Robin, I'm so sorry you had such a terrible time. Hopefully, you continue to improve mentally and physically.
Lord Acton had a few choice words about the inevitable corruption of morals, ethics, empathy, and humility in the late 1800s. You've had personal experience with the present-day results of this syndrome, and it's well-discussed in the following article, which says it better than I can, and seems quite relevant to your experience.
I had an epiphany when I was working as an engineer. I asked a question of a vice president of the company at a "Town Hall" meeting, "why is there such a large difference in salary between engineers and upper management?" The answer was to the effect that, "we make the rules and set the salary ranges for ourselves and for employees". In effect, they take good care of themselves, and don't worry overly about the "worker bees". This syndrome is writ large with our current government. Fortunately, there are still good people among the population and you met them.
"AI Overview
Coined by 19th-century British historian Lord Acton, this proverb describes how possessing unchecked authority steadily erodes a person's morality. It reflects the reality that the greater the power, the easier it becomes to bypass rules and prioritize one's own interests over the well-being of others.
The Core Idea: The "Tender" Years: Acton originally wrote that “Power tends to corrupt,” meaning that the corrupting influence of authority is a natural and consistent human temptation rather than an immediate guarantee.
The Ultimate Rule: “Absolute power corrupts absolutely” was his warning that total, unchecked dominance ultimately removes any moral boundaries an individual might otherwise possess.
The Psychology: Behavioral research on power suggests that holding authority can alter how the human brain processes information. Studies show that when people feel powerful, they tend to:
-Experience reduced empathy and higher levels of impulsivity.
-Become less attentive to the thoughts and needs of those around them.
-Be significantly more likely to break social conventions and norms.
Real-World Implications
The concept serves as the foundational argument for why modern societies rely on the separation of powers, checks and balances, and term limits. Without built-in institutional limits, leaders, politicians, and even corporate executives can easily succumb to the temptations of their positions and lose touch with the people they are meant to serve."
Thank you, Stan. It was an experience I wouldn't wish on anybody. At the same time, I don't regret it or think "Crap, I wish that had never happened." Not that I'd have ever chosen it! 😆 But since it happened, it wasn't just a terrible experience.
Yep, I was raised with that saying, though I can never remember who first said it or when! (I'm absolutely awful with names and dates!) Years ago, my brother and I were chatting out it we added a wrinkle. It's not just power that corrupts, but lack of accountability. Historically, having power was the main way to avoids accountability. But know we have this thing called the internet where people can do all kinds of crap and generally awful stuff and there's (generally) no real accountability. (Yeah, some people get cancelled, but that's not quite the same thing.)
The psychology your summary mentions is a really good description of what being on the internet and especially social media (I'll never stop beating that drum!) does to a whole lot of people! And it's brought us to where we are today (with other stuff involved of course).
So my feeling is the internet has corrupted a lot of ordinary people by giving them a space where they aren't accountable and when that's how they're raised (especially) it can bleed over into their personal lives, which (along with other bad things) has really bad results. It seems to me that corruption isn't always a big thing of the type we tend to think about, but a small thing that erodes people's sensibility and disorients their moral compass, enabling corruption on a larger scale. I feel that's the crux of the issue. (Well, one of them.)
And of course, Substack uses an AI bot specifically to shield themselves from feedback and complaints so they don't have to deal with them. It helps them avoid accountability.
Stripe, I read, games the system to allow them to offer similar benefits to their people that they'd normally get from an IPO without going through an IPO (I don't understand how that works; I just read about it). An IPO would subject Stripe to scrutiny and they clearly want to avoid that.
I take that as prima facie evidence that Substack and especially Stripe are mens rea (to get all legal speaky 😏)! They are aware they are corrupt and have bad intent and want to hide it.
So yeah, it filters up and down. And it's a huge mess!
BTW: How different societies have handled the issues of accountability in the past is really fascinating to me. Maybe I'll have to write a post exploring it some day? But I'm sure people would really enjoy new videos a lot more! So that's I think that's a better focus. 😄
I hadn't fully associated power with the Internet, especially to the trolls and influencers. They have a kind of power that is yielded to them, and they are not held accountable for misuse of that power. Now, AI seems to be entering the arena with its lack of accountability, and power from its aura of infallibility and acceptance as being the final word. So the people like us have to find work-arounds to 'the powers that be' that will let us 'do our thing'.
