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Originally posted by ARTelevision
cthulu, yes. Large organizations are not in the habit of telling all of their members the truth about everything. This is how large organizations function in the real world.
As for your second question, again, I'm afraid we are into a philosophical discussion here regarding ideals and the way the real world works. I try very hard not to make statements that refer to ideal conditions, as they do not exist.
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Art, have you read Michel's Iron Law of Oligarchy? You might find his analysis of organizations interesting. It may also clarify why some of us are so concerned with transparency--since that seems to be an antidote to power congealing at the top of a bureaucracy.
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Michel's Oligarchy
In democratic systems, often the power moves upwards. Michels (1949) had the most influential analysis of this process -- his work with the Social Democratic Party in pre- WWI Germany showed that oligarchic tendencies shift power from the majority and place it with an elite minority (Scott p. 332). They are an unintended consequence of organization (Scott p. 332). The new leaders become enamored of the social trappings of their position and become more concerned with organizational survival than the stated goals of the organization. The majority end up "rubber-stamping" executive decisions. Thus the leadership ends up not serving the primary interests of their organizational members.
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-- http://faculty.babson.edu/krollag/or...oligarchy.html
This link is very detailed, but also long: http://www.geocities.com/integral_tr...n/michels.html
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"The theory of a free press is that truth will emerge from free discussion, not that it will be presented perfectly and instantly in any one account." -- Walter Lippmann
"You measure democracy by the freedom it gives its dissidents, not the freedom it gives its assimilated conformists." -- Abbie Hoffman
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