I have commented here already regarding education, but politics of late beg a little more discussion.
Obama was my choice, and I am hopeful that big things are coming... But we have a lot of momentum and profound change [though desperately needed] is easier to suggest than accomplish.
Even now, we look at the Big 3 automakers likely getting a bailout despite poor business practice and a union out-of-step with the world. [Anyone making $70/hr should own the risk of the business. I have 20+ years in high-tech, a four-year degree and post-graduate studies to boot, a library of current volumes... I have served as a leader for multiple professional organizations... and the only way I make $70/hr is to create my own business. Endless guarantees should not be due for shallow, commodity-level skills and weak performance.] I think the market has proven in spades that the American automaker model is unsustainable and we should simply let Detroit fail; The American people do not need to bear the brunt of their irresponsible behaviors. [Obama said the old methods would give way... giving to GM, Ford, and Chrysler out of friendship is old thinking. If we mean to really make changes, we must cut something. Detroit has been asking for it and will not fix itself with handouts.]
The education system similarly faces a global revision. China and India already provide a huge part of the new world talent entering high-tech... They are moving to own the world of technology and production, because we have largely abandoned our own national focus on education, innovation, and real productivity. We largely act as if we can skate now, simply on national pride and historical momentum. This feeling of entitlement is unfounded and will easily bury us unless we move boldly and quickly. Great minds and hunger span the globe... There is nothing special about us that keeps us on top. Our country has a great system of government, if we learn to act and quit resting at the sidelines.
Education suffers many of the same issues as most civil service. It tends to think largely about how their system is poorly funded and clings to old habits and momentum, regardless of the possibilities. In Washington state we are looking at significant school closings, because of limited funds in this economic downturn; Tax bases are diminishing fast and past needs are sudden frivoities. Classes will grow in size and education quality will surely suffer.
But there have been some scattered glimmers of hopeful ideas. If industry needs educated workers, they should participate in our education problems more pro-actively. Google now provides infrastructure for free email, blogs, and web pages... Do taxpayers actually need to pay for these duplicated technological functions in our schools if they can be had and maintained for nothing? I believe local companies also should pay a significant added cost for employing non-citizens, and that money should go straight back to our education; We should also bias our education systems toward citizens first. That is not protectionism - It is responsible government. [The free market is good for corporations and owners - not necessarily workers; It destroys communities quickly, unless something stabilizes and evolves our labor pool.]
We also have seen some scattered online class offerings. When we pay for education, we do not really desire to pay for expensive real estate(i.e. schools) and transportation(busses, dropping kids at school)... these are simply holdovers from the outdated education model. What we want is the education; The core education part should be our focus, not the outdated brick-and-mortar. We could have kids gather at day-care institutions, local churches, libraries, homes... to participate in study groups and online classes according to available esources versus imposed infrastructure. Now that many service and knowledge workers can be employed in the home... Children can start to telecommute also. One teacher could reach many, and focused tutoring for challenged students could replace the commodity delivery mechanics of today. Social skills would need effort still, but the model needs to adjust. [The fact that travel is more limited would also limit the spread of any pandemic; Just as staying home from work contains the spread of disease, so does staying home from school.]
And we need to drop the bilingual support. The desire to retain our cultural backgrounds and heritage is both romantic and reasonable, but that should be a personal devotion and not a tax-subsidized pipe dream. English is the language of money; Employment and prosperity in the USA absolutely depends on real communication, and cultivating the divide is counter-productive. Classes in Spanish, Chinese, French, and such are extra-curricular; We need to communicate as a nation again. Immigrants used to work hard at their English, because they knew prosperity demanded it; It still does. To support the idea that we can have total diversity and variety, without consideration for cost, is foolish; It is an unsustainable dream.
I believe we can move on these initiatives within this recession; In fact, it may be necessary. Obama was right when he said the old stuff needs fixing. Lets move toward the possibilities... and quit making excuses for failure to change.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Let Them Eat Cake
A quote harvested from Wired.com...
