In a Dysfunctional Status Quo, Reform Triggers Collapse
Charles Hugh Smith-in a Dysfunctional Status Quo, Reform Triggers Collapse
You cannot “reform” away the dysfunction of the Status Quo without dismantling the vested interests and the ruling Elites that benefit from the Status Quo.
The dream of every conventional reform movement is to rid the system of its dysfunctional features while preserving the Status Quo.
But what the reformers don’t understand is that the Status Quo is dysfunctional not because of bad policies or a few corrupt officials—it is corrupt and dysfunctional from the ground up.
Dismantle the dysfunctional parts and you’ve dismantled the entire Status Quo.
This is why it is so difficult for countries to reform their dysfunctional regimes. Consider China, everyone’s favorite example that trees can indeed grow to the sky and beyond:
Reform unlikely, says China expert Roderick MacFarquhar (via Maoxian)
MacFarquhar, a professor of history and political science at Harvard University, said the vested interests of the political elite were so entrenched in a corrupt system that an overhaul would amount to dismantling the regime.