Yeah, they do have power that was yielded to them, and there is no accountability, in what I'd call a positive way, at least. By that I mean trolls and haters can get people to change their policies in ways that harm other people, who are wholly innocent.
But the innocent victims of the harmful changes have no recourse because the people hurting them only pay attention to and respond only to the trolls and haters, who have no accountability at all. It's an incredibly toxic version of "the squeaky wheel gets the grease" and the other wheels get the shaft. It's becoming more and more common.
So creators, especially, are getting hammered by big companies like Stripe and Big Tech monopolies while smaller companies like Substack are either complicit or giving in, and even small organizations and even individuals who have some influence are giving or piling on, and all of them from Apple down the individuals are doing so while mouthing the most sickening self-righteousness I can think of, and being totally hypocritical about it by carving out and protecting the things that serve their own selfish interests.
It's a problem that goes from top to bottom and side to side, and doesn't get more than lip-service from most people. (That can be taken a couple of ways, I guess.)
And, as you point out, now there's AI, which is probably the ultimate in lack of accountability. It creates an "iron curtain with a happy face" between us and the tiny number of people who code and train it, and a whole bunch of people are totally cool with it, a few people are rabidly against it (the things they used to be rabidly against having gotten boring to them) and only a tiny minority seem to be willing to talk or think sensibly about it (or most anything else).
So, yep, finding workarounds is the "order of the day" but it's hard to know if that's enough or how long it will last. But we'll do out best. That's all we can do.
Wow!! What a tremendously important and well-written post. I already knew a lot about what happened to you from our talks but reading it all in one place like this really made it hit even harder. I'm so sorry you had to go through all that but am so glad you had such amazing caregivers by your side. Miranda is my new hero!!! And I love that you talked ancient mythology with her :)
You're right that none of these millionaire and billionaire heads of companies care at all about the people underneath them or people like us who use their sites. It's about making as much money as possible, and no amount of money is ever enough.
By the way, to you awesome people out there supporting both me and Robin, she's been super-hard at work trying to figure out coding to set up our new site. It's a huge amount of work, which is why she hasn't been able to post here as much. I'm sure she'd much rather be posting fun and sexy videos, but she's very dedicated to making sure Substack, Stripe, and others can't fuck us over. So super-huge thanks to Robin!!!
Thank you so much more that I can say!!! Yes! Miranda will always be my hero!!! She truly went above and beyond!!!
Yep! I think they have their heads so far up their asses they've totally lost it. It's not going to end well for them.
Thank you so super-duper much for saying that! Yeah, making sexy videos is so much more fun! That will resume as soon as possible! I truly appreciate people being patient while this all gets sorted out! 😊😊😊
Darn fat fingers. Well I once shared my background with you of working my entire career in healthcare, from nursing to now technology in healthcare. You have absolutely defined the overall reality that the Average American does not understand. Executive and lower management make decisions in healthcare as a general rule based upon EBITA— their bottom line on the ledger. Compassion and accountability and empathy are way down the list. After 43 years in healthcare in different positions, I can’t say I’ve never found “Good Management “ but it is rare as their actions personally as well as in business display a different perspective. However, the underpaid individuals from EVS, dietary up to Nursing who keep things running night and day 24-7 are not appreciated or paid well. Platitudes are deposited on whatever time of year they celebrate that position in the workplace. EVS week, Nursing week. A hospital branded pen, a coffee cup, a meal ticket in the cafeteria or a hamburger day in the parking lot. It is meaningless BS. While CEO, CFO drives top of the line vehicle, lives in million dollar house, takes vacations 2-3 times a year to places many of us have never dreamed of. Their work does not translate to that value of their salary or perks. It is the EVS worker and the Nurse that keeps things running night and day and cause people to remember their experiences and desire to return if additional care is ever needed. Don’t get me wrong how we do business in this country is better than others but we need to wake up and truly hold leaders accountable .We have lost what historically has been proven but society needs to change its outlook. If people quit expecting quick rewards without hard work, quit expecting entertainment at every opportunity and began to value honesty, a simpler approach to living, friends and family and began to value themselves and others instead of isolation. Then they might understand the freedom we once had is quickly becoming lost by the entities mentioned controlling what is acceptable instead of adhering to their founding principles which was a place to share thoughts without tight restrictions that are ambiguous and truly hypocritical. Done ranting. If you made it down here then I support your better stated position and I appreciate your honesty. You are an amazing person, inspirational and damn AWESOME! Love you and Riley from the bottom of my Toes! Beautiful ♦️ ♦️ s in all ways. I rambled so I am only partially responsible for what I wrote above. Punctuation stinks as I wrote with the flow of my thoughts.🫣😬🤪😂
I've run my own business. Not very profitably (far as money goes) but I've got an idea of what's involved. And I don't believe in these schemes people have tried where no one makes more than 5 times or 7 times or whatever "reasonable" amount than the lowest paid person. And the government setting how much people get paid is a disaster everywhere it's tried. Especially in health care. (I have a very close friend in Canada who has more than one serious health issues and she can attest to this.) Those are bureaucratic, dogmatic solutions that never work.
