hey, where the hell are you all going?
Look, let's say (just for the sake of argument) that my boss is an asshole. Truthfully, I have a regiment of rotating bosses and as far as I can tell they're nice guys. But let's just say.
Let's suppose that he's got this nasty habit of calling his friends to come pick up truckloads of compost (which is our product) without paying for it. Actually we are all encouraged to do this; there's not a huge market for our product and offering someone a small amount of it for free is actually a positive marketing tactic, but I'm trying to create an analogy here, people. Let's say that my boss is calling his friends to offer free loads of compost under the table, and he's not supposed to do it.
Now let's say he's found out. What is the appropriate course of action? Almost certainly the guy should be fired, that's for starters. If the theft has been systemic and rampant, maybe criminal charges should be brought against him.
But what about me? What's my role in all of this?
Do I get to stop showing up for work? Can I go play squash instead, because my boss has been found to be corrupt?
Now let's say that the police are investigating my boss, and the charges have not been found to be substantiated, yet. There's a committee working on discovery, trying to decide whether or not the guy deserves to be fired. Their decision isn't due for a while, and in the meantime people are still putting their garbage out in the garbage bins and the trucks are still bringing it to us.
Do we get to have a vote at the morning safety tailboard meeting, and decide (unanimously or otherwise) that because our boss has been accused of theft, we're justified in not going to work for a couple of weeks?
Fuck no.
Matter of fact if we tried that, our being fired would not be the recommendation of some committee. It would be instantaneous, it would be justifiable, and it would probably be the decision of that same boss.
But here we have these two shmucks and their rogue's gallery of opportunists who have declared a work stoppage because they don't have faith in the ruling party. Actually what they don't have faith in is the rule of parliament itself, but they seem incapable of distinguishing between the Prime Minister and the system of checks and balances which are designed to punish his transgressions.
Fine. Let's have another election. I like them, they're fun. I like going to the local school gym and ticking the little boxes and folding the paper and sending my voice into the paper void that rules the part of my paycheque that I never personally see. We should have them once a month.
Fine. He's corrupt, his cabinet's tainted, let's start over. I don't like the idea of the balance of power resting in the hands of weasels.
But let's do it right, and let's respect the institutions we're trying to protect. Let's at least look like we have some respect for the idea of government.
Let's suppose that he's got this nasty habit of calling his friends to come pick up truckloads of compost (which is our product) without paying for it. Actually we are all encouraged to do this; there's not a huge market for our product and offering someone a small amount of it for free is actually a positive marketing tactic, but I'm trying to create an analogy here, people. Let's say that my boss is calling his friends to offer free loads of compost under the table, and he's not supposed to do it.
Now let's say he's found out. What is the appropriate course of action? Almost certainly the guy should be fired, that's for starters. If the theft has been systemic and rampant, maybe criminal charges should be brought against him.
But what about me? What's my role in all of this?
Do I get to stop showing up for work? Can I go play squash instead, because my boss has been found to be corrupt?
Now let's say that the police are investigating my boss, and the charges have not been found to be substantiated, yet. There's a committee working on discovery, trying to decide whether or not the guy deserves to be fired. Their decision isn't due for a while, and in the meantime people are still putting their garbage out in the garbage bins and the trucks are still bringing it to us.
Do we get to have a vote at the morning safety tailboard meeting, and decide (unanimously or otherwise) that because our boss has been accused of theft, we're justified in not going to work for a couple of weeks?
Fuck no.
Matter of fact if we tried that, our being fired would not be the recommendation of some committee. It would be instantaneous, it would be justifiable, and it would probably be the decision of that same boss.
But here we have these two shmucks and their rogue's gallery of opportunists who have declared a work stoppage because they don't have faith in the ruling party. Actually what they don't have faith in is the rule of parliament itself, but they seem incapable of distinguishing between the Prime Minister and the system of checks and balances which are designed to punish his transgressions.
Fine. Let's have another election. I like them, they're fun. I like going to the local school gym and ticking the little boxes and folding the paper and sending my voice into the paper void that rules the part of my paycheque that I never personally see. We should have them once a month.
Fine. He's corrupt, his cabinet's tainted, let's start over. I don't like the idea of the balance of power resting in the hands of weasels.
But let's do it right, and let's respect the institutions we're trying to protect. Let's at least look like we have some respect for the idea of government.
posted by gibletquesterrs at 10:33 AM
<< Home