I think the title and vocabulary used should be centered more on resource utilization rather than the build metaphor. This is because we have a lot of capabili

I think the title and vocabulary used should be centered more on resource utilization rather than the build metaphor. This is because we have a lot of capability (which is stated multiple times by many authors). We just have a poor system to funnel those capabilities to the right places. This conversation reminds me of startup growing pains when there is dysfunctional org structure and communication lines. I'll reference some reading material for those who are seriously interested in learning more: https://hbr.org/1990/01/in-praise-of-hierarchy https://hbr.org/1990/01/in-praise-of-hierarchy https://www.thee-online.com/Documents/SMC-HiQ.pdf https://www.thee-online.com/Documents/SMC-HiQ.pdf The basic idea is that hierarchy/structure is needed to allocate resources in a more complex way. BUT American values has traditionally gone away from an explicit hierarchical structure and instead tends towards a flat org structure. The issues described all sound like issues that come from a poorly run flat organization, or an organization at a pragmatist stage (if using the vocabulary in the 2nd link) - mainly that hierarchy is implicit and there is still people at the top, its just hidden and undocumented how to get there or how changes happens. To me, it makes sense to look into organization theory literature as a direction for potential solutions and try to fit them into our societal context. === Another way to describe the article's point is the fact that we were once the employees of America, but have now become the shareholders. The wild west era is characterized by the people not being separate from the livelihood of their community. The town is a self contained unit where everyone in the town is helping to keep the town running, and every townsman has a role to play in order to keep the town lively. Nowadays however, it seems that there is a distinct line between the people running the town and the rest of the town. The actors are not the townsfolk; they are the bureaucrats, the designated representatives, the people put in charge. The rest of us are spectators, benefactors, shareholders benefitting from their work but effectively cut off from participating in it. They are the clergy and we are the laity. This is either built into the culture over a long period of time, or there's some pernicious systematic law that pushes mature ecosystems into a clergy-laity state. Either way, both explanations need an active structural solution to combat it.