How about telling the president to let bad companies fail? If you reward failure with bailouts, you punish honest companies and reward recklessness.
The big three car makers came to Washington recently, in their nice private jets and looking for a handout. There has been more than a few mentions of institutions "too big to fail", suggesting that the cost of a bailout would be less than the impact of failure... or worse, that larger negative economic consequences would result.
This is a reflection of a system run amok, of course. Our government is supposed to address the needs of its citizens and has instead largely taken care of itself and corporate America. They are supposed to be addressing our sustainability, but they have become as short-term as a day trader.
The "Big Three" automakers, saddled by an inability to escape UAW labor costs and by their own inability to manage, are the creators of their own demise. The Union labor is ultimately a monopoly abusing its host, holding automakers hostage in a world of decreased labor costs and global competition. This is not a case of unions securing safe working conditions and a reasonable wage... it is abuse of power. And the automakers have pursued a delusion that we(the market) asked them to produce their questionable products; Though there has been a steady transition to foreign cars for some time.[Toyota stands out, of course]
Also - maybe letting the automakers go Chapter 11 - might be a way to renegotiate UAW into non-existence - Sounds good to me; And I would consider looking at most union situations with a critical eye. Unions have a purpose, but market distortion is not it. $70 an hour for a borderline skillset is largely a path to business burial.]
The auto industry will not fail automatically because these manufacturers do. There will still be a need for repairs, parts, gas, and so on. We will simply live without the fools.
The gas rationing of the 1970s should have been a hint of what might return. With real recognition of global warming, ecological concerns, and obvious energy dependence spanning more than a decade... this was an obvious future. [And if you think $4 a gallon will not return soon, you are in a dreamworld.]
Essentially, most everyone(the consumer included) collectively held their heads in the sand. We chose consumerist gluttony where more and better trumped any real recognition of priorities or needs (versus wants)... credit scores, good citizenship, and logic be damned. We just kept writing checks.
Systemic government corruption, corporate greed, short term focus, selfishness, intentional distortions and spin, and a need to squeeze more blood from the shriveling pie.... have left our infrastructure in sad shape, our ability to move forward in peril, and may ultimately drop our country back to a point of true hunger - versus gluttony. We have to produce again - we have to become the economic powerhouse we can be... and we have to start being honest with ourselves and responsible for our actions again.
Bailout money for AIG becoming executive bonuses... are you kidding me? Down at the bottom - where we the consumer live - we the citizens - we expect pay for performance. CEOs, politicians, lobbyists, their friends, and their children should not get to profit as they create our doom. Let us please quit prolonging the house of cards we have built. Any business turnaround expert will tell you that taking fresh blood will make those remaining take notice; Let some heads roll. Let’s not keep propping up poor behavior. I do think America is more than ready to see a few millionaires and crap institutions drop away and many others humbled; I bet the markets would react well also.
Let truth and justice prevail.
This is a reflection of a system run amok, of course. Our government is supposed to address the needs of its citizens and has instead largely taken care of itself and corporate America. They are supposed to be addressing our sustainability, but they have become as short-term as a day trader.
The "Big Three" automakers, saddled by an inability to escape UAW labor costs and by their own inability to manage, are the creators of their own demise. The Union labor is ultimately a monopoly abusing its host, holding automakers hostage in a world of decreased labor costs and global competition. This is not a case of unions securing safe working conditions and a reasonable wage... it is abuse of power. And the automakers have pursued a delusion that we(the market) asked them to produce their questionable products; Though there has been a steady transition to foreign cars for some time.[Toyota stands out, of course]
Also - maybe letting the automakers go Chapter 11 - might be a way to renegotiate UAW into non-existence - Sounds good to me; And I would consider looking at most union situations with a critical eye. Unions have a purpose, but market distortion is not it. $70 an hour for a borderline skillset is largely a path to business burial.]
The auto industry will not fail automatically because these manufacturers do. There will still be a need for repairs, parts, gas, and so on. We will simply live without the fools.
