The corporate widget factory analogy - Reader comments at The New York Sun

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Seeking Shelter From the Storm

Submitted by BC, May 11, 2007 14:08

Not that this explains it all, but the CIA and its relationship to the president, as Tenet describes it, carries the same baggage of most large American corporations. They are run by numerous layers of management, whose expertise in the actual products produced by the company is not significant. Their only "expertise" is as corporate "executives", generically-speaking.

Consider this principle: in a widget factory, the grizzled old worker on the assembly line likely knows more about a problem in the production of the widgets, and what could be done to make it more efficient, than the supervisor right above him.

With today's corporate structure, not only does that worker not have the authority to change anything at all, neither does his supervisor. "Corporate" must be contacted, and by someone up the food chain with the authority to contact corporate. A "request" must be put in, to have the "appropriate department" review the suggestion.

Likely, the department head receiving such a request (assuming it was ever made and sent to him in the first place) will find that it is simply not something that resonates with him. Nor will it be something to which he needs to attend, in order to get a good performance review from HIS superior. So he pulls rank and writes a memo, telling the cog down the chain that it is not the cog's responsibility to concern himself with such matters, which are well in the control of the People On Charge.

There is, however, a 10% chance that someone in that upper level will empathize with the cog, and will send authorization down the chain which might actually result in the problem being addressed; albeit, well after it was reported by the old, grizzled assembly line worker.

Only then can the production line be stopped, and the spilled Coke cleaned off the conveyor belt.

When our national security works this way also... we're doomed.

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Other reader comments on this article

Comment	By	Date
The next time someone says "let's have a war" could we please try to understand why they would want one.... [MORE]	don myers	May 15, 2007 04:48
Juith Miller writes: "As a reporter who was widely criticized for having written several articles based on those flawed estimates, I... [MORE]	Ace	May 11, 2007 22:52
Another highlight is Mr. Tenet's chilling description of the proliferation network run by A.Q. Khan, the father of Pakistan's bomb,... [MORE]	Rick Goranowski	May 11, 2007 16:33
Somewhere in all this I get a voice in the back of my head " it's the pot calling the... [MORE]	bob castaneda	May 11, 2007 16:17
Judy, I got a lot out of your insights on Tenet's book. As someone who was there with a sideline... [MORE]	John Murphy	May 12, 2007 14:04
Why would anyone give credence to Judith Miller's opinion. A bit like the pot calling the kettle black, don't you... [MORE]	Xfire	May 11, 2007 16:06
You're no one to criticize Tenet. [MORE]	Joseph A. Palermo	May 11, 2007 15:59
If, as Ms. Miller states, former CIA Director George Tenet, prior to Sept. 11, 2001, proved to be a "colossal... [MORE]	Dave	May 11, 2007 15:56
REgardless of what Mr. Tenet writes or does not write, the author of this piece is someone who beat the... [MORE]	Tony Duggleby	May 11, 2007 15:40
I am shocked and amazed that this was written by Judith Miller. I will not spend a dime on Mr.... [MORE]	Red R	May 11, 2007 15:36
This is rich, coming from Judy Miller of all people! [MORE]	GG	May 11, 2007 15:07
... that's precisely what the mil/intel hierarchy wanted to happen. How better to build their national security police state. [MORE]	Prester John	May 11, 2007 14:56
Not that this explains it all, but the CIA and its relationship to the president, as Tenet describes it, carries...	BC	May 11, 2007 14:08
There is no denying that Ms. Miller is a fine writer. Her ability to write well must also be seen... [MORE]	skilly	May 11, 2007 13:47
When the first round of media chatter began regarding this book, and Mr Tenet clarified his use of the term... [MORE]	Bob Schuh	May 11, 2007 13:46
Judith, thanks for the interesting review. Well done! [MORE]	AC	May 11, 2007 09:18
This column sounded lik a sales pitch to buy a book according to Tenet's account of what happened. It is... [MORE]	Chet Biwen	May 11, 2007 04:32
If only the rest of us Americans could get a $4MM book deal for describing how we screwed up in... [MORE]	Steve Savage	May 11, 2007 02:59
I hope more people read your review than read this book but alas, we do live in a world full... [MORE]	Michael J. Joseph	May 11, 2007 02:42
Judith: As far as you go with the Final Judgement of Mr. Tenet, we need to realize that America doesn't want... [MORE]	jIM	May 11, 2007 02:01
What's the value of one wrongheaded person commenting on another! Nothing to undo the damage they have enabled! [MORE]	Walter Machann	May 11, 2007 01:57

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