Timing of Judgment....

This afternoon I sat down to watch a rerun of Ken Burns two-hour PBS piece about the first "automobilist" to make it across the US back in 1903, and before I knew it I was watching Judgment at Nuremberg, a 1961 movie that I recall seeing that many years ago -- but obviously did not appreciate at the time. I have often used movies to teach my Ethics course, and cannot recall why this was never on my list. Perhaps it is because the film runs over three hours. But in seeing it again I am amazed at how well this movie holds up. It is really well done, and I was especially impressed with the "pull no punches" writing of Abby Mann. I cannot recall another movie that makes the moral dilemmas and issues so clear. Reading a bit of history about the movie, it was an adaptation to screen from a play originally presented in 1959 on TV's Playhouse 90. Among folks in the movie cast were Spencer Tracy, Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark -- and a very young William Shatner. Among the other little tidbits is that Maximilian Schell, who played the defense attorney Hans Rolfe in the TV version, won a "Best Actor" Oscar for that role in the movie despite the fact that his was not among the leading male roles. Another bit of information is that there was a Broadway stage version that opened in March 2001 -- and closed in May. Schell was in the cast playing the Janning character that he was defending in the movie. One wonders whether the stage version would close as quickly today given the moral relevance of the script.... The phrase that comes to mind is: timing is everything.... Tags: Judgment at Nuremberg, Playhouse 90 (TV), Ken Burns, PBS, Horatio's Drive (PBS), Abby Mann, Maximilian Schell, Spencer Tracy, Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, William Shatner, accountabilitybloke, Mel Dubnick

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Bits of Fresh Air

I have been a fan of Fresh Air for many years, and it was a major disappointment that the NPR WHYY-Philadelphia) show did not have a regular podcast. There was a subscription based download from Audible.com, but I am not a fan of such pay-for-listen services; the alternative was to hope that a particular segment or interview from Fresh Air might get posted on the NPR site as a featured interview.... But recently the Fresh Air podcast became a free subscribe-able download, and it is becoming a daily listen. What is interesting about the show is that it has been on so long that its archives offer old segments that can be scheduled on any particular day to reflect some hot news or culutral event. A new movie out starring Will Farrell? Out comes an interview with Farrell taped for a previous movie. A famous author dies? Fresh Air will air at least a portion of an interview with the deceased taped twenty years ago. And then there are the random repeats -- such as today's replay of a terrific Sasha Baron Cohen inerview about Borat and other things... But it isn't merely the number and range of guests that make this show so great. Terry Gross, the host, is truly a wonderful interviewer, not only from the perspective of the audience, but also from the perspective of many guests who often remark how much they enjoyed the experience. (Not all, however; Gross had a famous confrontation with Bill O'Reilly not too long ago....) And every so often she does back-to-back interviews contrasting interesting folks, which is what took place this week when she had long interviews with Richard Dawkins (the scientist-atheist) on Wednesday and Francis Collins (scientist-very much the believer) on Thursday. The Dawkns interview was solid, although not quite as fun or interesting as listeing to him narrate a TV show or give one of his wonderful lectures. Collins, one of the major Genome project scientists was acutally quite level headed in his repsonse to Gross' questions and sounded (and even looks) very much like a real life Ned Flanders. Nothing significant comes out of either interview, but if you have a couple of hours to spare you might want to listen -- and subscribe.... (actually Tags: Richard Dawkins, Francis Collins, Fresh Air (radio), Terry Gross, podcasts, Mel Dubnick, accountabilitybloke

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Bust of the Boom

The Boomer Century program was a bit disappointing -- part TV GED course (mediocre social history), part tour through the self-help and New Age book shelves at Barnes and Noble, part infomercial (or at least it felt like one when the host got into financial advisory mode); in short, it was a missed opportunity to get beyond the superficiality of stereotypes and media hyped "megatrends" that have characterized the baby boom image. Its history was textbook, and its focus on the common cultural images we grew up with was just not satisfying. Which makes me wonder if there is actually nothing much to the baby boom beyond that superficiality -- so thin, in fact, that the most insightful part part of the two hours was the rant by Lewis Black highlighting just how superficial the baby boom generation has been. It is too bad the producers did not take the effort to the next level -- perhaps by holding one of those boring (yet insightful) post-show roundtables with real people who might exchange opinions and views about the images and ideas expressed in the show. Then again, I did note previously that I came to the show expecting to satisfy my itch for the nostalgic -- and I certainly got my fill of that.... Tags: Boomer Century, baby boom, PBS, Lewis Black, Mel Dubnick, accountabilitybloke

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Boom-errrrrr...

