I have noticed that some aspirants for the Indian Civil Services are joining my blog as regular readers and followers. This post is especially for them.
First, I advise you all to carefully study Ludwig von Mises' Bureaucracy - which you can buy in India here.
One point Mises makes made me happy I quit 25 years ago - the fact that bureaucracies sacrifice youth to age. In bureaucracies, Mises says, youth spends its entire life working according to rules framed by older superiors. There is no chance to shape things anew. There is no chance to be the "architect of your own destiny."
But there is worse: In "democratic" systems of government, bureaucrats are NOT "public servants." On the contrary, they are but "servants of the minister." You wanna be a minister's servant in India?
And there is even worse: In "socialist democracy," where the market is hampered by State interference, there is nothing called "civilian" about a "civil servant." Rather, he is just a "bureaucrat" - and there are two lines of control imposed upon him, to both of which he must subordinate himself. One is The Party Hierarchy. The other is his older superiors in the service. The young man is just a puppet in a giant, unworkable machine. And he is no "civilian" at all. There were civilians in Indian administration - in the days of the Honourable East India Company - and you must read Philip Mason's The Men Who Ruled India, available here.
And things get even worser: In the IAS Academy at Mussoorie, you will be trained by Marxists and other socialists. This was not the case of the "civilians" of the HEICS (Honourable East India Company Service). You must also read the late Professor S. Ambirajan's Classical Political Economy and British Colonial Policy in India - which is available here.
Those of you who are honest, clever and talented have the entire market economy open for you these days. How lucky you all are! Things were so horrible in my time. But I am so happy I left it all and made myself into what I am - an independent intellectual, a philosopher of freedom, an independent media publisher. I am sure if you good guys and gals quit the UPSC Exams and try hard to be the architects of your own destiny in The Market, you will do even better than me - and I wish you God Speed, and Good Luck.
Avoid State Service - like the plague.
First, I advise you all to carefully study Ludwig von Mises' Bureaucracy - which you can buy in India here.
One point Mises makes made me happy I quit 25 years ago - the fact that bureaucracies sacrifice youth to age. In bureaucracies, Mises says, youth spends its entire life working according to rules framed by older superiors. There is no chance to shape things anew. There is no chance to be the "architect of your own destiny."
But there is worse: In "democratic" systems of government, bureaucrats are NOT "public servants." On the contrary, they are but "servants of the minister." You wanna be a minister's servant in India?
And there is even worse: In "socialist democracy," where the market is hampered by State interference, there is nothing called "civilian" about a "civil servant." Rather, he is just a "bureaucrat" - and there are two lines of control imposed upon him, to both of which he must subordinate himself. One is The Party Hierarchy. The other is his older superiors in the service. The young man is just a puppet in a giant, unworkable machine. And he is no "civilian" at all. There were civilians in Indian administration - in the days of the Honourable East India Company - and you must read Philip Mason's The Men Who Ruled India, available here.
And things get even worser: In the IAS Academy at Mussoorie, you will be trained by Marxists and other socialists. This was not the case of the "civilians" of the HEICS (Honourable East India Company Service). You must also read the late Professor S. Ambirajan's Classical Political Economy and British Colonial Policy in India - which is available here.
Those of you who are honest, clever and talented have the entire market economy open for you these days. How lucky you all are! Things were so horrible in my time. But I am so happy I left it all and made myself into what I am - an independent intellectual, a philosopher of freedom, an independent media publisher. I am sure if you good guys and gals quit the UPSC Exams and try hard to be the architects of your own destiny in The Market, you will do even better than me - and I wish you God Speed, and Good Luck.
Avoid State Service - like the plague.
Sir,
ReplyDeleteWe can download free pdf file of Bureaucracy from http://mises.org/books/bureaucracy.pdf
There are many other wonderful books free downloadable here - http://mises.org/books
I have bought "The Men Who Ruled India" as recommended by you in previous blogs and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It would be really nice of you if you can dedicate a post to all the wonderful books relating to political economy, history, economics and related subjects.
What are you views about "The Economy of Modern India" by Dr. Tomlinson?
Cheers,
Vineet Saini
I would rather suggest , Make it to exams and then refuse joining .. One will get attention and use that attention to spread the message of freedom
ReplyDeleteOr Join and then try to educate people from inside
The author gives the impression that all was well with the "Honourable" East India Company rule. This is far from the truth. If a government should not be running businesses then what business does a company or East India Company have in running a country. Libertarians must explain this conrtradiction. This comment may not be approved in this "liberttarian" blog
ReplyDeleteVineet left another comment that I published by the RAW must have deleted????? It went thus:
ReplyDeleteSir,
I was blind then but now I can see.
I feel that I would rather work at a whorehouse than to work for this socialistic government. Your blogs are more than enough to change my mind.
Cheers!
My response: You are dead right, Vineet. Being a bouncer in a high-class whorehouse is a far better and far safer job - more "fun," too - than being in the fuckin' SPG. Ha ha...
@Arvind: When the HEICS was established, these "civilians" had NOTHING to do with the East India Comany's "businesses." There was a separate "Opium Service." There was a separate "Military Service." And there were separate "agents" for running the business operations. The civil service was specialised and insulated from all the other activities of the EIC. Do read Philip Mason's "The Men Who Ruled India" for more.
ReplyDeleteOne point Mises makes made me happy I quit 25 years ago - the fact that bureaucracies sacrifice youth to age.
ReplyDelete-----
This sounds like very sensible thing. Look at all the tech companies - microsoft, apple, to name just a few - they were all strated by youngsters. In a govt. owned set up they would not be able to take any decision.