I like this breakdown. In case you're not aware of it, Machiavelli makes a strong argument for the Roman Republic model perfecting all 3 of Polybius's methods in "Discourses on Livy".
Bureaucracy is automation, when first crystallized.
When the shape warps it becomes an obstacle to the flow of power.
Democracy, Oligarchy (or Aristocracy of you prefer the term), and OG Monarchy are all frameworks of power, cups or fountains to hold and shape the liquids of power, while bureaucracy is the power itself but solid.
One reason he didn't mention bureaucracy is because it appears in all three forms of government whether rule by one, a select few or the many. Rome, like most empires, had a bureaucracy. How else could the empire have survived something like the year of four emperors? There had to be an educated group, loyal to the state collecting taxes, paying the military, maintaining infrastructure, resolving disputes and so many other tasks.
Hitler had a bureaucracy. Someone had to issue all those "papers, please" papers, formulate and enforce the race laws, control imports and exports, collect taxes, pay employees and suppliers and so on. Nazi stormtroopers expected regular paychecks. France under the later Louis had a bureaucracy with its complex scheme of societal ranking, sale of public offices and the judicial aristocracy that was created to counterbalance the older military aristocracy.
P.S. I wouldn't be too hard on the CDC or FDA. They've been seriously underfunded for decades now, and handled COVID surprisingly well given that. The CDC was regularly undercut and opposed by politicians beholden to businessmen who didn't care how many died if it interfered with their next quarter's profits and associated bonuses. Remember, no one knew a damned thing about COVID until the very end of 2019, so decisions had to be made with limited data and the potential downside was extreme. The FDA had a more limited mission, but it did very well expediting things like paxlovid and the vaccines.
I am due for a booster since we have summer travel plans. The heart's fine. I have regular check ups. Statistically, the big vaccine risk is in driving to get the shot. Driving is really dangerous.
I like this breakdown. In case you're not aware of it, Machiavelli makes a strong argument for the Roman Republic model perfecting all 3 of Polybius's methods in "Discourses on Livy".
Bureaucracy is a crystallization of power.
Bureaucracy is automation, when first crystallized.
When the shape warps it becomes an obstacle to the flow of power.
Democracy, Oligarchy (or Aristocracy of you prefer the term), and OG Monarchy are all frameworks of power, cups or fountains to hold and shape the liquids of power, while bureaucracy is the power itself but solid.
One reason he didn't mention bureaucracy is because it appears in all three forms of government whether rule by one, a select few or the many. Rome, like most empires, had a bureaucracy. How else could the empire have survived something like the year of four emperors? There had to be an educated group, loyal to the state collecting taxes, paying the military, maintaining infrastructure, resolving disputes and so many other tasks.
Hitler had a bureaucracy. Someone had to issue all those "papers, please" papers, formulate and enforce the race laws, control imports and exports, collect taxes, pay employees and suppliers and so on. Nazi stormtroopers expected regular paychecks. France under the later Louis had a bureaucracy with its complex scheme of societal ranking, sale of public offices and the judicial aristocracy that was created to counterbalance the older military aristocracy.
P.S. I wouldn't be too hard on the CDC or FDA. They've been seriously underfunded for decades now, and handled COVID surprisingly well given that. The CDC was regularly undercut and opposed by politicians beholden to businessmen who didn't care how many died if it interfered with their next quarter's profits and associated bonuses. Remember, no one knew a damned thing about COVID until the very end of 2019, so decisions had to be made with limited data and the potential downside was extreme. The FDA had a more limited mission, but it did very well expediting things like paxlovid and the vaccines.
And then the vaccines turned out not to actually work, and cause various health problems themselves.
That could happen. Luckily, the COVID vaccines turned out to work very well and were extremely safe.
Say isn't it time for your 12th booster, be sure to schedule your myocarditis check up while you're at it.
I am due for a booster since we have summer travel plans. The heart's fine. I have regular check ups. Statistically, the big vaccine risk is in driving to get the shot. Driving is really dangerous.