I will begin with a parable that historians sometimes tell. The big boss in distress called a leading expert and asked him to come up with a plan that outlined what to do next. He went to work and presented a plan. The chef looked at it, said that what was done was not good and ordered it to be done again. What if subordinates can’t do something well? Same thing happened next time. After the sixth attempt, the boss praised the work and said that it was a completely different matter.
“But that’s exactly the plan I brought you first.
The boss was enraged and threw juggling at the subordinate. The beautiful white suit was ruined. The subordinate did not remain in debt – he put a basket of garbage on the head of the boss. Self-esteem is an important thing, and the status of both is the same – citizens of a wonderful country. They both stayed put, no one was fired but they stopped saying hello, personal relationships are a complicated matter.
Chief was British Prime Minister Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Awen; His subordinates – Henry Liddell Hart – military theorist and author of a dozen books. The situation was connected with the Suez Crisis – a military conflict between Israel, France and Britain with Egypt due to the nationalization of the Suez Canal by Egypt. Underneath this conflict, the line describing how not to act was drawn by the Soviet Union, which noted serious military upheavals. It was difficult to disagree with such arguments. It is sometimes said that a kind word and a weapon are much more persuasive than an ordinary kind word.
While examining the newspapers, I learned that our organization stood on the street on February 19 and this day was celebrated as a big holiday. Alexander II 19 February / 3 March 1861 published the “Manifesto on the Abolition of serfdom”. The Tsar entered history as the Savior, but law is law and life is life. Yes, and a short 160 years from the date of the abolition of slavery.
I never understood what a “dress code” was. But at a very, very reputable company they explained to me what their performance was. Only the president and vice presidents can wear plain suits, department heads and department heads can wear striped suits, and smaller people should wear suits in cages or in not-so-attractive colors. There are seats in the presidential reception hall, you can sit but without leaning on your back. There are magazines on the tables next to the chairs, but it is undesirable to look at them. It is better to take a small pill before calling the head, so as not to want to accidentally go to the toilet. Not a second of the first person should be lost…
As you can see, the traditional serf option is: “You are the boss – I am a fool, I am the boss – you are a fool.” Perhaps the main thing is that we do not celebrate February 19? I remember in the first grade we learned a poem from Sergei Mikhalkov: “Since childhood / In his homeland / A man dreamed that he lived by labor / And not in captivity.”
Lately, I’ve often come across the “smoking room paradox”: everyone in the hall explains to the speaker that he’s a genius, and they explain to each other in the smoking room that whoever reports to each other is a complete idiot, which they never did. seen before One thing is order, another thing is common sense. I’m speaking – no support from the audience, no questions on the merits. A lot of people come out during the break: “We think alike! Let’s take a picture with you!” “Why were you quiet?” “The rector said that we should work as if nothing had happened. And where are we against the rector? Or: “You can say whatever you want here and go, and we’ll handle it later.”
I once asked a retired colonel friend of mine when he felt most free: “In service. Everything is spelled out in the charter, what is necessary, what is possible. I’ll take care of the rest myself. And you have some kind of confusion in civilian life.
However, this has already been described in the poem NA Nekrasov, “For whom is it good to live in Russia.” In the episode “The Last Child” he talks about the time when serfdom was already abolished, and some people claim that for one reason or another everything is as before, as if it were not … Probably, the holiday, February 19, was lifted early. And with the importance of the law and common sense, we haven’t quite figured it out yet…
I’ll end with one more story. The big boss looked at the mansion and decided to light his favorite pipe, and the watchman said to him: “I’m sorry but you can’t smoke here, the tree is everywhere, the spark will fall and goodbye.” The law is the law. There was nothing to do, the chief hid the phone, and a day later the Kremlin gave a letter and a cash bonus “For conscientious work and vigilance, especially during the protection of an important facility.” Head IV Stalin.
It was 1939, and the stunningly beautiful “Georgian SSR” mansion he was examining had unfortunately already been demolished. However, this story lives on, VDNKh employees tell about it. The desire of people to protect their own dignity and to live according to the laws, not concepts, continues. This is the most important strategic resource. Maybe it’s time to return to the February 19 celebrations.
The author expresses his personal opinion, which may not coincide with the editors’ position.