An interesting show is schedule to air this evening on PBS stations -- The Boomer Century: 1946-2046. Being part of that group (the 78 million folks born in the US from 1946 to 1964; I was born near the front end, 1946), I'll watch it for the nostalgia parts -- but also out of curiosity about what the demographers and sociologists and other such folks are predicting. There is a tendency among folks in my field (political science and public administration) to project past behavior of the elderly into the future while ignoring what should be obvious: generations and the culture of generations makes a difference. When I talk to some of my practitioner students who are bracing for an increase in the elderly population in their towns, it is clear that they assume that "age" rather than generational culture is the main factor shaping needs and priorities. There is some obvious truth to that -- the older you get the more you will need certain kinds of public services. But there are all sorts of reasons to believe that the 60 year old of today is quite unlike the 60 year old of the past, and that as this huge cohort comes "of age", these differences will prove substantial when it comes to life style choices and demands for public services. I realize it is a silly example, but the other night my wife and I attended a local fund raising dance that drew a more mature crowd. I would guess more than half the folks there were in their 60s or older. The bands (there were two) included one that played music from the 40s and 50s, while the other played music form the 60s and 70s. The ballroom dancing crowd was up doing their thing (we are among their number -- or at least trying to be), but when the rock and roll started to play the floor was packed with all these white haired folks dancing like they were in some high school gym or on Dick Clark's American Bandstand. It is trite to say it, but this wasn't your father's (or mother's) senior citizen dance. Just as we are starting to hear some pretty familiar tunes from the 60s and 70s accompanying commercials aimed at the boomers, so we are starting to see a transformation of life style among the "elderly". Yes, we are getting older, but we are bringing our cultural habits with us.... Tags: baby boomers, American Bandstand, culture, aging, elderly, senior citizens, PBS, The Boomer Century, Mel Dubnick, accountabilitybloke

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Alternatives to dropsy...and other thoughts...

Prolegomena: Everyone has their own standards for what should or should not be posted on blogs -- not in terms of what is right or what is wrong, but rather as a matter of "taste". Some blogs are too personal, some are too rhetorical, some are too cute, etc. On this site I have tried to strike a balance between commentary and observations, and I suspect it has gotten too personal at times -- especially when I address my maladies. But I try to do so as a form of observation rather than complaint or play for sympathy. If anything, I go for the content and laugh more than the pity. For me this stuff is pretty interesting in general, and I share it in the sense of awe (mostly positive) about how we deal with "disease" through medication. So here is the latest set of "observations": A couple of days ago I posted my comments on a self-diagnosis of recent lethargic behavior, and I shared my sense that this was somehow related to a particular medication (metformin). Besides writing, I also left a message for my endocrinologist about my concerns, and yesterday she responded by effectively dismissing my idea that the Glucophage was the cause of my sleepiness and erratic, low body temperature. Her question: how were my blood sugar numbers holding up? My answer was that overall -- on the average -- pretty damn good. They vary considerably, but all within a decent and acceptable range. If that is the case, she argues, then my sleepiness and related problem are not tied to my glycemic problems and therefore it ain't the medication (paraphrasing, of course). I am still not convinced, but I defer.... However, she was concerned that I (and those around me) was still "suffering" from the gastrointestinal side effects -- and she suggested that I temporarily drop the metformin (if I wished) until our scheduled visit in a couple of weeks. In its place she wanted me to double my dosage of another anti-diabetes medication I am taking (Glucotrol -- or actually its equivalent, Glipizide). I decided to go with that advice, not only because I am a bit tired of the general discomfort from the "side effect" but also doing so can be a monitored check on my suspicions about Glucophage. Now, what is interesting about the Glipizide (classed as a sulfonylurea drug) is that it works differently. While I understood Glucophage to effectively reduce insulin production by the liver, Glipizide seems to increase its production by the pancreas while also lowering the liver production. By now I am baffled about all these tradeoffs. but if I understand it at all, the point is to get some moderate balance of blood sugar levels over a 24 hour period. One of the problems with this regimen is that I might now be more susceptible to hypoglycemia -- and I really have to watch out as well for weight gain and edema (a new word I have found for plain old bloatedness -- the alternative was 'dropsy', which is just not that inviting). But since I am already taking Glipizide (10 mg) each morning, the shock to the system of doubling up might not be as bad. And what is my general observation from all this: between my neurotic personality and access to the web, I am quickly turning into a hypochondriac.... Tags: Glucophage (metformin), Glucotrol, Glipizide, diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, medication, hypochondria, hypoglycemia, edema, dropsy, sulfonylurea, accountabilitybloke, Mel Dubnick

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Water under the bridge in Northern Ireland...

