I realized something the other day. Bureaucracy is actually a
computer program running in the medium of people. A bureaucrat
can pride themselves on their skill of making the signal go
through clearly, but they don't actually have any power
themselves. This is why it would make a lot of sense to replace
these people with an algorithm.
One, it is denigrating to every human involved. Either you are
in the position of wielding power that you do not have, even
though, as a person you do have some power that you would
rather be known for. Maybe you are actually charismatic person.
Or honest, or trustworthy. The system is undermining all of
these powers by making you act in ways that are not in line
with your nature. Even the most bureaucratic person will come
up with this wall, I am sure. No one can actually sign on
to everything a system does. Or, if you are the customer or
the underling of this system, you are unconsciously and
unwisely projecting feelings of ill-intent on the face of the
system, who may not originally have these feelings towards
the customer, but who, I am sure, will come to have some
resentment as time goes by.
Two, it is making the system less effective in whatever it is
trying to do to have a human face as the means of interaction.
A human face will conjure up in all kinds of theories and
feelings in the mind of the customer of the system. Human face
will make you think you can "influence" the decision.
Three, if the system is wrong, the prominent avenues of
correction are very different depending on the medium of
information. If you are trying to fix a program in a computer,
you don't rally and march into government buildings. You
look at what it is doing and where is the wrong logical
step. Or you look at the purpose of this program.
I am sure there are more problems to be found, but these
three are adequate as a starter. Basically, bureaucracies were
invented to do something that was impossible at the time.
Now they have outlived their usefulness but it seems that there
is an answer ripe for picking.
Of course it will probably lead to some fucking horrible
unintended consequences.
