government mule

government mule

A Comprehensive Study of the Role and Impact of Government Mules in Modern Society

1. Introduction to Government Mules

This text seeks to address this imbalance and presents a comprehensive account of the unique relationships between government and mules on the one hand and users, infrastructures, and societies on the other, and the many facets of life and activities surrounding him, often focusing on the heaviest duties. “The mule seems as able as the horse, but will serve much longer, and upon much less food,” George Washington wrote in his diary on September 6, 1786. Indeed, over countless centuries, mules and donkeys have been employed to provide valuable service to humankind, from bearing burdens to the training of thoroughbred racehorses at various paces, although the uncanny ability to protect horses from potential accidents in front of rapidly moving purses is also a useful attribute.

The role and impact of the pack animal on the development and progress of the human race are widely recognized from historical accounts. The period from around the 16th to the early 20th centuries witnessed the extensive use of the mule as the primary “truck engine” for carrying tons of vital raw materials, finished goods, and military supplies over vast distances across the continents of North America and South America. This book is devoted to the less-well-known role and impact of government mules, an aspect of the life of the humble mule that, with few exceptions, has hitherto totally escaped the attention of historians and researchers. Indeed, many readers may, for good reason, never have heard of such animals.

2. Historical Evolution and Significance of Government Mules

Covering an empire already vast, from the Pyrenees and the Apennines to the Baltic Sea, and from the ocean to the Carpathians, and because it was impossible, as he himself said, to substitute relays of horses for numbers of experienced servicemen, Napoleon decided to toughen mules received by incorporation and send them, in succession, from village to village, so that the very worst would be rejected even before they were sent to the centers where suitable animals are trained. He thus managed to obtain a considerable number of mules, without producing any disturbing effect in the world of professionals.

Napoleon, who changed the course of French and European history, left innumerable letters. Some of them were simple and routine, but a large majority had to do with very important things. But there was one which had to do with a matter that attracted the attention of many people and created a great deal of astonishment, since it was openly dealt with in that formal circular sent to all the provinces: the provision concerning the inspection and use of horses and mules. At that time, the only rapid means of transportation in France was the stagecoach, a rather inefficient public service; therefore, the question of a rapid postal service was becoming more and more burning.

3. Government Mules in Agriculture and Transportation

Aside from these early day activities, the federal government has, throughout the years, attempted to utilize the mule in a number of other situations. Although its use has dwindled to an extremely low level at the present time, the mule has been used extensively by the military and the BLM in recent years. The remainder of this presentation is heavily based upon this excellent work, with some additions made related to other new information sources and uses.

A United States Law Review article provides an excellent and exhaustive description of the ways in which federal, state, and local agencies use mules in their various operations and activities, with excerpts drawn from this paper presented in the following sections. A primary strength of the paper, in addition to its comprehensiveness, is that it would not have been written if the author had not been personally and extensively involved with this topic. The article is summed up as follows: The government first relied heavily upon mules in its economic development and attempted control of the wilderness. It was only natural then that, in effectuating its policy, which called for the development of the western wilderness, the federal government, along with state and local governments, should be called upon to use the mules which had been in fact and were to be instrumental in the future development of the great landmass of the west.

4. Government Mules in Law Enforcement and Emergency Services

In recent research, the University of California at Davis spent 5 years and 6 million US dollars to train three mules as an “advance mule locator,” using a variety of techniques, such as food reinforcement, to detect buried ordnance. However, despite the investment, these mules have not been used outside the research project and there are no plans to make these research projects operational. Of the twelve mules owned by the fire department, five are positioned and collaborate with the Natural Resources Travel of San Diego. They were the first animals in the United States to become volunteer fire department volunteers.

The most widely recognized role for government mules is in law enforcement and emergency services. Mules are generally held to be more sure-footed than horses and have a stronger endurance, as well as having a longer lifespan than a dog, and unlike dogs, they do not consume their food too quickly. Mules in fire and police departments are so well known that photographic evidence is easily found in the photographic files of such departments to add to any textual documentation. Mules are used in the training period of search and emergency services to accustom the animals to be comfortable working in unusual situations, to strange machinery, to the sound of the morning alarm, to access intense heat and to other heat, and unusual exposure to fire, smoke, or any other stress.

5. Challenges and Future Prospects for Government Mules

This paper began by introducing the mule metaphor and the existing literature in terms of the stages of technology adoption through government policy process, focusing on the most negative connotations of the mule image. While highlighting the positive mule attributes that would be far more associated with modern mules in government, a comprehensive analysis is undertaken of contemporary e-government adoption literature to identify a set of contemporary factors influencing e-government diffusion. All the factors from the existing related literature are considered – removing the overlap and only including those related factors that are pertinent to e-government adoption and the diffusion using advanced internet applications. This paper ends by detailing the emerging challenges that this breed of mule has been identified as facing and the future e-government research that could lead to the development of more effective e-government strategies.

This study ends with an overview of the challenges faced by mules in helping to deliver e-government. We highlight the ongoing digital divide problems in terms of access and competence, in addition to the resistance to e-government from both government and citizen perspectives. We present a comprehensive model for future research that would test it and contribute to the taxonomy of e-government diffusion in society, in addition to informing the development of aggregated marketing strategies for e-government. In conclusion, we reiterate our findings and add to the call for a greater use of the mule metaphor to assist in discussing and developing the roles and effectiveness of the technology throughout the stages of e-government policy process and the overall diffusion of the internet in government.