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[Roy Morgan <k1lky AT earthlink.net>]

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:
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Groton NY, 13073