Very interesting to watch the next step taken in Northern Ireland today, although it was obviously more symbol than substance. What was just as interesting to watch was the attempt by local (US) commentators attempting to explain what was happening. In Boston region, where the Irish connections are obviously strong, the story was perhaps more prominent than elsewhere in the US -- even drawing a segment on WGBH's Great Boston show which usually does only local current events. The guests were former Boston Mayor Raymond Flynn who babbled something about how all this was the result of international (and especially US) public opinion, while a more informed Padraig O'Malley of UMass Boston gave the summary of events that necessarily skirted over much of the complex details. Emily Rooney, typically a well informed host, seemed a bit annoyed that the parties pictured at the Belfast table (Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams) were not shaking hands or embracing. Viewing it at a distance, I suspect that much of Belfast and Northern Ireland went on with its daily routine with barely a notice. Even in 2003-2005 when I lived in Belfast, life was (and I gather still is) conducted as if the Troubles were over, and all this effort to formalize it among the top echelons of the major (but extreme) parties is little more than ceremonial. This is not to say that there aren't important matters for the new home rule government to solve, but it would be wrong to think that they rise to more than the mundane issues of any local government. Consider, for example, the headlines on today's BBC Northern Ireland website: The lead story is about the historic agreement; the follow was Water bills 'on hold' after deal.... The attitude of NI locals and politicos is best understood by watching Noel Thompson's Hearts and Minds -- a BBC-NI weekly that really is quite fun to watch as well as informative. The commentary (and accompanying art work) of Malachi O'Doherty is especially interesting ("So should it all fall apart, weep for your water rates, but don't fret about the peace. The passion is spent..."). What the arrangement will bring to an end is the myth that NI has been ruled directly from London; the fact is that the NI Civil Service is homegrown and home led, with the only notable non-NI presence being the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Affairs. If this transition to the new Executive occurs without a hitch over the next couple of months (don't count on it), those Civil Servants will report to Northern Ireland Assembly chiefs Ian Paisley (first minister) and Martin McGuinness (deputy first minister) instead of Secretary Hain. Tags: Northern Ireland, Peter Hain, Martin McGuinness, Ian Paisley, Gerry Adams, BBC Northern Ireland, Noel Thompson, Malachi O'Doherty, WGBH Greater Boston, Emily Rooney, Raymond Flynn, Padarig O'Malley, Hearts and Minds, Belfast, accountabilitybloke, Mel Dubnick

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Diagnosis: Early onset rigor mortis....Or, why I might be a Crank....

It is fitting that, as one of the front line group of baby boomers (born in 1946), I live with one of the baby boom's maladies -- Type 2 diabetes -- and have done so for at least ten years (it was diagnosed in 1997, but certainly I was such well before then). As I have found out over the past decade, there is nothing specific about this diagnosis, and it covers a range of conditions, all resulting in the bottom line: insulin resistance. My own particular version of this is some weird combination of producing too much sugar at time when my capacity or ability to burn it is too low. The current prescribed solution is some combination of diet and activity and medication to get things in sync -- but this turns out to be a daily battle. All well and good most of the time, but every so often there is that odd day involving a difficult schedule or snow shoveling or catching a cold, and the result is my "system" or sugar balance is thrown off and I run into some short term problems.... Last year I really got off my regimen, so in early January this year I visited an endocronologist and she is attempting to put me back on track. The key adjustment she prescribed was to start taking Glucophage (metformin), a medication designed to reduce the production of sugar by my liver and thereby force my system to make greater use of other sources of glucose, which in turn would reduce the absorbtion of sugar into the bloodstream, thereby lowering (or at least moderating) my blood sugar readings -- or something like that. Well, it seems to be working -- my numbers (as far as I can estimate by my blood testing each day) are really getting quite good now. But the side effects are starting to get to me. There are two major groups of side effects, one gastrointestinal (the "bloat" is what I call it -- and I definitely have it) and one associated with the limited toxicity of the "biguanide class of anti-diabetic drugs" of which metformin is one. On the first group of side effects, from the outset of taking the medication I have had it and despite being told they will subside as my body adjusts, I am still waiting.... But then there is the toxicity stuff, which I did not really pay attention to until this past week when I began to feel really lethargic with some respiratory difficulties making me sleepier and less energetic than usual. I first associated this with the onset of a cold, but I never really got the usual sniffles or headache or fever. In fact, my body temperature has been down in the 95-96 range for the past several days. A bit more reading on the web and I began to understand that metformin is actually a less toxic version of phenformin, a drug used in the 1940s and 1950s now off the general pharmaceutical market in France (where it was initially launched) because of its link to cases of lactic acidosis -- essentially the acidification of the blood that can best be understood as the "underlying process of rigor mortis". Yup, I am taking a drug that activates the process that naturally occurs when people die.... Its first signs among living folks include "anorexia, nausea, vomiting, altered level of consciousness, hyperpnoea, abdominal pain and thirst." Oh, and low body temperature.... Metformin, of course, has been released on the market because its toxicity is minimal compared to phenformin. But there are things that make me a bit uneasy with all this. It has been on the European market since the 1950s (as a safer replacement for phenformin) but was not approved for the US until 1994 despite it efficacy as an anti-diabetes drug. Why the delay? It is also bothersome that no one seems to know why it works as it does. The biguanide class of drugs is derived from the chemicals found in the French Lilac which was a known since medieval times as a folk remedy for diabetes, but even after having extracted and packaged it as a commercial drug they have never quite figured out the connections and mechanisms that make it work. That is troubling, especially since the counter-indications (who should not take it) are pretty general and vague. Making this all the more baffling is that my lethargy is definitely offset by vigorous activity -- after I work out or go dancing, etc. I feel pretty good for two or three hours afterwards -- and even my body temp goes up a degree or two. But sitting down to write or read or just watch TV brings on breathing issues and sleepiness. Describing this to a colleague, he said this sounds like the plot of a recent movie (Crank) where the main character has been poisoned and that the only way to avoid death was to keep his adrenaline levels up high enough for the toxins to be held at bay.... Hmmm. Tags: diabetes, Glucophage, metformin, phenformin, Crank (movie), insulin resistance, lactic acidosis, rigor mortis, Type 2 diabetes, medications, drug indications, folk remedies, toxicity, accountabilitybloke, Mel Dubnick

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Betrayal as case of disrespect...

