During the last twenty years, the only thing that many karateka seem to be interested in is obtaining rank. I don't mean the rank that comes from any self improvement or real knowledge, but rank based on politics and money.
Politics rule modern JKA karate. Anyone who doesn't pay homeage to the organization or the master who runs it will not make rank. This is especially true outside of Japan. Karateka who are truly talented and sincere in their training, but are independent, and not interested in meetings, newletters and spending all their spare time posting on the internet, but only care about improving themselves in every way, will have difficulty making high rank because they are not part of the political machine. In reality, of course, they are at a much higher level than any of the political "rankies".
Money of course is next in line in order to make high rank. The more students who are ranked, tests given, certificates sent out, dues paid to the main "hombu", seminars where the same old things are taught every year for big bucks, and last but not least, the very big bucks "summer camps" which, if you don't attend every year, will leave you at "kohai" level. At many of these camps, all you do is sit around and listen to the same old things every year, with little training. Hundreds are crowded into a gym like cattle. The only thing they come home with is an overpriced sweat shirt with the camp markings to "prove" they attended to all their pupils back home. Did they learn anything? No, though they may believe they have. Its all about control and paying homage. They get a vacation which is a write off. They can socialize and tell each other how good they are. If one of the authentic sensei's who's been invited to teach tries to control unruly students, or teaches a lesson in humility to a bully, they are not invited back. That is a "no no", a loss of revenue for the host giving the camp. All you do at these camps is meet others like you who have made rank for all the wrong reasons. You socialize with them and discuss how to make more money. Learn anything really important? Of course not, unless its learning how to make more money and how to gain more political power. Or how to organize yet another tournament of which there are far too many. There are, of course, the exceptions where you train hard like in the older days of summer camps. Very few attended  these camps and the training was extremely rough. Now its talk and more talk discussing theory ad nauseum. Theory they don't understand because they have not had enough real training. They don't understand the basic Zen concept of doing, rather than talking. How wonderful the old camps were. I remember when there were under 8 of us taking the camp in the very early years of JKA in the US.
There is nothing wrong with supporting your organization, or the "master" who taught you. You owe it to your sensei and to yourself to train hard and improve the art so it grows and then pass it on to the new generation. But somewhere down the line, you need to have the disipline to train on your own, which is the only path to true learning. Your rank must be based on knowledge and ability, not politics and money. Far too many high ranks now are only based on the latter, especially in the US.
Why is there so much disparity between ranks even in the JKA? After all, JKA acts as the world criteria for correct form and technique. Yet, there are 7th dans floating around that are so different from other 7th dans, that it is all too apparent that politics and money once again rear their ugly heads. There are a few non Japanese karate men who have achieved the rank of 7th dan who have earned it in every way. They have had the training and  acquired the knowledge to hold this exalted rank. They trained under very difficult conditions for many years to achieve this rank. But there are some high ranks in the US and other countries, who have not had any of the training and have no true knowledge. They have received their rank based on how long they have been in the JKA, along with how many pupils they have put thru the system. When many pupils have been ranked for many years, and have themselves gone up to higher rank, there comes a time when their sensei must be ranked higher even though they have not achieved any more knowledge. I find it difficult to understand how these sensei's can walk around pretending to be high dans, when right beside them, at a seminar for example, there could be a "real" higher dan, or somebody who is only officially a sandan, who shows them up to such an extent, they look like shodans by comparsion. I would hang my head in shame if it were me. I have seen karateka taking godan exams in the 80's who looked like nidans of the 60's. Yet, because they showed loyalty to their sensei when others may have left the organization, they are ranked. People watching the exam who didn't know what rank the individual was testing for, thought he was testing nidan. This occurred in a JKA dojo in the US. I was there. There are 5th up to 7th dans who need advice on the most basic concepts, that have been in karate for 40 years, and still don't have enough knowledge, self respect or confidence to be able to teach these basics without help. Something is very wrong with a system that can allow this to continue. There must be no disparity between ranks anywhere if we want to keep JKA karate pure. These so called "masters" go around filled with self importance, "legends in their own minds". Their pupils, never having trained anywhere else but one dojo, believe their  sensei's to be true masters, when in fact, they are not taught the right way. I've found, of course, that the less the so called "master" knows, the more puffed up and insecure they are overcompensating in all ways.
The humblest of all men I've ever met was the head of the JKA for many years, Nakayama Sensei. He not only had the knowledge and pure understanding of a great Shihan, but was a true gentleman who treated everyone alike, no matter their rank. He exemplified the "do" in Karatedo. If only there were more like Master Nakayama in the karate world today.
This will be the first of many articles exposing the way JKA  karate has lost its true path.
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