What I believe is exactly what you said: people deserve to be paid (compensated) in a way that reflects the value they actually create.
I know the value of what Miranda did for me (and her coworkers as well). I know what the surgeon who dropped everything and drove 40 miles to perform the emergency surgery that saved my life did for me. (I know this because when I came to, lying there with my eyes closed wondering what the fuck had happened to me, I heard one of my doctors thanking her for getting there so quickly from the other hospital. I met her later. She's super-sweet.)
I don't know what Mr. $17-Million CEO does for anyone that justifies his salary and huge perks.
It's distorted. The problem, as you make clear, is that our values have gotten all screwed up. Without proper values, no system is going to fix the distortion and the disparities. There's no solution but returning to values based on honesty, integrity, accountability, empathy, compassion and connection.
Not personal convenience, reflexive and thoughtless consumption, and isolation. That's where the distortion starts and why all those "bad actors" can get away with what they do.
Please feel free to "ramble" all you like, whenever you like!!! You're awesome and I super-appreciate it!!! 😄😊😊
Robin, I'm so sorry you had such a terrible time. Hopefully, you continue to improve mentally and physically.
Lord Acton had a few choice words about the inevitable corruption of morals, ethics, empathy, and humility in the late 1800s. You've had personal experience with the present-day results of this syndrome, and it's well-discussed in the following article, which says it better than I can, and seems quite relevant to your experience.
I had an epiphany when I was working as an engineer. I asked a question of a vice president of the company at a "Town Hall" meeting, "why is there such a large difference in salary between engineers and upper management?" The answer was to the effect that, "we make the rules and set the salary ranges for ourselves and for employees". In effect, they take good care of themselves, and don't worry overly about the "worker bees". This syndrome is writ large with our current government. Fortunately, there are still good people among the population and you met them.
"AI Overview
Coined by 19th-century British historian Lord Acton, this proverb describes how possessing unchecked authority steadily erodes a person's morality. It reflects the reality that the greater the power, the easier it becomes to bypass rules and prioritize one's own interests over the well-being of others.
The Core Idea: The "Tender" Years: Acton originally wrote that “Power tends to corrupt,” meaning that the corrupting influence of authority is a natural and consistent human temptation rather than an immediate guarantee.
The Ultimate Rule: “Absolute power corrupts absolutely” was his warning that total, unchecked dominance ultimately removes any moral boundaries an individual might otherwise possess.
The Psychology: Behavioral research on power suggests that holding authority can alter how the human brain processes information. Studies show that when people feel powerful, they tend to:
-Experience reduced empathy and higher levels of impulsivity.
-Become less attentive to the thoughts and needs of those around them.
-Be significantly more likely to break social conventions and norms.
Real-World Implications
The concept serves as the foundational argument for why modern societies rely on the separation of powers, checks and balances, and term limits. Without built-in institutional limits, leaders, politicians, and even corporate executives can easily succumb to the temptations of their positions and lose touch with the people they are meant to serve."
Thank you, Stan. It was an experience I wouldn't wish on anybody. At the same time, I don't regret it or think "Crap, I wish that had never happened." Not that I'd have ever chosen it! 😆 But since it happened, it wasn't just a terrible experience.
