This movie is different every time I watch it.
Today, I think it is a clear example of the fact that cogs in the wheel keep operating regardless of the direction.
This is because we have come to revere the naivete of a worker. In fact it has been encouraged and admired by every piece of literature in the last millennia. So much that the answer ‘I was just doing my job’ has become a sufficient excuse for not thinking of larger society.
Punishment, not just for bad actors but those who do not act to stop these adverse attacks on social consensus, should be stricter. Bad decisions and it is my job without thinking of the larger consequences should not fall in the purview of morality but under the umbrella of law.
Maybe there should be a clearer demarcation between the free and the cogs. This difference has been blurred by the free folks out of worry of revolt. But its time to accept that. Information asymmetry is reducing. And that means the only asymmetry that will exist in the future is that of effort, judgment, and risk-taking.
Measuring effort and judgment should give us a clear picture of who is free and who is a cog.
This will solve a lot of problems and I’m sure some people will be happy to be on either side, their roles clearly defined, and maybe oscillate between the two in phases too.
PS: Law may just be the worst layer of consensus we use, even parliament seems better. It is leaky, is narrow, and is an effective net to frustrate the masses.