Broligarchy does not build civilization
I'm working on a DEI post, which I expect to publish tomorrow.
In the meantime, I've gotten lots of sign-ups (thank you!) and some great comments from folks in response to the genesis post. My good friend Mårten Mickos sent me something he'd posted to his social media sites. I liked it so much I asked if I could republish it here. He graciously agreed, and licensed it to me under a CC 1.0 Universal license, so you can excerpt, republish, adapt and use it as you like, too.
Not A Tech Bro's first guest post! Thanks, Mårten!
With the new administration taking over in USA, we will see success, improvements and positive change. We will also experience further polarization and division in society. We used to say with great power comes great responsibility. Now the saying will be “with great power comes greater power”. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Currently, public discourse and major decision-making are pushed by a set of men with youthful enthusiasm and teenage lack of consideration. It is a brotherhood of power – a broligarchy. The pure energy of the broligarchy is bound to create something useful on the short term. The narrowmindedness of it is bound to create havoc in the long term.
It feels great for those exercising it, but broligarchy does not build civilization. It does not take responsibility. It is not considerate or wise. A broligarchy is coercive, not collaborative. It develops its thinking through provocation only, not through listening or reflection.
Broligarchs claim the business world provides a complete model for governing a nation. They ignore the fact that in business you try to achieve unfair advantage whereas in a functioning society you try to achieve fairness. They forget that businesses can sacrifice customers and employees, but societies are there to take care of all its members. A terrible mistake in business can be fixed with money. A terrible mistake in society can take a hundred years to heal from.
Those in a fortunate position today will be even more fortunate tomorrow. Those in an unfortunate position today will be even less fortunate tomorrow. We are talking about our children and grandchildren. Is this how we want our society to evolve?
It may feel like we have more freedom if some of us are successful. But that's a myopic view. We are not free. It is more like an addiction. Genuine freedom can happen only if it is available to everyone.
As a society, we are taking a party drug in the form of economic liberty for those with money. Nothing wrong in improving the conditions for people who generate revenue. We need them and appreciate them. But as the only mantra, such an approach is one-sided and will lead to a tilting of society in a harmful direction.
If we truly are to be a society of people who live on this planet together – a civilization - we must take care of each other. It is the only way to keep the system healthy on a sustained basis. With great power comes great responsibility, and with great responsibility comes great upside for all.