Independence Day or Rebellion - Depends on your POV

Polishing off this "rebellion" string . . .

Well, of course stupid me, I know why now The Cube's been obsessed with "rebellion": it's the 4th of July weekend.

Small historical side note: In America, it's a celebration of the "American Revolution" - in England it's dissed as the "American Rebellion." It all depends on where you're looking from.

The Cube sits in an odd position: somewhere between the ordered and the order-givers, i.e., frequently, Responsibility without Authority.

To get things done, The Cube must generally use persuasion and logic to effect cooperation. This makes The Cube very aware of when there is no logic behind an order that The Cube must get others to implement.

Sometimes humor is used as a persuasive tool, too - especially when the logic is thin but the "get it done" imperative is mighty - but The Cube has noticed that some Management distrusts humor as subversive.

(NOTE to self: Remember - don't use big words in memos - stay away from dictionary. Rely on th word "impact" and let it go at that.)

So... now we go back to our original "rebellion" of three days ago, when Management so blithely spent two hours of our lives in a mandatory-attendance "Team-Building Seminar" where we learned a dozen new "Success Goal Stepping Stones." So far so good . . . The Cube likes to learn. Really. No sarcasm intended.

And there was nothing actually wrong or onerous about the Stepping Stones - beyond a terribly trying trend toward tongue-twisting alliteration. The Cube, for one, believes that we should "Cooperate - Innovate - Initiate."

The problem is: these are Slogans Without Substance.

We spent two hours repeating the slogans, with no time given to exploring the implications of such change from "vertical hierarchy to lateral teamwork." Nowhere did the program indicate that Management would give up its hierarchical, top-to-down directives in deference to a "Team-generated initiative." These were words repeated without meaning - by both Management and Staff. Yes, we repeated and repeated, chanted and clapped our hands, rah-rah-RAH, TEAM! What does it mean?

Since today is the 4th of July, we'll play political analogy and reference this to the Pledge of Allegiance (choose your own version, with or without "under God") . . .

The Pledge is a curious phenomenon. We all learn it in grade school, recite it a million times - and then understand the Pledge so little that most of us can hardly say it without either: (a) 2 or 3 other people saying it with us, or (b) repeating it fast and rhythmic so that the words come out automatically, on their own.

But what does the Pledge mean? And why do we say it?

Oddly enough, it can be read as a pretty scary statement. If The Cube were a Southerner or a Conservative or a Libertarian or any combination of the three (and The Cube has tendencies towards all three at times), then the Pledge certainly sounds very "Soviet" in its collectivization and definitely anti-States Rights. As a Religious-leaning person, The Cube might feel uncomfortable pledging allegiance to "the Flag ... and to the Republic for which it stands" instead of to the principles of the Republic. And where is the word "democracy" in that there Pledge? Finally, as a Democracy, it's uncomfortable that we are the only Democracy that sort of forces our people to pledge to a Flag. The Sons of Liberty, throwing tea overboard in Boston Harbor because it was the symbol of taxation and faceless government, might have a problem with this Pledge.

But, in the end, The Cube just doesn't think that much about it, puts hand over heart, and says the words in rote repetition like everybody else. I dunno, though: is that what we're supposed to do?

'Same question goes for business and our chanted Stepping Stones: rote repetition without meaning - is that what we're supposed to do?