The gas rationing of the 1970s should have been a hint of what might return. With real recognition of global warming, ecological concerns, and obvious energy dependence spanning more than a decade... this was an obvious future. [And if you think $4 a gallon will not return soon, you are in a dreamworld.]
Essentially, most everyone(the consumer included) collectively held their heads in the sand. We chose consumerist gluttony where more and better trumped any real recognition of priorities or needs (versus wants)... credit scores, good citizenship, and logic be damned. We just kept writing checks.
Systemic government corruption, corporate greed, short term focus, selfishness, intentional distortions and spin, and a need to squeeze more blood from the shriveling pie.... have left our infrastructure in sad shape, our ability to move forward in peril, and may ultimately drop our country back to a point of true hunger - versus gluttony. We have to produce again - we have to become the economic powerhouse we can be... and we have to start being honest with ourselves and responsible for our actions again.
Bailout money for AIG becoming executive bonuses... are you kidding me? Down at the bottom - where we the consumer live - we the citizens - we expect pay for performance. CEOs, politicians, lobbyists, their friends, and their children should not get to profit as they create our doom. Let us please quit prolonging the house of cards we have built. Any business turnaround expert will tell you that taking fresh blood will make those remaining take notice; Let some heads roll. Let’s not keep propping up poor behavior. I do think America is more than ready to see a few millionaires and crap institutions drop away and many others humbled; I bet the markets would react well also.
Let truth and justice prevail.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
The New RNC Post
The Republican National Committee is distributing a mail piece that says "Terrorists" on the front and opens to a big picture of Barack saying "Not Who You Think He Is."
John McCain -- who promised to run a respectful campaign -- said that he was "absolutely" proud of it.
Something that bothers me to no end - Our country was created through immigration. Our early settlers and founding fathers were not of American descent. They came looking for religious freedom and freedom from tyranny. This is little more than bigotry and fear-mongering in disguise; Please do not let this stand.
Obama is being questioned also for where his money comes from; But it comes from the people. He has personally solicited donations on the web and I have proudly given twice. At this point I am more than ready to help, assuming anyone reads this :-) That he has raised so much money this way - That is a true mandate from the people. I can respect McCain's service to our country - but how does one respect this?
I am so ready for this all to be over.
Donating for Obama
Combat this kind of Politics
Are You Kidding Me?
Governor Palin claimed recognition of those in "Carhartts and steel-toed boots" recently; Something many of us wear to work in the field, but not anything she is really that familiar with, it seems.
She probably doesn't have to buy her own drinks either. Sorry - I think we need more than a prom queen and grifter in office when McCain craters and Russia starts testing international borders again.
The Latest
Politico: RNC spent $150k on Palin's clothes
Republicans spent $150,000 on Sarah Palin's clothes
AP INVESTIGATION: Alaska funded Palin kids' travel
She probably doesn't have to buy her own drinks either. Sorry - I think we need more than a prom queen and grifter in office when McCain craters and Russia starts testing international borders again.
The Latest
Politico: RNC spent $150k on Palin's clothes
Republicans spent $150,000 on Sarah Palin's clothes
AP INVESTIGATION: Alaska funded Palin kids' travel
Education... Immigration... Some Policy Ideas [Part II]
In my last post, I talked to problems in our k-12 schooling systems; I think we have other ground to cover in our secondary education systems. The costs are exceeding our own ability to pay and we are increasingly failing to create the local workforce we need.
State schools are failing to cater to local students enough. In a self-serving way, they seek to become "world-class", which really means they wish to become recognized internationally so that they can make money off foreign tuition. I think it reasonable ultimately - after local students are supported. State schools should cater to state citizens - that is why we are paying for them; They can make money still with foreign tuition - but they need to charge more and contain foreign student numbers... Or they need to figure out how to sustain a larger overall student body.
