(note: this was originally written to explore the titled topics, but I’d not posted it at the time due to other pressing matters. Today’s events make it doubly interesting.)
Pilots;
There has been some talk recently about transparency, authoritarianism and anti-authoritarianism. There have, likewise, been some words spoken about the ‘foolishness’ of transparency, with a seeming presumption that those who favor transparency must be naive ideologues, unable to consider competing ideals or the exigencies of circumstances.
Before we wade into the matter, let me make clear: circumstances always matter, one must sometimes reconcile competing ideals, and that reconciliation will not always be the same. I should also add that I am by no means a philosopher, and that this will be discussed in the context of the State, so please do forgive me if some of the terms are inexact.
You’ll see the phrase ‘mother Mega, father State’ around. Indeed, for many the corporation is an inextricable part of their lives from before they’re even born, with corporate-subsidized genetic testing and editing, educational investment planning, extensive prenatal medical care, and so on. From creche to hospice, from academy bunk houses to pensions and retirement investment counseling, corporate programs are an inextricable part of life, whether these programs are run locally, regionally or state-wide, operating as wholly-owned subsidiary of the Megacorporation, as a smaller organization or even a family corporation.
Raata revivalism has naturally dovetailed with this, given the ages-old obligations of respect and service to one’s elders and ancestors. One’s duty is to one’s family, and who among one’s family would know best? At the same time, ours is no longer the village, but the State, spanning numerous worlds and stars and with a population in the trillions. We have remade our families and our communities as corporations. Our competitiveness, born both out of a need to excel and to survive those early heady days of our secession, or in older days to survive cold winds and harsh winters, continues to drive us, and has driven our embrace of markets as a peaceful means to compete and to excel.
Often, though, we forget this: just as one has duty to elders and ancestors, just as the citizen’s duty is to the corporation, so does the corporation have a duty to the citizen. Just as the worker should recognize the authority of the executive, so must the executive recognize his obligation to the stakeholder: the shareholder, the citizen, those whose pensions and investments rely on effective administration. After all, what is a corporation without its employees and investors? What is a family without progeny and legacy, both valued traditions and the next generation to carry them on?
Transparency is, in its way, a essential representation of the executive’s service to the stakeholder, and the way by which we know that the executive’s actions are truly reaping rewards, whether they are indeed fulfilling their obligation. Whether it’s by quarterly reports and financials, whether it’s by timely news on products, windfalls, or indeed even misfortunes such as factory accidents or embezzlement, whether it is by proper audit procedure or the disclosure of punishment for those whose actions do not represent best practice, transparency is the shorthand for the flow of information that allows for the effective operation of a market, for the true formation of a bond between corporation and citizen. It is not enough to do one’s duty. It must be known to be done. It must be seen to be done.
Mismanagement and criminality can only flourish in an environment where the only message is, “obey your superior.”
Is trust important? Absolutely. But at the same time, trust must be extended in turn.
Secrecy for secrecy’s sake is no virtue. Is it truly rebellious to believe so?