Just trying to please all the right people - 20 April 2009 |
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In the epilogue to her March of Folly, Tuchman tries to uncover the underlying reasons for the catastrophic stupidities that have occupied the preceeding 400 or so pages. At bottom, she concludes, lies pure, naked self-interest:
Above all, lure of office … stultifies a better performance of government. The bureaucrat dreams of promotion, higher officials want to extend their reach, legislators and the chief of state want re-election; and the guiding principle in these pursuits is to please as many and offend as few as possible. (p. 386-387)
Consequently, normally intelligent people abandon the dictates of reason in pursuit of self-aggrandisement, self-advancement and protection of vested interests by attempting to please those thought to hold the keys to power. In the process, they bring disaster both on themselves and on the institutions under their governance.
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Posted by Steve Jeffery · Topics: Books, Minister's Blog, The March of Folly