Span of control...

Only ten, an infantry squad, only ten. It could be one or two larger but ten is a wonderful number. So the Sergeant, as squad leader, only has ten to lead, motivate, train, coach and fight against the enemy. Ten is not too many, the Centurion had a hundred - not actually. He had leaders of ten in that hundred that were responsible for their ten. So he only had to concern himself with those ten to control their ten... So General Anybody, isn't really leading 15,000 troopers, just ten particular sub-leaders, although the whole outfit can turn on a dime at command. Or close enough for government work.

This came to my mind when I heard someone proclaim - leader of 310 million people - knowing there isn't such a hero, or shining figurehead. Ideally, the Federal government should only have ten agencies, and those agencies should only handle the States and territories. Where did this fool idea they could handle all the schools, businesses, farms and ranches and such come from? They aren't that good.

The States can handle only the Counties of their state, by the time one gets to the Counties they can handle families, businesses and such.

Go back the other way, how many bosses do you need? Just one. And you married her, just kidding, that is supposed to be a partnership. And for those of great faith, you have only the ONE, God. The ones without faith keep trying to find the little god that could... too many to count, cause they couldn't.

Only one tax payer, me, and a Federal tax, a State tax, a County tax, and sometimes a municipal tax and then union dues or the boss wants a kick back.... only one payer and how many levels of sucking your wages away. One voter, can only influence the local level, not thirty local levels, fifty states, one hundred and eighty nations... and I know with Spring coming out here, the snows in Ohio aren't affected. Span of control.

The speed of communication, the ease of communications - the Pony Express is long gone, Clipper ships and fast frigates and cutters under billowing sails of yesteryear gone into memory or romantic mythology, while we speed dial our best friends to brag or blame or ideally or idly boast. Have more than ten well used numbers? But the sit down meetings and dinners and coffees on the side are where the contact counts. Generals sit in the Operations Centers watching the battle from afar, another step back from the Command and Control helicopter that influenced the battlefields too dangerous to be upon. They think because they can see and hear, that they have control. The lieutenant turns off his listening and takes care of the battle and those he has in his control. Not being far away, it is personal. Guess you have to live in the span to control it.