The Theatre of Progress
Diagnosing the Cycle of Superficial Change & the Law to Break It
In a boardroom, a CEO concludes a presentation. The final slide proclaims: “Redefining the Future of Mobility”; a vision of architectural reinvention. At her desk, a Vice President of Product approves a project. It modifies a steering wheel interface. It was chosen because it guarantees a marginal gain on the quarterly metric constituting forty percent of her bonus. The vision is ornamental, but the bonus tangible, and she takes action accordingly. Nearby, a university’s website promises to cultivate “critical global citizens.” In a concrete block office, a professor finalizes a fifty question multiple choice exam. He is rationally prioritizing the clear metrics of grading efficiency and student evaluations that determine his being awarded tenure. The mission is a paragraph implemented through the mechanism of a scantron sheet. This is not a series of isolated failures. It is a grand, polished,...