Inversion theory of bureaucratic initiatives. Following Parkinson’s Law
has been added.
The First Law:
The long-term implications of any bureaucratic initiatives are contrary to those expected.
The Second Law:
Bureaucracy itself is the only party to benefit from bureaucratic initiatives in the long run — at the expense of productively working society.
The consequence of the inversion theory
It is the bureaucracy that is the true exploitative class of our times (taking over from feudal barons).
Marx's "bourgeoisie" is not a class at all; it is a randomly selected granfalloon.
Ironically, free capitalism (according to Hayek's catallactics theory) is Marx's communism, a classless society of the future.
However, Marx's mistake, who mistook entrepreneurs instead of bureaucracy for an exploitative class, is made in good faith and forgivable — he lived in the period of birth pangs of the new system.
Case studies:
- the public educational system is the main source of ignorance (the first law). This benefits only the officials of the Ministry of Education (the second law)
- National "free" health service is more expensive for the society and of much lower quality than the one by supposedly expensive private health service providers. Guess who lines his pockets on it?
- the State deposit insurance scheme leads the banking system to the slow decline and huge economic losses artificially emerged from nowhere burdening the whole society.
- the State-supported culture ends with Goebbels (who is, by the way, the father of contemporary television and soap operas, along with his wife)
- the State's campaign against poverty...
- the State's campaign against crime...
- the State’s campaign against drugs...
- the State's campaign against unemployment...
- the State’s campaign to promote business...
...the list goes on and on. Take any sphere and you will see the same thing happening everywhere bureaucracy stick its nose into.
NB: we are talking about the long-term vision. Newer bureaucratic initiatives are sometimes quite effective (in case of high-quality bureaucracy in developed countries), but the end result is invariable.
The laws are universal and do not depend on the country/jurisdiction, era and "mentality".
Local environmental factors affect only the absolute length of bureaucratic initiatives shelf life: what in the US will last for fifty years will be broken in Russia in five years, and in India — before the work is even started.
