THE PERFECTION OF IMPERFECTION

From the Story of Ruth in the Bible, I learned of gleaning. I'll leave it to you to discover the meaning of this word if you don't know already.

In some people's view of a perfect world, no one should have to glean (and we should all have "family wage" jobs), such work being below human dignity. Perhaps even more frightening, to me, are those who work it from the other side - - - those who would make it impossible to glean because their methods of production are so efficient that nothing would be left for the gleaner. Perhaps this is a clue as to why many feel businesses or others should support them. They have eliminated or degraded many of the old ways of getting by through artifices and chicanery.

Some of us are required to hustle and scratch out a living, for a while at least, but we have been provided with such abundance that we are foolish to try to achieve too high a level of efficiency. Efficiency has costs which no one seems to want to recognize. One of the higher costs is the concentration of production in small areas where it then means "pollution." But, I think the highest cost is feeding the monster that keeps the whole shebang from falling apart. Does government really consume 25 percent of our gross domestic product? What does that imply? How do you feed it? Gleaning from all of us - - - forcefully? That makes it not gleaning but extortion or theft.

Is there a direct correlation between efficiency and the number of persons incarcerated? Why? Think of the move toward getting women into the workforce as an "efficiency" measure. After all, it was, was it not? (It was useful during World War II, and it was the only thing that could save Social Security during the last 30 years).

There is a natural progression in the development of many new things. I am not against real improvements. I think that real improvements can be recognized. They are the changes for the good (whatever that means) that do not require certain banshee types screaming their accolades or demanding that others pay for them. They do not require incentives from the tax codes or underwriting by "not-for-profit" businesses or foundations. And, they certainly don't require a workforce of proponents subsidized by our public education behemoth.

Does that leave anything? Anything for the gleaner?

It seems that we have managed ourselves right into a hole. There is little slack anymore. A picture recently symbolized this for me. It is something I had previously observed, but there it was again with one of my least favorite persons. In the picture was a law enforcement person, and on his lapel were the insignia of a four-star general. Even our local sheriff wears four stars as does every one else these days. There was a time when the highest ranking officer in any state wore nothing more that the eagle of full colonel rank. That left some room - - - "wiggle room." Why should I worry, I guess we still have five-star (General of the Armies) rank we could use. Wait a minute! I think I have seen them wearing that too. What rank is next, Star Fleet Commander?

"Beam me up, Scotty!" (Gleaned from Congressman James Trafficant before his journey on a white bus).

The Picture. Yes, I know, there are only three stars. My memory was wrong. Set the "Dooms-Star Clock" back one star, alright?

Copyright © 2003, Donald L. Beeman. All rights reserved.

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