RE: The Big Lie (a prediction)

[Kevin McLauchlan <kmclauchlan -at- chrysalis-its -dot- com>]

On Mon, 2002-03-04 at 12:09, Donald -dot- H -dot- White -at- pmusa -dot- com wrote:
[snippety]
> 
> I'd like to see STC offer a library of white papers and articles to its
> members over its website; it doesn't. 

Sounds good. Which topics did you have in mind?

> I'd like to see STC setup and run a
> convention that doesn't depend upon corporate sponsorship in order to afford
> the fees; it doesn't. 

I probably won't be at the STC convention again 
this year, because the budget is tight at my 
employer, and there's just no way in hell I 
could justify the expense -- nor write off any of it -- 
on my own dime.

DISCLAIMER: Of course, I'll sing a different tune when 
the market picks up, and people are once again travelling 
for the company.     Ahem.

> Nevertheless, I don't understand why so much hyperbole
> is expended upon STC. After all, the heart of the organization lies in the
> work of its chapters. These people are in the grass and they tend to involve
> themselves with the types of topics for which Andrew apparently longs.

I am not a political animal (witness my lack of 
participation -- it's not all just laziness and 
disinterest, really... no, really  :-). However, 
I know enough about politics to recognize that a 
power vacuum attracts power-seekers.

Almost always, they'll couch their importunings in 
terms of "service", fellowship, representation to 
government, etc., etc., etc., blah-blah.

But, when the brown stuff hits the rotating air-
circulation device, the people who have clawed/wormed 
their way to the top of the national organization 
WILL turn out to be the ones who espouse the creation 
of standards and certifications. 

Let me say that louder -- *mandatory* standards and 
certifications.  The office that administers 
certifications, credentials, validations... will 
become a seat of power. The political animals will 
vie to control it. They won't necessarily vie to 
occupy it, so much as to have oversight and authority 
to appoint people to it.

Think about it. Nobody in STC has any say over how 
you do your job, nor over whether you retain your 
current job, nor whether you get your next one 
(versus some other person who might have curried 
greater favor).  However, once the organization 
institutes the first certifications and credentials, 
you will see a rapid shift. Ever-larger portions of 
the budget will be allocated to propaganda and to 
bringing corporations and governments "onboard".

Simultaneously, once they've achieved about 15% 
membership having forked over money-and-autonomy 
for those credentials, you'll see a campaign to 
make the credentialled ones "more equal" than 
other members. A couple of election cycles will 
go by, during which the possession of said 
credentials/certificates will be touted on 
two fronts:

a) as indication of "money-where-your-mouth-is" 
   support of the organization -- i.e., these 
   folks have put their money and study-time 
   back into the organization, as proven by 
   this-here sheet of paper, in contrast with 
   those pretenders over there, who didn't even 
   have the decency to pony up this new price 
   of admission;

b) as indication of qualification for the job 
   -- we want as leaders only people who have 
   proven, against an "objective" standard 
   (the certification) that they are among the 
   more highly qualified in the organization.

Then, somebody will propose that holding such 
organization-dispensed certificates be made a 
pre-requisite for even getting on the ballot.
"From now on, ya gotta be a 'licensed' member, 
 not just a member, to run for office."

Meanwhile, as the organization's funds are used 
more and more successfully to bring employers 
aboard, those of us who haven't paid the 
certification dues will find more and more 
avenues of employment closed off as a matter of 
policy.

Political animals will now have real reason to 
expend time, effort and money to achieve leadership 
offices in the organization, because it will 
have become a real (as opposed to merely potential) 
seat of power.

***
Never mind the government and big-corporate 
connection, for a moment. Just think of those 
states/provinces that have mandatory automobile 
inspection. Garages just LOVE those things, as 
both a primary source of revenue (except where 
the government mandates price ceilings), and 
as a wonderful way to suck in additional 
repair business. ("Well sir, I'm going to 
have to fail your car. You can't drive it 
until I fix these six items. Oh, you are 
welcome to seek a second opinion, but you'll 
need to have your vehicle towed to the other 
garage.  $KaCHING!$ ")

Now, won't they be springing up like mushrooms, 
those little (and not-so-little) companies 
that will have the mandate to certify you to 
work in your chosen craft/trade/profession?
Next, those same companies will be offering 
courses and pre-exam cramming services, and 
so on.  All for a nice price, of course.

Unlikely, you say? Hmm. What planet do *you* 
live on, then?
***

The next step will be to consolidate a suitable 
structure of controls and tribute over the 
regional and local chapters. Party aparatchiks at 
all levels will.... oops!  Time to stop.  :-)

Anyway, remember that old saying that the only 
person you really want in a position of power 
is a person who doesn't want it?  Well, political 
structures are usually devised, developed and 
re-inforced to exclude such a person.  

People of a political bent, who find themselves in 
situations that do not confer power, tend either to 
leave, or else to convert the organization to a 
form that does carry (and confer) clout.

There was, for example, a time when it seemed a 
relatively good and harmless idea to have teachers' unions...

Buaah-ha-ha-ha-haaaaa!

YMMV

/kevin

-- 
Kevin McLauchlan
Chrysalis-ITS, Inc.
"Ultimate Trust(TM)"


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