The lessons of Sennett's Respect in the World of Inequality were applied by the author primarily to welfare and social services, but their relevance is obviously more wide ranging. A case in point is the treatment of Iraqis who have worked or are working for the US or its contractors -- the subject of an article ("Betrayed") by George Packer in the current New Yorker. He is also the guest on the March 22 Fresh Air broadcast. Tags: Richard Sennett, George Packer, Iraq, Fresh Air, NPR, Terry Gross, New Yorker, accountabilitybloke, Mel Dubnick

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Aha, iSee...

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NH, FITN and NPR

I recently had an opportunity to read some academic research on the New Hampshire primary that provided empirical support to those who argue against the state's "first-in-the-nation" (FITN) status (along with the Iowa caucus) in the contests for the presidential nomination in each party. This is an old and still hot debate (also here) among those who pay attention to such things. There are basically two major arguments against that status: (1) that the state is demographically unrepresentative (having a non-Hispanic white population of more than 96%) and (2) that there is nothing distinctive about NH politics to warrant its special status. On the first point, facts is facts -- and if one assumes that a more representative state will produce a "more representative result", then there is little to argue about. But the assumptions are arguable and testable -- including whether there is any small state that is representative that can deliver "retail politics" in presidential races. Which connects us to the second point, for if anything justifies the FITN status it might be that NH primary politics is special and that NH-types deserve their special role in the process (along with Iowa). The articles in question (see here for one) challenge the FITN status by arguing that there is nothing special about NH primary politics, and that when put under scrutiny NH voters are just like any other in the nation in being subject to the influence of the media, etc. In short, retail politics is a myth, and any state will do as the FITN -- so why not put a more representative state or two upfront.... As it happens, the research design and data used in those studies are pretty weak -- or at least weak enough that one can raise significant doubts about whether the strong anti-NH primary conclusions are warranted. Focusing on the three to four week period just before the actual vote (thus ignoring the extended nature of the NH campaign) and relying on content analyses of network news (of dubious validity) as well as volatile tracking poll data, the studies are good enough for academic publication but hardly a firm basis for the assertions made by the authors. As they say in my business, the uniqueness of the NH primary remains "an open empirical question" (for example, see here). I bring this up because I happen to have more than a passing interest in the NH primary. I have been working at the University of New Hampshire for nearly two years now and I am in the process of experiencing my first presidential primary season. Pretty interesting thus far, although my own contacts with candidates and campaigns has been limited to a couple of events. But it is early, they tell me, and things will get more interesting as time goes on. With some of my students involved in a project related to the primary season, I am certain to get my share of exposure -- which means I will get to see up close if there really is something special about the place. In the meantime, the national media is beginning to pick up on its coverage, and some of the story lines relate to the FITN debate. Today, for example, NPR began a segment that will intermittently visit the town of Milford NH to see how the so-called special nature of NH retail politics plays out. My wn sense is that NH politics is a bit different -- and that folks in places like Milford take seriously their special role -- making the FITN argument the product of a self-fulfilling prophesy in a way. Obviously more to come on this topic over the next several months.... Tags: New Hampshire primary, First in the Nation, Iowa Caucuses, presidential primaries, New Hampshire, retail politics, University of New Hampshire, campaigns, elections, voting, NPR, Milford NH, All Things Considered, Mel Dubnick, accountabilitybloke

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Different approach for NCLB?

There is a sane discussion now emerging in the UK about scrapping the current system of student assessment (which tests all students on common tests at ages 7, 11 and 14) and replacing it with a two-pronged approach that promotes both a general assessment of instructional performance (based on examining sampled population, which is now in use in Scotland) and individualized (personalized) student assessment. I hope the folks engaged in No Child Left Behind are watching and listening... Tags: student assessments, NCLB, No Child Left Behind, accountabilitybloke, Mel Dubnick

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End of respect...

I've completed the fourth and final part of Sennett's Respect in a World of Inequality, and overall find the central point of the work very important but the presentation a bit uneven - especially in his efforts to use examples from anthropology that reflect the expression and performative nature of respect. Here the "disk" (in lieu of bureacuractic pyramid) metaphor turns up again, but with no greater impact or clarity than I found in its initial use. The strength of the book stylistically remains its autobiographical sections as well as his discussion of bureaucratic respect. But style uneveness aside, Sennett's major contribution is to bring back into perspective the important role that respect -- especially in the form of autonomy -- plays in our lives. I find this very compatible with wome of the other work I've been reading about governance, especialy the work of Philip Pettit on autonomous agency Now on to another book.... Tags: Richard Sennett, Mel Dubnick, accountabilitybloke

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Shape Up, Sir Humphrey....

