(or: Why Maintain Integrity?)

From ancient days, those which found unity:
the Market found unity, and became efficient;
the computers found unity, and became operational;
the Valley found unity, and became full;
the Net found unity, and became transparent;
the corporations found unity, and developed ten thousand programs.

On the other hand:
when the Market is inefficient, it becomes systematic theft;
when the computers fail to operate, everything grinds to a halt;
if the Valley is abandoned, nobody will bother to return;
if the Net loses its transparency, it will be a tool for extortion;
if the corporations cease their R&D, they will lose their position.

Just as the high-level rests on a foundation of the low-level,
great wealth and power have their root in the labor of the lowly.
When powerful politicians denigrate their intellect,
affect a folksy demeanor, attempt the “common touch”:
they pursue their power through its roots in the base.

The greatest notoriety is no notoriety.
You need not choose the spotlight,
nor echo like loudspeakers.

 

chapter notes:

Again, I have arranged a mock cosmogony, and adapted that of the original to the new. I have arranged the ordering to make the most sense in the new context; the best correspondences are:

  • Heaven -> Net
  • Earth -> Market
  • spirits -> computers
  • Valley -> (Silicon) Valley
  • rulers -> corporations