Slave Screams

My uncle put it simply: We Filipinos do not know how to handle power.

You give a little authority to someone and the person undergoes a bizarre metamorphosis that turns him into a rampaging megalomaniac with a twisted case of messianic complex to boot.

I do not have any empirical or statistical evidence to prove this but basing from my own observations I have to say that the statement is not entirely dubious. I don't think I need to use the all-time favorite corrupt politicians to get to the point; everyone knows that. I just would like to focus on the day to day activities that features this dismal reality whether one is aware of it or not.



Happiness In Slavery, NINE INCH NAILS


I work for a company. and being a business organization, it naturally has the hierarchy of command from the owner down to us lowly wage-slaves. In my own team, we have a team leader who monitors her members to achieve the level of work expected from us. She gives the due recognition to good performers, and the occasional spanking of those who failed in some ways (we're just human). But a team leader can only do so much. So she proposed a system that would deter any incidence of errors by utilizing money as a form of punishment. The gist of the punishment is: if you don't want to shelf out money, then be careful with what you're doing. Practical and effective, right? It reduces the occurrence of errors and spares the boss from any time-consuming lectures. Money can sure straight things out a lot.

Pretty reasonable. And effective, too. If i were the boss I'd resort to that kind of strategy myself. It effectively cuts down the activities thereby increasing her output in more pressing issues concerning the team.

The problem with this, however, is assigning the person(s) to do the monitoring.

Let us assume that the people assigned to do this are group mates with the same job level as yours. At first when they call your attention regarding an error and demanded for your payment, it was okay. But then you'd notice that the person(s) in charge of it seems to have very little dues or none at all; while you and another teammate are in a perpetual contest as to who among the two of you will have the biggest bill to pay for the week.

Of course one can argue that it is my own fault for not paying attention to the work I'm supposed to do, but don't you just hate that tinge of doubt that maybe, in some way, you were being cuckolded? Of course not. One just needs to have faith in the innate goodness and honesty of man. Maybe I'm just being paranoid because if i were the monitoring officer and found that i incurred an error, i will simply fix it and act as if nothing happened. But that's me.

But the thing that gets to me is not the fact that i may be fooled into paying every week, but the arrogance that the OIC assigned to the task displays every time I or someone else had incurred and error. If you're not familiar with our team, you'd probably assume that that person is the leader. Exactly like my uncle said. Give someone a little authority and it goes over their heads. There is also a condescending tone every time someone is caught. They have the file, so they have the power to manipulate it as they wish. Hearing them talk and nag people you'd think they can do a better job than the boss who, in fact, is the only person that has the god-given right to reprimand his subordinates.

That responsibility creates an illusion of control thereby giving the simulated feeling that you are somehow better than your group mates. Of course the person can deny this. But that's the beauty of nonverbal communication.

Your actions are the best proof against the bullshit that comes out of your mouth.