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  • From: Roy Morgan <k1lky AT earthlink.net>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] One year vision
  • Date: Sun, 3 Aug 2008 09:52:59 -0400


On Aug 2, 2008, at 8:46 PM, Jerry W. Shepperd wrote:

April,

I understand George Santayana's saying to mean that what we learn
from history is that human actions have consequences.

Jerry,

Having been "a Enjuneer" and not learned much about this Santayana gentleman, I read the wikipedia entry for him. Interesting fellow. Went to and taught at Harvard. Considered an American though all his life a Spanish Citizen. Called "aloof and aristocratic". Never married (maybe that's why he never softened up.) Spent the last 10 years of his life being cared for by Irish nuns at a convent.

It is not institutions, governments, businesses, or even history that acts; it
is humans pursuing, or attempting to pursue their own ends.

Even though they firmly believe that it's all "for the common good" and based on "family values"?

HAH!

Some thoughts on institutions not acting:

From some angles of view, institutions do act. I've worked at a fairly large institution till recently (the US Guvmint, a 4000 person part of it), and earlier the US Navy, and I think that some (many?) times the major contributor to the actions taken are from "institutional culture". This takes the form of Personnel Manuals, Precedent, "normal procedure", conduct NOT "unbecoming an officer and a gentleman", and the like.

In my experience, it's very hard to not take what I call actions by the organization personally. At one point recently, I thought "The supervisor did that (to me) mostly because of pressure from the institution not from her own self-interest." Then, I thought that surely it was individuals who applied the pressure, and self preservation was a good part of the motivation, and that brings me back to agreement with Jerry's idea.

"And the music goes round and round, and it comes out here...."

Roy

Roy Morgan
13033 Downey Mill Rd
Lovettsville, VA 20180
k1lky AT earthlink.net

NEW address:
529 Cobb St.
Groton NY, 13073








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