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One of the reasons why bureaucracy is a cancer that is eating our wealth alive is because of their number but, more importantly, their wages. One must consider that, in essence, bureaucrats are producing nothing and consuming 100% of the wealth stolen from us through the unholy trinity: taxation, borrowing and printing in order to pay their wages. There are many websites "out there" that address this issue. Of course, these websites provide statistical information of their salaries with comparative intentions in mind. They want to show how "cheap" or how "expensive" a similar bureaucrat may be in different countries. They also cater to bureaucrats of all manners with the intention of understanding if they are "well" or "poorly" paid, presumably so that these tireless producers of waste get their "fair share" of your money.

BUREAUCRACY IN EGYPT

The situation is so bad in certain countries that even the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) got into the game. The CIPE is one of the four core institutes of the National Endowment for Democracy, which is a power organization primarily funded by the US Congress. In other words, in the political spectrum CIPE is located slightly to the left from Stalin (the former USSR dictator). If you don't believe us, just check our Incompetence Socialist Index. In 2013 this organization sponsored a series of "White Papers" (isn't this name cute? Well… it most certainly is, considering that it is standard gobbledygook in the consulting business). What was this series for? To "Promote Transparency & Combat Corruption in Egypt". The paper that interests us is the one called "Tackling the Leviathan: Reforming Egyptian Bureaucracy For Improved Economic Growth". You can find a PDF copy in CIPE's website (or attached at the bottom). In this paper a great deal of small Egyptian entrepreneurs paint an exceedingly clear picture as to what it takes to swim against a tidal wave of bureaucrats. One of the many statistics that this report includes, provides government employment figures. With a few more statistical numbers and a little bit of calculations, we obtained the following table:

As you can see, in Egypt government bureaucrats account for 31% of the producing population. In other words, in Egypt 69% of the total labour force produce wealth while the other 31% destroy it. This is as bad as it get not accounting for communist countries such as Cuba. No wonder entrepreneurs in Egypt are going bananas!

THE ARGENTINE SITUATION

However, as you can see in the table, the situation in Argentina is bad but it is not that bad. How is it possible then that Argentina is our guiding light towards the dark future before Libertarianism takes over? Simple. Those numbers do not tell the whole story. For that, you have to put boots on the ground.

It so happens that Egypt is qualified as "overmanaged" in terms of bureaucracy (as if your freedom required management). What this means is that if one employee would be normally necessary to generate a permit, three are employed. However, all these bureaucrats, however overbloated their ranks may be, they are still performing the business of government. In other words, they are not sitting idly doing nothing.

Ah! But not in the reign of future where doing nothing is the goal! Argentina has a long and proud tradition of politicians doing nothing -literally-. We even remember one case where a stand-in was hired to sit in the Congress so that the "honourable" Deputy (in Argentina Congress representatives are called Deputies) could be absent doing nothing at home… or other places where he could spend his stipend. But we digress.

Argentina also has a long and proud tradition of hiring bureaucrats which would overbloat the ranks of so-called "public servants". They are called ñoquis as an inside joke in a reference to the food of such name and the tradition of eating such food on the 29th of each month. The idea is that these bureaucrats do nothing all month long until the 29th at which time they stop by the cashier to get their wages.

THE SUPER-BUREAUCRATS

But this was the past. The future has evolved. The Argentine government has reached a new milestone in government bureaucracy: do-nothing government organizations. The new-and-improved government methodology to accommodate their "buddies" and provide them with overbloated salaries and expense accounts is to create entire ad-hoc (i.e. custom made) organizations to which these people are then installed as directors. That's right. The Argentine government created a brand new category of do-nothing super-bureaucrats which will then hire their own "buddies" to do nothing. This is the real future of bureaucracy: custom made organizations that do nothing.

In reality if you think it through it is perfect! These bureaucrats do not interfere with normal government boondoggles and their usual skimming and dealing while at the same time they are perfect for the payment of "political debts". Furthermore, as they do nothing -literally- there is no public uproar if they do nothing! Besides, how can a mere citizen prove that these organizations are doing nothing? From the outside they are equally useless as any other government organization. It's the perfect scheme!

As a matter of fact these new do-nothing organizations are the epitome of bureaucratic evolution, a dream come true. People get salaries for doing nothing, not even showing for work. Not only that but the salaries are several time above the average resident's salary. Not only that but they don't have any responsibilities and none will be assigned to them. Not only that, after a few years of "service" (bureaucrats retire earlier than everybody else) they can look forward to overbloated and life-long pensions…granted by the state and paid by you!

CONCLUSION

Who said that bureaucratic jobs are a dead end? This person is clearly deluded. Bureaucratic jobs continue to evolve at the same pace as government socialism… and sometimes faster (like in this case). There is no end to the imaginative ways in which government officials and bureaucrats empty your wallet. The pilot trial of this future is being executed, tested and fine-tuned to perfection as we speak. Expect new government organizations in your country near you. As the old saying goes "Ours Is Not To Reason Why, Ours Is But To Pay And Die".

And there you have it. Yet another wonderful opportunity to challenge your programming education which will go to waste unless you begin to think for yourself. But then again, it is your choice and we won't say otherwise.

Note: please see the Glossary if you are unfamiliar with certain words.

Attachments:

Bureaucracy.pdf

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