| Pervasive in all aspects of our lives, red tape’s initial beach head (or so it is said) was during the 1600s when Henry Vlll petitioned Pope Clemency Vll for a divorce from Catherine of Aragon no less than eighty times! Each petition was rolled and sealed, and bound by a red ribbon. As we know from history, none of the petitions achieved their end. But the birth of a working metaphor was launched to describe, more in feeling than in words, obstructive official routine or procedure, time consuming bureaucracy, excessive regulation and rigid conformity. We all have a story or two from our daily lives about difficulties with red tape that has hindered or prevented action. Not only germane to the blooming pollination of government policies at all three levels of government, red tape continues to unravel in copious rolls in the corporate world as well, trickling into all NGOs and essentially affecting all things in our daily lives, ultimately making us all crazy. Meanwhile intuition tells us that things shouldn’t be this complicated or tiresome. And why has this come to pass? Did our forefathers in their wisdom or complacency allow this omnipresent cloud to roll forward unchecked or did they know something we don’t quite get yet? History tells of times where the individual, families and communities were free from today’s excessive requirements allowing more time and effort to focus on productivity in whatever fashion that was defined. Red tape spawned bureaucracy in an attempt to better organize all bodies in achieving their goals. It was initially for the betterment of citizens (for example, the first Fire Department) and made convincing arguments for greater efficiency and lower costs for the people it purported to serve. However, incrementally it has self-propagated, supported by amazing rationalizations about its own importance, but all the
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while diminishing its initial vision of serving the people. Bureaucracy has taken on a life of its own in its capacity to self-generate and expand into all things. Jacques Ellul in the Technological Society alluded to technocracy many years ago and warned us all about its insatiable appetite and need while it continues its relentless march into every aspect of an individual’s life. It becomes increasingly clear that bureaucracy needs to obfuscate everything from tax reform to returninga cell phone, from trying to get asimple answer on building guidelines to applying for a sub-division plan. Experiences of red tape run amok eventually humbles even the most ardent libertarian into hiring experts in order to unravel, interpret and execute our way through the labyrinth. We need more experts on more issues and we spend more money — on what? When Alexander the Great was in Gordian during his campaign of 333 BC, he was confronted with the ultimate challenge of the time, the Gordian Knot,courtesy of King Gordius of Phrygia.This was a snarly oracle that could only be undone by the person destined to be the next ruler of Persia. Alexander, after a few futile tries to unravel it, stood back, unsheathed his sword and in a single defining blow, chopped the damn thing in half. Fulfilling the prophecy somewhat unconventionally, but convincingly, he became the next king of Persia. Henceforth, this action in its decisive singularity became know as the Alexander Solution. Perhaps this story, metaphorically speaking, is fitting for the challenges of today as all of us confront daily the Gordian knot that prevents us from the wealth of our own creativity. I suspect that since I can’t carry around a long, sharp sword any longer (darn it) to deliver a purposely powerful stroke to unfetter myself, the dawning of the information age and its resultant easy access may be the doorway to more efficiency and effectiveness and less need for the red tape-bound procedures of the past. “Turn him to any course of policy. The Gordian knot of it he will undress as his garter.” Shakespeare, Henry V. Power to the people |