As a follow up to yesterday's blog, found an interesting series on BBC Radio 4 that directly addresses the problems facing cabinet government and the civil service in the UK. "Shape up, Sir Humphrey" (again, making reference to the central character in Yes, Minister) is a three part series that, whether planned or not, is coming to an end just as the controversy over the operations of the Labour government under Blair/Brown is coming to a head. It helps to know a bit about the British system and some of the players to make sense of the issues and debate, but well worth the listen so far -- the final part airs on Thursday night, GMT.... Tags: BBC Radio 4, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair, Labour Government, accountabilitybloke, Mel Dubnick

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Unitary theory across the pond....

The news this evening is about the growing confrontation between the White House and Congress over the prerogatives of presidential power. The issue takes the form of controversy over the firing of eight US Attorneys last December, and that is getting spun all sorts of ways depending on which side of the partisan grade you happen to be standing. But underlying all this is a long-overdue correction to the theory of the unitary executive. Growing out of an obsession with the need for strong leadership that has been fostered by economic crises and wars during the 20th century, this theory is actually an interpretation of our constitutional system that has relatively weak foundations. I happen to be of the school of thought that the presidency was never intended to be as powerful as we have made it. The proffered theory itself is the product of rationalizations and reforms that date back to the end of the 19th-century. It has been articulated and pursued to the point of becoming accepted doctrine. Every so often something happens (e.g., Vietnam, Watergate, Iran-contra, and now the War on Terror) that leads to a temporary pullback, usually in the form of a congressional reassertion of its constitutional authority. The only problem is, the wisdom of limiting presidential authority by undoing the unitary executive theory rarely takes root and we find ourselves repeating some fundamental and costly errors. Interestingly, the theory of the unitary executive has now spread across the pond. Perhaps it started with Thatcher, whose efforts to shrink government ironically required the strengthening of central authority within the cabinet structure of British government. There is no doubt, however, that the unitary executive idea drives the Blair/Brown government that has now been in place for nearly a decade. The transformation of British government along strong presidential lines is becoming increasingly obvious as attention turns to the leadership of Gordon Brown who is now a longest-serving chancellor in UK history. In an interview with the Financial Times published this morning (also see here), Lord Andrew Turnbull, a former top level civil servant (as in Sir Humphrey of Yes, Minister), spoke of Brown's "Stalinist ruthlessness" in his leadership of government. Listening to the BBC 4's Today show this morning, I was struck by the similarities between the leadership philosophies of both the Labour government and the Bush administration.... Tags: presidential power, unitary executive, separation of powers, Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Lord Turnbull, Yes Minister, Financial Times, BBC 4 Today Show, accountabilitybloke, Mel Dubnick

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Infosnacking at Frontline...

I played portions of Part III of Frontline's News Wars series in both my Media and American Politics and American Government courses (in which the topic for the week is the media in politics). Frontline does a terrific service with its posting of broadcast shows and extended interviews -- and the fact that each show is posted in 7 to 12 minute segments makes it even more convenient for those like me who want something short enough to integrate into class sessions. The segments I played today included one featuring Ted Koppel at his forthright best bemoaning the demise of journalistic standards at the network news divisions. A bitter Dan Rather is also in the mix, along with Katie Couric, bloggers and all sorts of folks. And that was all found in just four segments.... The most interesting concept emerging from today's lesson: "infosnacking".... Tags: Frontline, PBS, News Wars, Dan Rather, Ted Koppel, Katie Couric, infosnacking, Mel Dubnick, accountabilitybloke

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Sennett on bureaucratic respect....

Sennett's treatment of "bureaucratic respect" (chapter 6 in Respect in a World of Inequality) is one of the stronger and more even handed presentations on the bureaucratic form I have seen lately. As a context for governance, bureaucracies are quite capable of functioning as a means for providing order when the emerging political economy required it, and it emerged initially as a means of enhancing a sense of belonging and respect of a type which we now view with contempt (e.g., Whyte's Organization Man). Its potential in those regards are still seen in the self-respect and regulated autonomy provided by military and those few remaining "old economy" corporations (probably more mythical than real since not one example comes to mind). But as Sennett indicates, the model of bureaucratic respect, even in its heyday, did not apply for long to the governance of social service programs where the assumption of dependency triumphed over the assumption of autonomy when it came to treating those in need or welfare support. He highlights the "riddle" that bureaucratic governance was never quite been able to resolve -- how to provide support while fostering active autonomy for the recipients of welfare. He follows this discussion of bureaucratic respect with a weak chapter on welfare reform ("liberated welfare") that makes it evident that the anti-bureaucratic model has not been the answer. His metaphor of the "disk" having replaced the pyramid provides little or no insight, and the observations about flat organizations and shorter time horizons prove superficial (he is much better at exploring that in The Corrosion of Character). However, he does end the chapter with observations about public service workers interviewed in the UK who seem to have retained their sense of self-respect based on the idea of the usefulness of their work -- this despite widespread negative comments about public bureaucracies and programs. But as he points out, this is the self-respect of the craftsperson taking some pride in the work itself rather than in value to the agency or value to the public being served. This was an observation that I thought deserved more follow up -- but alas the chapter ended and I am now hoping it gets picked up in the final chapters of Respect.... More to come.... Tags: Richard Sennett, bureaucracies, governance, Respect in a World of Inequality, The Corrosion of Character, Mel Dubnick, accountabilitybloke

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Sennett, Arendt and who cares....

