Shirky Principle: “Institutions will try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution.” And that’s because solving the problem would eliminate their reason to exist. That means their staff, budgets, positions, power, all gone. So what’s the incentive? In the case of education, for example, real per... student spending has TRIPLED since 1979 while test scores stayed FLAT. They report the same shortcomings every year and demand even more funds to “solve” them. And so we end up wasting more money on not solving anything or even making problems worse.show more

Also explains why social justice movements always move the goalposts; becoming increasingly extreme in their demands. They can never admit victory or their entire livelihood (and identity) would evaporate.

Pournelle's Iron Law of Bureaucracy states that in any organization, people dedicated to the organization itself always take control over those dedicated to the organization's actual goals. Coined by American writer and scientist Jerry Pournelle, it explains why institutions shift their focus toward self-preservation. The Two Groups of People Goal-driven workers: People who care about the actual mission (e.g., classroom teachers, rocket scientists, or bedside nurses). Institution-driven workers: People who care about the survival, rules, and power of the organization itself (e.g., upper administrators, bureaucrats, or office politicians). How the Law Works Taking control: The second group (those loyal to the system) always ends up running the organization. Writing the rules: Because they control leadership, they write the policies and promotions to favor people like themselves. Pushing out the mission: People focused on the real work lose influence or get forced out, leaving the organization entirely devoted to keeping itself alive.

That’s why we “fight” crime instead of obliterating it with harsh, deterrent forms of justice.

Obviously

Shirky Principle:

Modern Pedagogy, says best class size is 16 students. Average size at local school 24-30 students. Number of non-teaching staff, trippled in last 20 years, while teaching staff has shrunk? New teacher pay per hour <$20 an hour per hours worked.

In unrelated news, the former head of the SPLC was arrested yesterday for funding right-wing extremist groups

You describe socialism where the outcome of the public school system doesn't feedback into the system. There is no consequence for failure or low outcome. The rewards are for building a pyramid scheme of low IQ people in employment instead of intelligent, critical thinkers.

The current situation at the Southern Poverty Law Center is another great example. There is no incentive to solve problems when the problem is the argument for more funding.

Uhm… it's called government?

Creating problems would cease their reason to exist. 😉

Well said. The nature of outdated bureaucracies.

This explains the entire DEI industry quite well.

Actually, Test Scores Haven't Stayed FLAT! They Have Gone DOWN DRAMATICALLY!

This is the definition of bureaucracy. It literally functions primarily to keep itself in existence. It’s parasitic at best.

Shirky Principle is the synonym of cancer.

This has been the observation of libertarians, anarchists, and agorists regarding The State: it’s a protection racket that forces you to pay to be protected against all the other protection rackets out there. But they fund the other rackets via foreign aid to maintain the threat!

If your income depends on solving problems and you solve them you'll be unemployed

This applies to all government.

Yet the teachers continuously shriek at us, the tax paying public, that we aren't funding education enough. Demanding we avoid cuts. Demanding more special treatment. Many teachers are lovely people, but the profession has lost its way. It's controlled by ideologues and motivated by self-interest.