‘Q’ is for…

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Question Authority! 

The big mantra from the 1960s. And for awhile, it worked. The half straight-half free spirit types took to investigating the establishment and found the corruption they looked for. The all-straights were put on the defensive, much as they are today. The free spirits sold out in the eighties when they realized they couldn’t have their granola and smoke it too.

Today’s divisiveness is (not so) astonishingly familiar. Faction against faction, neighbors against neighbors, cats and dogs no longer cohabiting. It’s enough to make you long for the good old times of school a-bomb drills and diving beneath your desk. Oh. Wait. Now we’ve got shelter in place.

But back to the original statement. Back then, questions challenged the status quo. Or the establishment. Or the man. Nowadays… Ah, nevermind. Same rat race, same rats. Not even a different racecourse. The questions remain the same. An old TV show, “The Prisoner”, examined various aspects of the ‘questions’ – not so much to answer them, but to provoke thought.

In the 80’s there was a managerial saying that echoes today, “don’t bring me a problem without a solution”. By extension, ‘don’t ask questions if you don’t already know the answer’. That’s what management wants. Keep as many in the dark, only share to those with a need to know. And let the profits fall one way only.

Those who gain power seek to protect it. Those who seek power attack it. Those who attack power and win, gain power. Those who attack power and lose, become powerless.

Those who question power, expose it. Whether that profits anyone is anyone’s guess. 

#atozchallenge

3 responses

  1. Red Avatar
    Red

    In the Social Media age, the divisiveness is even more pronounced. In “polite” society, politics, religion and divisive issues are not discussed openly, so a diverse group of people may actually get along! But now we all know what each other has posted on our facebook walls, and can attack, attack, attack.

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    1. edwardkowalski Avatar
      edwardkowalski

      Au Contraire. Polite, in-person society (what used to be called ‘salons’) has and is discussing these topics. The outcomes of which end up being published in some form of media, including on-line. To stand for a position invites attacks. But the manner of attack has changed from thoughtful argument planning to verbally riotous mudslinging.

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      1. Red Avatar
        Red

        Okay, my WASP upbringing is coming through. I thought they were taboo in general. (in the last century or so, at least.)

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