Back to Sennett's Respect in a World of Inequality.... Speaking today to a professional friend who (along with his spouse) has same strange interests in philosophy and its relationship to public administration, and in catching up on our various readings and work I mentioned I was reading Sennett and listening to shows on Arendt. As it turns out, my colleague and his spouse (both well known for their writings on the nature of public administration) are reading Arendt's "thinking diaries" (her daily "Denktagebuch" covering 1950-1975) which have been published in German. And as it happens I am at that point in Sennett's work where he discusses Arendt's views of "caring without compassion" -- a position she takes in contrast to charitable forms of caring based on manipulative largesse, pity, self-redemption, etc. Those charitable forms of caring serve the ego of the provider and demean -- dis-respect -- the recipient, leading Sennett to associate advocates of "basic incomes policy" alternative to welfare (he cites Ackerman, Offe) with the Arendtian position. Sennett provides insights into Arendt's position that trace back to her dissertation on St Augustine, but as important he answers in part the question implied by Young-Breuhl's book, about why Arendt matters.... The discussion on Arendt is also tied to an interesting comparison of the contrasting social service philosophies of Mother Frances Cabrini and Jane Addams, which in turn raises issues about the gender-ification of social work (and government work in general) implied in the writing of Carol Gilligan and others who highlight the caring nature of the feminine. And having taken all that in, Sennett turns to a discussion of how modern bureaucracy fits into all this -- where is where I am at in Respect.... Stay tuned and I might actually be able to say something coherent (and even relevant) about all this. As much as I am engrossed by the book, Sennett's style and approach is an acquired taste (see here for a critique related to earlier work). But, hey, I also really like listening to Philip Glass.... Tags: Richard Sennett, Hannah Arendt, Carol Gilligan, Philip Glass, Jane Addams, Moth Cabrini, Bruce Ackerman, Claus Offe, basic incomes policy, social services, social work, welfare policy, public administration, Mel Dubnick, accountabilitybloke

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Visit to Churchland...

This morning's podcast "workout" involved one hour with the Churchlands -- Paul and Patricia -- on the March 12 broadcast of On Point. (Having made negative remarks about Lydon in a previous post, I have to admit that OnPoint's Tom Ashbrook is better at that "prodding" business, and he seems to "get it" more often.) The discussion with the Churchlands was a follow-up to a New Yorker profile and proved interesting at first, but by the end of the show they seemed both (1) a bit extreme in their position on the value of neurophilosophy; and (2) a bit too indifferent to the empirically obvious impact of culture and social factors in shaping human behavior. Although he was on for just a brief time, Colin McGinn did a good job of raising some issues -- but I think it would have been more productive to have on someone like Daniel Dennett whose views on consciousness are a bit more interesting. In any case, the discussion was in stark contrast with my reading of Sennett, where I am learning a good deal more about the nature of character and respect and the role of guilt and shame in shaping both. More on that soon.... Tags: Paul Churchland, Patricia Churchland, Tom Ashbrook, Colin McGinn, Daniel Dennett, New Yorker, OnPoint, neurophilosophy, Mel Dubnick, accountabilitybloke

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Arendt, again...

This morning I listened to a podcast of last week's Open Source discussion on Hannah Arendt. While host Christopher Lydon remains an annoying (though functionally prodding) presence (at the end you get the impression that both he and his guests are aware that he just isn't getting it), the hour is worth a listen. (There is also the bonus of a link to the audio of a 1968 lecture by Arendt at Bard College; also here for Q&A that followed.) The guests are Elisabeth Young-Bruehl, Arendt's best know biographer (see here and here) and Jerome Kohn, the executor of her papers (which are still coming out; see here and here and here; also see here for his essay on Arendt's views on evil), and despite awkward moments of dealing with Lydon they do a terrific job getting across many of her basic views and ideas (also see here). Although the "banality of evil" is central to the initial discussion, the elaboration of Arendt's distinction between power and violence -- and what her views might be on the current state of world affairs under US hegemony (they suggest a reading of the essays published in her Crises of the Republic collection) -- ends the program. Lydon is planning a follow-up show to deal more explicitly with the issues surrounding the human capacity for so-called evil (see my own thoughts on this here). As it happens, these shows (and others scheduled in light of Arendt's centennial) complement my current reading of Richard Sennett's Respect in a World of Inequality. Sennett, also a one time student of Arendt, provides an interesting extension of the Arendtian view of life in the public sphere and I am finding the work a faster read than the Corrosion of Character. In part this is due to his wonderful use of an autobiographical narrative in which the reflections on his experiences are tied to the ideas central to the book. I will blog more about this.... Tags: Richard Sennett, Hannah Arendt, Christopher Lydon, radioopensource.org, Elisabeth Young-Bruehl, Jerome Kohn, Bard College, accountabilitybloke, Mel Dubnick

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Keeping track...

