleaning up the messes they've made. Not only are they full of themselves, but they're tone deaf. Their pleas for their workers jobs are also pleas for maintaining their own exalted status.

Oh woe is us!