And they need to get costs under control. I worked my way through school, but todays costs are an order of magnitude out of proportion to costs then - these costs have outpaced inflation perhaps more than anything else on the market. There is little hope of return-on-investment in a world market at today's costs. Universities need to look more to industry research and providing real value beyond the classroom again. And they also need to take more of their efforts online. Professors need to look outside of tuition for part of their income; How can they serve their industry by failing to connect with it? The costs of buildings, transportation, and dorms are putting education out of reach - we do not send our children to school for the fine buildings; Like primary schools, much can be done online to reach a larger student body and to reduce costs. Periodic group work, campus testing, and access to certain resources needs to exist - but most classwork is not dependent on the campus setting anymore. Universities need to recognize the new realities or they will soon be replaced by more affordable solutions. [I am looking at products and services in this realm myself - I know I can reach a broad audience more cheaply]
And we need to promote the important disciplines of math and science again. The space program propelled the US forward in a very real capacity to innovate and produce, but that lead no longer remains. As our education efforts falter, other countries take up the slack. The US and western world will not be making the market rules much longer; The question now is whether we will even remain an important producer. Computers, technology breakthroughs, automation, and process improvements continue to provide breakthroughs; But Japan is taking the auto market... India is grabbing much of customer service and software development... everything that can move overseas at a savings likely will, unless policy or other forces manage the containment. National pride and hope do nothing for the bottom line... Being competitive means education and effort.
That said, the H1B visa system is broken. We are importing cheap labor at the expense of US citizens and imposing servitude on those hired from overseas. The technology was largely created here - the skills exist here - or we need to start producing them again. A huge number of IT workers[a huge money machine and key to ongoing productivity breakthroughs] have simply left the business here - their skills were current, but government made it possible to displace them with overseas workers. Hiring anyone outside the US should include a 30% fee ongoing, pipelined directly to the educations systems that fail to produce the necessary workers. Sending money overseas and providing opportunity and economic prosperity to others at our own expense needs to be contained. Corporations have no borders - but our citizens are suffering and our politicians need to start recognizing their responsibilities again.
Am I wrong? What do you think?
State schools are failing to cater to local students enough. In a self-serving way, they seek to become "world-class", which really means they wish to become recognized internationally so that they can make money off foreign tuition. I think it reasonable ultimately - after local students are supported. State schools should cater to state citizens - that is why we are paying for them; They can make money still with foreign tuition - but they need to charge more and contain foreign student numbers... Or they need to figure out how to sustain a larger overall student body.
And they need to get costs under control. I worked my way through school, but todays costs are an order of magnitude out of proportion to costs then - these costs have outpaced inflation perhaps more than anything else on the market. There is little hope of return-on-investment in a world market at today's costs. Universities need to look more to industry research and providing real value beyond the classroom again. And they also need to take more of their efforts online. Professors need to look outside of tuition for part of their income; How can they serve their industry by failing to connect with it? The costs of buildings, transportation, and dorms are putting education out of reach - we do not send our children to school for the fine buildings; Like primary schools, much can be done online to reach a larger student body and to reduce costs. Periodic group work, campus testing, and access to certain resources needs to exist - but most classwork is not dependent on the campus setting anymore. Universities need to recognize the new realities or they will soon be replaced by more affordable solutions. [I am looking at products and services in this realm myself - I know I can reach a broad audience more cheaply]
And we need to promote the important disciplines of math and science again. The space program propelled the US forward in a very real capacity to innovate and produce, but that lead no longer remains. As our education efforts falter, other countries take up the slack. The US and western world will not be making the market rules much longer; The question now is whether we will even remain an important producer. Computers, technology breakthroughs, automation, and process improvements continue to provide breakthroughs; But Japan is taking the auto market... India is grabbing much of customer service and software development... everything that can move overseas at a savings likely will, unless policy or other forces manage the containment. National pride and hope do nothing for the bottom line... Being competitive means education and effort.
That said, the H1B visa system is broken. We are importing cheap labor at the expense of US citizens and imposing servitude on those hired from overseas. The technology was largely created here - the skills exist here - or we need to start producing them again. A huge number of IT workers[a huge money machine and key to ongoing productivity breakthroughs] have simply left the business here - their skills were current, but government made it possible to displace them with overseas workers. Hiring anyone outside the US should include a 30% fee ongoing, pipelined directly to the educations systems that fail to produce the necessary workers. Sending money overseas and providing opportunity and economic prosperity to others at our own expense needs to be contained. Corporations have no borders - but our citizens are suffering and our politicians need to start recognizing their responsibilities again.
