Follow the smell of the "service department"
That's where the power rests in the Watchtower.
Do a little research on Wikipedia about the psychological traits
Opennes and Conscientiousness (Big Five Personality Traits)
Conscientiousness although necessary for organization easily morphs into authoritarianism.
- I am always prepared.
- I pay attention to details.
- I get chores done right away.
- I like order.
- I follow a schedule.
- I am exacting in my work. (Wikipedia traits of the conscientious personality)
Look at this list of GB members and the departments they work in.
Sam Herd - Service Department
Lett - Service/Teaching
Splane - Service/Writing
Jackson - Translation
Losch - Service
Morris - Service
Sanderson - Hospital - Service
In the local congregations it's the Elders that make up the service committee that keep the organization orderly (clean).
Read the latest Organization book and you will see how little has changed. The Organization book is the product of the service department.
So who is going to be the next Ray Franz? Remember Ray Franz was a writer and worked in the writing department. Real change can only come from a creative mind. So you have to look to the Writing department for change to emerge.
Splane is in "writing" and is intelligent but unfortunately too pedantic and contaminated with "Service Department" thinking.
Lett works in "teaching" and is a beast of burden not too likely to think at all let alone independently.
This leaves Jackson. As a specialist in languages he would seem to be more open - almost anthropological in his orientation. We saw how he struggled to deal with the sexual predator issue when interrogated in Australia.
All the others are Service men.
So forget about it. Don't expect any relaxation in their authoritarian positions. The fact that they have been content with only 7 members of the governing body shows they aren't interested in "opening" up.
They have circled their wagons. There is no conflict at the top. The changes are all propaganda intended to keep the rank and file occupied so they don't think too deeply about the 100 years of failed expectations.