Yep, I was raised with that saying, though I can never remember who first said it or when! (I'm absolutely awful with names and dates!) Years ago, my brother and I were chatting out it we added a wrinkle. It's not just power that corrupts, but lack of accountability. Historically, having power was the main way to avoids accountability. But know we have this thing called the internet where people can do all kinds of crap and generally awful stuff and there's (generally) no real accountability. (Yeah, some people get cancelled, but that's not quite the same thing.)
The psychology your summary mentions is a really good description of what being on the internet and especially social media (I'll never stop beating that drum!) does to a whole lot of people! And it's brought us to where we are today (with other stuff involved of course).
So my feeling is the internet has corrupted a lot of ordinary people by giving them a space where they aren't accountable and when that's how they're raised (especially) it can bleed over into their personal lives, which (along with other bad things) has really bad results. It seems to me that corruption isn't always a big thing of the type we tend to think about, but a small thing that erodes people's sensibility and disorients their moral compass, enabling corruption on a larger scale. I feel that's the crux of the issue. (Well, one of them.)
And of course, Substack uses an AI bot specifically to shield themselves from feedback and complaints so they don't have to deal with them. It helps them avoid accountability.
Stripe, I read, games the system to allow them to offer similar benefits to their people that they'd normally get from an IPO without going through an IPO (I don't understand how that works; I just read about it). An IPO would subject Stripe to scrutiny and they clearly want to avoid that.
I take that as prima facie evidence that Substack and especially Stripe are mens rea (to get all legal speaky 😏)! They are aware they are corrupt and have bad intent and want to hide it.
So yeah, it filters up and down. And it's a huge mess!
BTW: How different societies have handled the issues of accountability in the past is really fascinating to me. Maybe I'll have to write a post exploring it some day? But I'm sure people would really enjoy new videos a lot more! So that's I think that's a better focus. 😄
I hadn't fully associated power with the Internet, especially to the trolls and influencers. They have a kind of power that is yielded to them, and they are not held accountable for misuse of that power. Now, AI seems to be entering the arena with its lack of accountability, and power from its aura of infallibility and acceptance as being the final word. So the people like us have to find work-arounds to 'the powers that be' that will let us 'do our thing'.
Yeah, they do have power that was yielded to them, and there is no accountability, in what I'd call a positive way, at least. By that I mean trolls and haters can get people to change their policies in ways that harm other people, who are wholly innocent.
But the innocent victims of the harmful changes have no recourse because the people hurting them only pay attention to and respond only to the trolls and haters, who have no accountability at all. It's an incredibly toxic version of "the squeaky wheel gets the grease" and the other wheels get the shaft. It's becoming more and more common.
So creators, especially, are getting hammered by big companies like Stripe and Big Tech monopolies while smaller companies like Substack are either complicit or giving in, and even small organizations and even individuals who have some influence are giving or piling on, and all of them from Apple down the individuals are doing so while mouthing the most sickening self-righteousness I can think of, and being totally hypocritical about it by carving out and protecting the things that serve their own selfish interests.
It's a problem that goes from top to bottom and side to side, and doesn't get more than lip-service from most people. (That can be taken a couple of ways, I guess.)
And, as you point out, now there's AI, which is probably the ultimate in lack of accountability. It creates an "iron curtain with a happy face" between us and the tiny number of people who code and train it, and a whole bunch of people are totally cool with it, a few people are rabidly against it (the things they used to be rabidly against having gotten boring to them) and only a tiny minority seem to be willing to talk or think sensibly about it (or most anything else).
So, yep, finding workarounds is the "order of the day" but it's hard to know if that's enough or how long it will last. But we'll do out best. That's all we can do.
Wow!! What a tremendously important and well-written post. I already knew a lot about what happened to you from our talks but reading it all in one place like this really made it hit even harder. I'm so sorry you had to go through all that but am so glad you had such amazing caregivers by your side. Miranda is my new hero!!! And I love that you talked ancient mythology with her :)
You're right that none of these millionaire and billionaire heads of companies care at all about the people underneath them or people like us who use their sites. It's about making as much money as possible, and no amount of money is ever enough.
By the way, to you awesome people out there supporting both me and Robin, she's been super-hard at work trying to figure out coding to set up our new site. It's a huge amount of work, which is why she hasn't been able to post here as much. I'm sure she'd much rather be posting fun and sexy videos, but she's very dedicated to making sure Substack, Stripe, and others can't fuck us over. So super-huge thanks to Robin!!!