Am I wrong? What do you think?
Education... Immigration... Some Policy Ideas [Part I]
One of the things we are looking at locally is the challenge our kids will face in the new global marketplace. A new documentary, "Two Millian Minutes", talkes about the competition from India and China. US children are clearly nonchalant by comparison, putting in less time and generally aloof in their attentions. Studies begin early in these other countries, and they also run late; Their parents are quite serious also. Whether they come here to work or not, their impact is being felt; their numbers are staggering.
Given that we already see the success they have had [Ask your children and anyone in the High-tech industry how much competition already exists], we clearly need to review our own approach and biases. I would suggest that governmental focus is even in the cards; In our universities, we are educating our competition perhaps better than our ourselves. The costs of secondary schooling are spiraling well beyond our ability to afford them - but failing to educate our children will be more costly still.
There is a lot going on here, of course. A friend and I have differing views, but it is clear that many variables contribute to these issues. She is a single mom and would have her children stay at school a full day year round[Policy Change?]; Tranferring the costs she pays for daycare would easily help establish better resources - and her own logistics would be simplified; Our children need to put the time in also. Our own prosperity can no longer simply be taken for granted - we need to put in the effort and be as disciplined as our competitors.
She also believes that related immigration issues need to be addressed. I agree. Documented foreign workers are contributing to social security [they me be the only thing keeping it afloat], but we also pay in social services. Medical care for the uninsured [and other services], teaching English as a second language(?), and the burden on our schools[both in cost and class size/individual student attention]. Undocumented workers add to the challenge. Citizenship being granted automatically by US birth, we have had to close many border hospitals simply because of those rushing the borders to have their children in the US. [Policy Change?]
We can hardly fault them; We are the children of immigrants ourselves. But we can not absorb and provide prosperity for all - Our own infrastructure and citizens are at risk. And the world needs to be sustainable - Other countries need to create opportunity for their own citizens. Part of the model we provide should represent the need to take care of one's citizens... with prejudice. The free flow of humans and goods should be possible, but not to compensate for the failing of whole countries.
I think adopting english as the national language is an idea whose time has come.[Another Policy Change] I believe in knowing many languages; My own heritage includes a strong German influence [also some American Indian, and others] and I truly delighted in visiting that old community in my childhood. They spoke German first and so much European influence was obvious in their craftsmanship and culture. Most Europeans speak at least two languages.
But at the end of the day, the goal is communication. There was a time when immigrants would gather to practice their English, because they knew it would be a key to success. And on the world stage, English remains the language of money. Many speak multiple languages, but English stands out as key for success. To not speak English limits your future, especially in the US.
I think the beautiful languages of other cultures should be retained, but not at the expense of communicating globally. And actually paying with tax dollars to prolong cultural separation is very counter-productive. Oregon recently began firing senior firefighters for not being bi-lingual - Excuse me ?! In a safety-critical situation, speaking English should have been a hiring criteria. And teaching Spanish to help converse with victims and witnesses is interesting... How many languages do we need to support for this noble cause? (e.g. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, .... Do you know how long this list is?) We can not be cohesive as a nation without communication; We can not share vision and direction until we can understand each other.
I do think our educational systems need some contemplation also. We have the technology to support teaching on the internet; And the cost of schools, staff, transportation and other infrastructure is becoming problematic. There are many jobs now that can be done from home because of the internet; I believe schooling may also have some new opportunities. We may also need national standards for education [though anything national seems to cost a lot more - why is that?].
Of course, social skills and individual attention are still important. Parents also are not necessarily the best stewards on study skills and discipline - They have enough on their plate that it does make sense to leverage professionals on this skillset. Schooling completely at home is simply incomplete; Children are often abused - or simply not exposed to enough broad ideas and social interaction - when parents are allowed to isolate them; Children must make an appearance in the real world weekly, being seen by their peers, by adults, and by a diverse group - the world is diverse, after all.