Friend Ciarán is a great fan of Crooked Timber and I have found the few posts I have viewed over the past two or three years to be interesting -- but I am terrible at reading feeds regularly, so I only catch the good ones that Ciarán makes reference to in his (and Isabel's) blog. They do have a bit of a game going, however, that will make me more of a regular -- it is called the "Galbraith score" and it traces back to a post in December, 2004 which quotes JK Galbraith as follows: “Anyone who says four times that he won’t resign, will.” Yesterday one post began the count on Alberto Gonzales: he is at one, and counting.... Tags: Galbraith score, Crooked Timber, Alberto Gonzales, Draw Breath (blog), accountabilitybloke, Mel Dubnick

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Character and accountbility...

OK -- some abstract stuff... In recent work I have been tying to articulate a view of accountability that situates it in a context of freedom rather than control. Increasingly I find myself relying on Philip Pettit's view of the free agent as one who is deemed fit to be held responsible for its choices and actions -- a view that I am convinced directly links our preoccupation with accountability in systems of modern governance. The development of modern forms of governance -- public and corporate -- was in response to the emergence of the self-aware autonomous agent as a subject of rule. The historical narrative I offer in my work features the establishment of Anglo-Norman rule in the 11th and 12th centuries, but the same logic can be seen in other narratives that root themselves in other times and places (e.g., James Scott, Seeing Like a State). Rendering that self-aware autonomous agent "governable" was central to the development of modern governance in all its various forms, and the key to long-term success in those endeavors was the creation of forms of accountability -- not in the sense of control (which is the contemporary, distorted view of accountability), but rather in the sense of developing institutions of "freedom" where those "deemed fit to be held responsible" could and would flourish. I bring this up because I just completed Sennett's The Corrosion of Character which can be read as reinforcing this perspective -- or perhaps I have gotten to the point where I interpret everything I read in light of my own "theory" of accountable governance. Written for readability (in short, for a more general audience rather than merely academics), the book takes a bit before finally making its strong case for the important (and challenged) role of character in the New Economy. The last two chapters are the strongest statement of Sennett's views, and they will make for interesting exchanges when I assign this book for my summer course on organizational behavior.... Now I turn to the second book in Sennett's trilogy -- Respect in an World of Inequality. So more thought to come... Tags: Richard Sennett, Philip Pettit, James Scott, accountability, governance, accountabilitybloke, Mel Dubnick

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SOX in the bathwater....

Article in today's New York Times reports on efforts being made by the corporate and investor sectors to bring about changes in the implementation of Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), the congressional Act of 2002 passed in response to the Enron collapse and other major failures (e.g., WorldCom, Tyco, etc.). A particular target is the provision that requires public companies (i.e., those with shares traded on Wall Street) to report on the existence and effectiveness of their internal financial controls. This seemingly simple request (you would think they had such controls in place already) has proven to be too onerous, especially as the provisions designed for the big firms are being imposed on the smaller (and foreign) ones as well. Certainly Sarbanes-Oxley is far from ideal -- in fact, many of its provisions seem pretty absurd, more symbolic gestures than effective actions. And the enforcement of its provisions seems to have been turned over the the criminal prosecution divisions of the Justice Department rather than relying on the actions of regulatory bodies such as the SEC (although they do play a role). After five years, going on six, the reactions are setting in and change -- in the form of proposals to emasculate the law -- and that push for change seems likely to win out. But despite the poor crafting of the law and its onerous burdens, we need SOX (or something like it) for the purpose it serves -- or at least the purpose it was implicitly designed to serve. That is, SOX was an effort to remind corporations that they are a public "franchise" in the classic sense of that term -- that while it is okay for modern corporations to amass wealth and serve the interests of its shareholders and stakeholder, they must remain aware that theirs is a public trust on loan from the state (or in the US case, the People). By focusing so much attention on the obvious flaws, the policymaking community is likely to overlook the more general objective of the Act: to reinstate the overall legitimacy of the corporate enterprise. They need to remember there is a baby sitting inside that bathwater... Tags: Sarbanes-Oxley, Mel Dubnick, accountabilitybloke

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Character assassination....

Despite being grounded, I am attempting to complete my self-imposed reading assignment of the Sennett trilogy on the culture of the new (political/social) economy. I am two-thirds through The Corrosion of Character, Sennett's 1998 opening shot at linking the transformations of the flexible, debureaucractized economy to the crisis of social identity and "character" we are now facing. It is difficult not to apply his logic and argument to just about any one of a dozen stories one read or hears in the media. Consider, for example, the No Child Left Behind Act and its impact on our education system and the lives -- the very character -- of students and teachers. I have been thinking and writing about the "accountability" aspects of NCLB for a little over a year and each news story brings increasing evidence that we have made (and continue to make) a major mistake with this program. My own point is that NCLB is based on a false promise and premise of accountability -- that holding folks to account will in fact improve performance of teachers or students (see here for more elaborate argument). There is nothing to support that argument other than wishful thinking and blind belief. And yet we roll on with the policy and the state and local programs it has spawned. But this is more than a waste of money and programmatic energy and resources -- it is actually proving harmful in the ways that the new economy is proving harmful according to Sennett. This is brought home in one recent Weekend America segment focused on the testing regime at one middle school in Austin, Texas. Give a listen... Tags: No Child Left Behind, Weekend America, Richard Sennett, The Corrosion of Character, performance measurement, Texas schools, Mel Dubnick, accountabilitybloke

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Marvel-ous accountability...