Thank you so much more that I can say!!! Yes! Miranda will always be my hero!!! She truly went above and beyond!!!
Yep! I think they have their heads so far up their asses they've totally lost it. It's not going to end well for them.
Thank you so super-duper much for saying that! Yeah, making sexy videos is so much more fun! That will resume as soon as possible! I truly appreciate people being patient while this all gets sorted out! 😊😊😊
Darn fat fingers. Well I once shared my background with you of working my entire career in healthcare, from nursing to now technology in healthcare. You have absolutely defined the overall reality that the Average American does not understand. Executive and lower management make decisions in healthcare as a general rule based upon EBITA— their bottom line on the ledger. Compassion and accountability and empathy are way down the list. After 43 years in healthcare in different positions, I can’t say I’ve never found “Good Management “ but it is rare as their actions personally as well as in business display a different perspective. However, the underpaid individuals from EVS, dietary up to Nursing who keep things running night and day 24-7 are not appreciated or paid well. Platitudes are deposited on whatever time of year they celebrate that position in the workplace. EVS week, Nursing week. A hospital branded pen, a coffee cup, a meal ticket in the cafeteria or a hamburger day in the parking lot. It is meaningless BS. While CEO, CFO drives top of the line vehicle, lives in million dollar house, takes vacations 2-3 times a year to places many of us have never dreamed of. Their work does not translate to that value of their salary or perks. It is the EVS worker and the Nurse that keeps things running night and day and cause people to remember their experiences and desire to return if additional care is ever needed. Don’t get me wrong how we do business in this country is better than others but we need to wake up and truly hold leaders accountable .We have lost what historically has been proven but society needs to change its outlook. If people quit expecting quick rewards without hard work, quit expecting entertainment at every opportunity and began to value honesty, a simpler approach to living, friends and family and began to value themselves and others instead of isolation. Then they might understand the freedom we once had is quickly becoming lost by the entities mentioned controlling what is acceptable instead of adhering to their founding principles which was a place to share thoughts without tight restrictions that are ambiguous and truly hypocritical. Done ranting. If you made it down here then I support your better stated position and I appreciate your honesty. You are an amazing person, inspirational and damn AWESOME! Love you and Riley from the bottom of my Toes! Beautiful ♦️ ♦️ s in all ways. I rambled so I am only partially responsible for what I wrote above. Punctuation stinks as I wrote with the flow of my thoughts.🫣😬🤪😂
Thank you. You absolutely nailed it.
I've run my own business. Not very profitably (far as money goes) but I've got an idea of what's involved. And I don't believe in these schemes people have tried where no one makes more than 5 times or 7 times or whatever "reasonable" amount than the lowest paid person. And the government setting how much people get paid is a disaster everywhere it's tried. Especially in health care. (I have a very close friend in Canada who has more than one serious health issues and she can attest to this.) Those are bureaucratic, dogmatic solutions that never work.
What I believe is exactly what you said: people deserve to be paid (compensated) in a way that reflects the value they actually create.
I know the value of what Miranda did for me (and her coworkers as well). I know what the surgeon who dropped everything and drove 40 miles to perform the emergency surgery that saved my life did for me. (I know this because when I came to, lying there with my eyes closed wondering what the fuck had happened to me, I heard one of my doctors thanking her for getting there so quickly from the other hospital. I met her later. She's super-sweet.)
I don't know what Mr. $17-Million CEO does for anyone that justifies his salary and huge perks.
It's distorted. The problem, as you make clear, is that our values have gotten all screwed up. Without proper values, no system is going to fix the distortion and the disparities. There's no solution but returning to values based on honesty, integrity, accountability, empathy, compassion and connection.
Not personal convenience, reflexive and thoughtless consumption, and isolation. That's where the distortion starts and why all those "bad actors" can get away with what they do.
Please feel free to "ramble" all you like, whenever you like!!! You're awesome and I super-appreciate it!!! 😄😊😊
I appreciate you more than I can ever express in just words! Thank you for being YOU!!!💕💯🤗
Wow!!!! Please know I feel just the same!!! 😊😊😊
And thank you so much for all the awesome shout-outs and links to my page! I super-appreciate it!!!
Of course!!! You deserve all the shout-outs and support there is!!! We super-appreciate you keeping going despite what Stripe and Substack can do!!!
Holy Smokes Batman