Someone versus everyone?

There once was a man of vision who created a community of elders.

Elders who wanted to enjoy their remaining years in peace, and in harmony with t
heir neighbors.
Neighbors of like mind, but not necessarily of the same opinion.
A community where opinions were freely held, ideas freely expressed.
Everyone could express their opinions, but were required to respect "the facts."


The community was managed by others for the benefit of the elders.
Those that managed were supervised by the elders.
The wishes of the elders were executed by others whose allegiance was not to the
mselves, but to the elders.

One day, an ill wind and ill will blew through the village.
Someone thought that they could manage the affairs of the village better and che
aper than those chosen to manage.
Perhaps because they had served as a consultant to others who managed?
Perhaps because it gave additional meaning to their life and fulfilled a need to
be respected?

Speaking in tones of authority and certitude, this someone gathered followers.
Acolytes who were enthusiastic, but apathetic in that they did not think for the
mselves.
They decided that this someone was right, so others must be wrong.
They listened not to the voices of others nor the voices of reason; the someone
told them all other voices were wrong.

Gradually those elders who supervised the others managing the village adopted a
negative mindset.
Nothing could be done well, nothing could be done cheaply enough, and nothing co
uld be done to their satisfaction.
The gaggle of followers raised their voices, pointed fingers, and cried out as i
f in pain.
Casting outrageous and unfounded aspersions that were rarely challenged.
Few protested this outrage because challenging a shrill voice was time-consuming
and usually unproductive.

Little-by-little, the followers of the someone gained more and more power on the
supervising boards.
Little-by-little, the followers took the easy road and reduced costs, mindful th
at the reductions were artificial.

All appeared well because nobody cried out in opposition, fearing those who shou
t, ridicule, and point fingers.

So, it came as no surprise, when others who managed the village were dismissed a
nd the someone took control over the village.
Appointing new others to manage, others who demanded a guaranteed profit or prov
ided reduced services.
As time went by, costs were cut, and people appeared to be happy.
For they could not see the rot below the surface as they inhabited their insular
world.
The someone told them all was well as they congratulated themselves for a job we
ll done.

Until the day of reckoning. When the someone could no longer cut costs and big e
xpenses loomed ahead.
Suddenly, without warning, there was a special assessment imposed upon the villa
ge's elders.
Some who could not pay this special assessment were forced to sell their aging p
roperty at a loss and move away.
Others complained and looked to the someone for answers.

There were no answers. The someone could not bend space and time, nor the econom
ic costs of reality.
The piper was demanding to be paid, and paid in today's inflated terms.
The someone cared little because they maintained the option to simply move away
and live elsewhere.
Leaving the village and the shrill voices of the now dissatisfied people behind.


Is this a cautionary tale? Is this a prediction of the future?
Or, is this simply a story of the someone's hubris and the apathy of the elders?


We won't know until later, possibly much later.
At a time when there is no time to reverse course and change the tide of events.


With the elders wishing that there were another someone who spoke in tones of au
thority and certitude.
Someone who could gather followers to right the misperceptions and wrongs perpet
rated by the previous someone.
Someone who could reverse the course of reality and restore a peaceful village t
o be enjoyed by the remaining elders.

We are still waiting for that someone as the village crumbles.