Under_Believer,
I see what you're saying in a lot of ways, but as somebody who was pretty close to the top in the organization, I can tell you that a lot of what you said just isn't so.
The Governing Body are the all-inclusive leaders of the organization. They have been since the body was officially formed in the 70's. Every single thing that affects the publisher at the purely local level...it all originates from that oval table in Brooklyn.
Now, how do they keep that grip so tight for so long? Well, who do the congregations answer to? The committees. They report and answer directly to the Service Committe, and they recieve all of their instruction from the Writing Committee. The Governing Body controls these committees. So that takes care of that. But how can they keep this engine running as so? Well, look at how they get new people appointed to that body.
Only people hand-picked by the old timers like Jaracz, Barber, and up until early '06, Bert Schroeder...only good ole boys that will echo whatever these older men say will be appointed as Governing Body members.
Now lets talk about how the GB live. Let me assure you: they live like royalty. This is masked cleverly by their not having much disposable income. But even there, they have more than you can imagine. They meet wealthy people in congregations everywhere they go that slip them checks and cash like you wouldn't believe. But that's because the publishers that do this think of it as a holy contribution. Aside from cash, they are flown all around the world in first class, those that drive have some type of luxury car. And they live in what would be unattainable to any average person living in Brooklyn.
But all of these physical needs that they have taken care of are nothing when compared to the power they have over 6 million people. In the book The Myth of Certainty, Daniel Taylor writes: "The primary goal of all institutions and subcultures is self-preservation. Preserving the faith is central to God’s plan for human history; preserving particular religious institutions is not. Do not expect those who run the institutions to be sensitive to the difference."
When you have all of these things, every personal need taken care of, everything free, no worries like the everyday working man has...along with absolute power over the lives of 6 million people, you do everything you can to keep that power. Every policy that has been introduced and enforced by that body over the last 30 years has been done for the purpose of keeping a tight grip on those simple minds that keep the contribution boxes full.