decomposability

"a true system is 'decomposable' into subsystems...that interact with one another. individuals in one subsystem do not have to interact with individuals in another subsystem on the same level." e. o wilson_____________this fits in pretty well with joseph tainter's view that collapse is not a descent into chaos ( although increased violence is probable ) but rather a simplification of complex systems as a reaction to the diminishing returns of increased complexity...subsystems that can operate independently could cushion the event depending on how much direction actually came from the center and how well the subsystem could re-adapt itself to local conditions and limits in terms of self-support rather than those of meeting the center's needs._______________"in their dynamics, hierarchies have a property, near-decomposability, that greatly simplifies their behavior. near-decomposability also simplifies the description of a complex system and makes it easier to understand..." robet a. simon___________how interconnected are the subsystems? even if individuals in subsystems need not interact the subsystems in a complex organization do...and how many of these interactions are controlled ( or even monitored ) by the center? does the center's use of "near-decomposability" simplify the system or just simplify the center's understanding of the system? do some of the subsystems' interconnections subvert the center's control? probably...people are always looking for a better deal...cooperating subsystems could fission off and become competitors of the center...human cognition has its limits and causality in non-linear...made up of literally billions of decisions and actions undertaken by individuals on a daily basis...even the best informed among us can have only the most general idea of what's actually going on...i can't help but think that simon's "near-decomposability" only simplifies the center's understanding of the system..the system remains interconnected, complex, and non-linear...that simplification of understanding is only an invitation to hubris

welcome to oligarchy

it's been a while since anything has prompted me into a caustic response...the presidential race is such an obvious joke that it is, for the most part, beneath comment...it does, however, represent the final death of what small piece of representative democracy the framers of the constitution were forced to throw in to make the whole deal go over and assure the continued existence of a government safe for the elite ...that death will be the fulfillment of the vision of hamilton and company...and so..in a small way this screed does tie into that...today.s n y times "t" style magazine is all about what the the issue title names "the greats"...that clown in the photo is karl lagerfeld...a fashion designer and a great either because he has a fashion sense that draws the elite like moths to a flame...or because he's worth $125 million...along with old karl ( who is on only some of the magazine covers...i got lucky...the rest of the "greats" grace the others )there's rihanna...songstress extraordinaire and culture baron worth $140 million...then there's quentitn tarantino who's some sort of film maker and who holds $90 million in assets...we have the artist ( not the actor ) steve mcqueen who is worth $30 million ( who says you have to starve for art ? )...then there's the writer johnathan frazen worth a paltry $10 million...carmen almon is an artist whose net worth i cannot find but given mcqueen's i bet it''s comparable...and then there's the chef jeong kwan...who is also a buddhist nun and so probably not nearly as wealthy as the others...at least presumably...so what do the "greats" have in common beyond the obvious wealth held by some? they all do things that pander to the pretensions of the elite eager to enhance their wealth with some sort of cultural status..it certainly explains the wealth held by these people...anything to help the appearance of the nouveau riche wall street extortionists polish the tarnish...that the n y times is an elitist newspaper is beyond question despite their denials...that wealth rules and that most wealth defends itself against the mob is equally true...it has been so since beyond 1789...that's only when it became official policy in this nation...let the slime ball whore politicians deny it...even bernie sanders is of the system...it's just his rhetoric that makes him unelectable...fuck these people.