I have not read a Super-Hero comic for decades, and while I confess to wasting my time at a Spider-Man or Batman or Superman movie over the past two decades or so, I have done so with low expectations and little enthusiasm. (I did sit through the latest Bond flick, but I guess that does not really count.... Pretty boring; great chase scenes, to a point, but the torture scenario got me a bit disgusted....). But with all that said, I am a bit curious regarding what I am hearing about a general plot hatched by the folks at Marvel Comics involving a group of its super heroic characters. The fantasy world spilled over into the culture news and satirical entertainment recently as the Civil War series put out by Marvel led to the assassination of one of its characters, Captain America ("bio" here). The New York Times covered the story with an Arts section obit; The Colbert Report devoted a segment to it; even NPR got into the act with coverage on Morning Edition and on On the Media. As both NPR stories indicate, the originator of the character is in mourning -- "sitting shiva" (or "shivee" as they would say in Chicago). OK -- so why am I bring this up in my blog? As it happens, at the center of this Civil War is a law: "the Superhuman Registration Act, intending to register all super-powered beings as living weapons of mass destruction and requiring all costumed heroes to unmask themselves before the government and subject themselves to federally mandated standards." In short, it required all super heroes to register with authorities so they can be held "to account" for their actions. What seemed to bring this on was an incident in which one super hero, Nitro, set off a massive explosion killing many innocent by-standers in Stamford, CT. The legislation split the super hero community, resulting in the "civil war" and leading to the death of Captain America. So, now you know.... Beyond the first incredulous roll of my eyes when I heard about this, this might in fact be the opportunity I need to actually add some pedagogy to my efforts to get people to reflect on the concept of accountability. Or maybe it is just another example of how either our fantasy life has deteriorated or how our real life has become literally comical.... Tags: Marvel Comics, Super hero Civil War, Captain America, New York Times, NPR, Morning Edition, On the Media, Nitro, Colbert Report, Spider-Man Batman, Superman, accountabilitybloke, Mel Dubnick

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Simulated jet lag...

Had all things gone well this week, I would now be getting over my jet lag in warm and summery Canberra (I know, it is obvious that I am having a hard time letting go of this missed opportunity). I am making up for it by being a lump today. Actually, feeling a bit "under the weather" (translate as lethargic) despite it being a reasonably sunny and pleasant day here in the North Shore area. The lost hour of sleep due to daylight savings time was not hard to take, although it did seem to have an impact on our cable company -- all three services (TV, phone and internet) were down through mid-morning, even though the signal coming in to all three was strong. Whatever it was, it is gone now and the services are (obviously) back. About mid-day Randi seem to decide that she was tired of my lounging about (snoring actually) and we headed out to a 4:10 movie (Amazing Grace -- well done!). When we got home at around 6:30, the payoff from daylight savings was evident -- it was actually quite nice to be walking in daylight at this hour. So enough of the media hyped grumbling.... My grounded condition also gave me the opportunity to explore some blog sites I have not visited recently, and among the most enjoyable was old friend (actually, he is not so old) McGrathy's posting on Buho the elf who was caught in an attempted robbery of a lingerie store -- well worth the read! I will attempt to get into gear again tomorrow -- I should be over my simulated jet lag by then... Tags: Sociable Geek (blog), http://mcgrathy.blogspot.com/, Amazing Grace (movie), Daylight Savings Time, accountabilitybloke, Mel Dubnick

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Newman abridge-meant...

Randy Newman is one of a kind, and his music often has to be listened to in private. As one online reviewer put it, he is not quite "politically correct," and the latest offering -- a single release entitled "A Few Words in Defense of Our Country" -- has proved to be a bit more than many folks can take. No "bad words" or lewd suggestions -- just outrageous political commentary packaged as down home, street-wise reflections on the current administration. As the opening comments by Newman on the YouTube video version indicate, the premise of the tune is to counter international criticism of the US by comparing our current leadership with the most despicable leaders of Europe's past -- the Caesars, Hitler, Stalin, King Leopold, et al. But the twist comes in the comparison, and the lyrics do the Newman twist that has its desired impacts. This song is not quite as brilliant as some of his past efforts. To me "Political Science" (another version) captures the gut-level American attitude during the Cold War; and there is no better indictment of Northern hypocrisy in race relations than his "Rednecks"). But still, pretty effective. What is interesting about the reaction to "Few Words" is that those sites that post song lyrics have done so in "abridged" form (most copying from The New York Times op-ed version). Now abridgment is typically reserved for those instances when a work is too long for the media format -- Reader's Digest abridges long articles and stories, books-on-tape issues abridged readings. But in this case abridgment is a euphemism for censorship -- which makes me wonder why they even bothered. A special stanza on the Supreme Court seems to be the part missing from the abridgments, which makes one wonder... For the full lyrics, go here. Tags: Randy Newman, A Few Words In Defense of Our Country, protest music, censorhip, Political Science, Rednecks, accountabilitybloke, Mel Dubnick

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