Nonfunctional Systems & The Art of the Avoidable Cataclysm #1: The Namdaemun Arson
by gordsellar • February 15, 2008 • KOREA • 10 Comments
An anonymous editorial in the Digital Chosunilbo asks:
The pain of the Korean public will not be easy to heal. Watching the face of the nation disappear into flame, Koreans acutely felt the fear that the country they believed had grown into an economic powerhouse may be just a mirage floating above the desert sand. What would foreigners living in Seoul call Korea now? How can they trust in this country after seeing what has happened?
The following is my first attempt (in what I imagine may become a series of attempts) to answer that question.
The longer I’m in Asia, the more I see what I’ve come to call Nonfunctional Systems. Actually, in conversations, I call them Systems That Don’t Function — you can hear the capitals on those words, once you’ve heard me say it a few times.
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Hi, no rush, I know you’re sorting out technical things. Just thought you’d like to know, I’ve obviously registerd for the site because I’m able to write this comment, but this post says I must be a “Subscriber” to view it. How do I become one?
Actually, by registering, you became one. Just login. (I’ve actually given your account a higher clearance, though. Just so you know!)
Same problem, I registered and I can comment but can’t read the rest of the post.
Everything seems to be working now. Re: traffice in Asia – in some Northern European country a town planner in a small community removed all the signage, speed limit signs, traffic signals, etc and the number of accidents in the town actually declined.
Mark,
I also promoted you to the Inner Circle. Muhaha. Actually, both your ids — you had registered before, with another email address.
Hmmm. Yes, but I think you would agree, if we removed the lights and traffic signals and speed limits and speed cameras from a town in Korea and the highway nearby, the death rate in that town would go up. I actually have been on the most dangerous highway in the developed world (in terms of traffic accidents, not in terms of zombies or bad music shows). I saw very clearly why it is such a dangerous road, too… people drive like maniacs when they think nobody’s looking.
(Or seeing — and with all the tinted car windows here, that’s all the time except in the vicinity of a speed camera.)
Why did this work in Northern Europe, and why would it not in, say, Korea or Vietnam? (Or Cyprus?) I think that’s the deeper question that I’m focusing the original question onto.
If you have more information about that town, or a link or something, I’d like to see it!
I think I read about it in Emergence by Steve Johnson. Not to get all pretentious, but I do read a lot and sometimes the interesting factoids blur a bit.
I like the concept, but I think it works in part because everybody is so used to obeying the rules they were perversely more cautious or more aware of those rules when there were no reminders of them.
In the same vein, the USA has fewer people trying to cheat on their income taxes than say in the EU. There is the perception that the IRS is a draconion agency that will come down hard on cheaters, but by and large that isn’t necessary as most people in the USA comply with the rules.
“…nobody I know has gone into mourning, or made a pilgrimage to the ruins of the gate.”
I’m not sure that’s entirely true… I visited the ruins on Tuesday, and even wrote about it. Does that count as a pilgrimage?
I’m logged in but I still can’t see the post.
Mark,
That makes sense. But I think it still only makes sense because there’s less belief that rules are negotiable in those situations. People
Charles!
There you go ruining everything.
Mind, when I say “pilgrimage” I use the quasi-religious sense where you went there so as to engage in some sort of mourning ritual, weeping and so on.
Koreabeat, it should be visible now.
Thanks.
Somewhat off-topic, these are my two favorite articles on the subject of systems failures.
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/199803/valujet-crash
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200111/langewiesche