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loved the piece but this is a truism that all the little people know of and live. But in their minds they just aren't empowered to fix it. How do you "outcompete" the son/daughter/spouse of someone who has all the power to rig the system. I just saw a huge survey (sample 30,000)of high school students nationwide--60% have cheated on exams and papers multiple times in the last year, 2/3 have stolen, . . . an ironically they described their personal "morals" as "very high"). The young get it. If you want to get ahead in America you have to cheat because the system is rigged. The rules are designed to benefit the rich and powerful. Every law that used to protect consumers, renters, debtors, union members . . . has been gutted over the last 35 years.
I've worked for executive branch agencies for 15 years and believe me what GG writes about is the norm in promotions. All the civil service protocols are a sham. The chosen get all the choice "details" so they build up all the experience to advance regardless of how qualified they were to begin with. Advancement has very little to do with qualification or skill but who you know so that you get the first and only crack at the limited skill building opportunities. Everybody else fills the roles that actually produce something and make the machine work. We used to laugh about how ironic it was that the higher up in civil service you go the less responsibility and accountability you have. Sitting in your big office, knocking off for golf with your pals, cutting a few ribbons, saying a few words, taking a few calls, never actually making a decision of any importance, hatching a few programs of little to no added value. All the real work is done by the "little people". And I can guarantee you no superior wants to lose a productive subordinate who is good at his/her job and will do almost anything to make sure you don't advance ahead of them.
I'm pretty sure the French were the only ones to every catch on and take appropriate action. I'd say the rich should be very wary because it is an unsustainable power relationship. Then again they have a secret weapon in the steady stream of Dancing With the Stars calibre programming being pumped into homes 24/7/365. That shiny shiny mind control is a real bitch to overcome.
