Within Christianity, there have been several attempts to formalise a hierarchy of the demonic world. As well as names I understand these demons are also gathered into group classifications of Empyreal, Aerial, Subterranean, Lucifugi, Aqueous and Terrene.
I have in my head in much more informal classification built around the observation by all round Roman clever guy, Cicero that a nation can withstand it's fools and external enemies, but not those who collapse a society from within. The result is a hierarchy of types that move the levers of state who, whether by malign intent, ignorance, vanity or self preservation are creating a situation in which our nation will collapse in on itself.
One such group are those I call Chancers.
I have over the years been fortunate to work in various roles both in the public and private sector and it is only through doing so that I stumbled upon the Chancer. I did not spot them as a grouping at first but once seen and recognised they are easy to spot.
Although the hallmarks of a Chancer are many one of the simplest to spot is the concept that the only basis for their activity is themselves. Like a fly that can sniff out a bloated corpse for no other reason than a source of food and a place to lay its eggs, Chancers, are acutely attuned to similar bloated bodies to gorge on money, power and prestige. Such bodies can be found by them in public and private sector and it matters not to them which they land on as long as it can serve their needs.
One of their most deceitful tricks is that they hide in plain site. They often arrive at an organisation appearing to those who see them as fresh faced idiots who seem to bear none of the scars shared by their cohorts. Any new arrival in an organisation is sized up for its threat capability to those already there and is soon presumed to be little if any threat. Some people spot them immediately. In a previous role, a colleague and friend once said of one such new arrival:
"In a couple of years he will be boss of us all".
At the time, we laughed but it did not take long for him to be proven inexplicably right. This is part of their secret. They begin to thrive as soon as nobody spots them and stops them. Believing them to be harmless and incapable (only the latter trait is true), those who do spot them are often ridiculed by colleagues. Many have a early sign by which you will know them and it lies in their arrival and how they got their job. Very rarely do they get there by their own efforts. Stories soon emerge of a connection between the higher ups in an organisation and someone close to the Chancer. Often a rumour, there is some form of introduction, although there is no fanfare when they arrive, but a low key entrance that disguises what you are about to see.
It is at this point the madness sets as they weave their spell. Their talent is unremarkable. They do not appear particularly quick to grasp the detail of the role they have landed in an are often seen as bumbling. Not only do they not seem to grasp the requirements of the job, but it does not outwardly worry them. Very few of their peers see them achieving any degree of success. So what follows next is more inexplicable.
They start to rise. Despite their lack of talent and interest, people begin to promote them. At first the utterances only take place among the group they have just risen above. These utterances are usually along the lines of "how the hell did that happen". They are usually kept low because nobody who has been close to the Chancer at work can fathom what it was that those with the power of patronage in an organisation saw as readiness for promotion. As such they remain quiet, doubting their own lying eyes.
Chancers start to unfurl their demonic wings further at this point. If they lacked talent before, their lack of skill appears even more challenged at the next level. They begin to make more obvious mistakes and appear even more ordinary. Mistakes seem to be inexplicably overlooked or culpability lands on the laps of others around the Chancer. The sense of insanity increases among those who cannot believe that those with the power to stop this can not see the Chancer is incompetent. People begin to become more vocal but are often taken to one side and warned about what is now being classed as a vendetta born out of petty motivations and jealousy, compounding the madness even further.
The Chancer appears everly outwardly graceful. They begin to wear the trappings of their promotions well. They sit at key places in meetings and begin to move in ever bigger circles. The vain begin to become beguiled by their spell and as a result, usher them further into the gilded circles. They say the right things to the right people. Even the powerful who initially show disdain are soon won over for some inexplicable reason and amazingly begin to view them as talented. They are soon beyond the gravity that could have stopped them in their tracks.
There are many more facets to the Chancer and their pathway, too numerous to mention here. I ask however, if with the relatively short description I have given if you now see them anywhere. Personally I do and am startled at their prevalence. If you're still unsure, look around at the major problems that are currently on our doorstep such as the riots, show pony politics and the global financial crisis amongst other things and look at their handling and the responses of the so called great and the good. Most of us recognise we are in the midst of serious times, but ask yourself if we have seen a serious response. I say not. I see trivial responses and the continuation of previous failed methods. I see people lacking the capability to make decisions, preferring instead to hang on to their gilded life. I see people in power trying to shuffle blame to anywhere but themselves. I see a general population screaming at the lunacy of it all and seeing responses that serve only to convince them that they are indeed the crazy ones.
I see the worlds problems being handled by intellects with less depth than a car park puddle. In other words I see Chancers everywhere.
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