history, the real world today

Bureaucratic utopianism

Bureaucracy is not meant to be Utopian. After all, is not bureaucracy the home of the conformist, the cynical realists, the domesticator of conflict, the administrator of dreams, the banality of evil? Karl Mannheim wrote in Ideology and Utopia: "The fundamental tendency of all bureaucratic thought is to turn all problems of politics into administration....… Continue reading Bureaucratic utopianism

history, Personal story, the real world today

Why is alcohol policy difficult?

About 10 years ago I took a job running an alcohol and drug policy unit in the minor provincial government in which I serve as a lowly under-castellan. It turned out to be a very rewarding experience, at least if you count the intrinsic rewards of work as the most important. I met some remarkable… Continue reading Why is alcohol policy difficult?