But how we distribute education is due for change. Perhaps we could educate online primarily and drive teachers to problems areas and periodic individual attention. With all the churches we have... those easily could double as smaller schools; I stop short a bit there though - too many would seek to impose/propagate religious views here. We do pay both for schools and for churches though... we are paying for extra buildings, I think; How many churches sit quiet most of the week?
I think the realm of education is due for serious problem-solving. Ideas?
Given that we already see the success they have had [Ask your children and anyone in the High-tech industry how much competition already exists], we clearly need to review our own approach and biases. I would suggest that governmental focus is even in the cards; In our universities, we are educating our competition perhaps better than our ourselves. The costs of secondary schooling are spiraling well beyond our ability to afford them - but failing to educate our children will be more costly still.
There is a lot going on here, of course. A friend and I have differing views, but it is clear that many variables contribute to these issues. She is a single mom and would have her children stay at school a full day year round[Policy Change?]; Tranferring the costs she pays for daycare would easily help establish better resources - and her own logistics would be simplified; Our children need to put the time in also. Our own prosperity can no longer simply be taken for granted - we need to put in the effort and be as disciplined as our competitors.
She also believes that related immigration issues need to be addressed. I agree. Documented foreign workers are contributing to social security [they me be the only thing keeping it afloat], but we also pay in social services. Medical care for the uninsured [and other services], teaching English as a second language(?), and the burden on our schools[both in cost and class size/individual student attention]. Undocumented workers add to the challenge. Citizenship being granted automatically by US birth, we have had to close many border hospitals simply because of those rushing the borders to have their children in the US. [Policy Change?]
We can hardly fault them; We are the children of immigrants ourselves. But we can not absorb and provide prosperity for all - Our own infrastructure and citizens are at risk. And the world needs to be sustainable - Other countries need to create opportunity for their own citizens. Part of the model we provide should represent the need to take care of one's citizens... with prejudice. The free flow of humans and goods should be possible, but not to compensate for the failing of whole countries.
I think adopting english as the national language is an idea whose time has come.[Another Policy Change] I believe in knowing many languages; My own heritage includes a strong German influence [also some American Indian, and others] and I truly delighted in visiting that old community in my childhood. They spoke German first and so much European influence was obvious in their craftsmanship and culture. Most Europeans speak at least two languages.
But at the end of the day, the goal is communication. There was a time when immigrants would gather to practice their English, because they knew it would be a key to success. And on the world stage, English remains the language of money. Many speak multiple languages, but English stands out as key for success. To not speak English limits your future, especially in the US.
I think the beautiful languages of other cultures should be retained, but not at the expense of communicating globally. And actually paying with tax dollars to prolong cultural separation is very counter-productive. Oregon recently began firing senior firefighters for not being bi-lingual - Excuse me ?! In a safety-critical situation, speaking English should have been a hiring criteria. And teaching Spanish to help converse with victims and witnesses is interesting... How many languages do we need to support for this noble cause? (e.g. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, .... Do you know how long this list is?) We can not be cohesive as a nation without communication; We can not share vision and direction until we can understand each other.
I do think our educational systems need some contemplation also. We have the technology to support teaching on the internet; And the cost of schools, staff, transportation and other infrastructure is becoming problematic. There are many jobs now that can be done from home because of the internet; I believe schooling may also have some new opportunities. We may also need national standards for education [though anything national seems to cost a lot more - why is that?].
Of course, social skills and individual attention are still important. Parents also are not necessarily the best stewards on study skills and discipline - They have enough on their plate that it does make sense to leverage professionals on this skillset. Schooling completely at home is simply incomplete; Children are often abused - or simply not exposed to enough broad ideas and social interaction - when parents are allowed to isolate them; Children must make an appearance in the real world weekly, being seen by their peers, by adults, and by a diverse group - the world is diverse, after all.
But how we distribute education is due for change. Perhaps we could educate online primarily and drive teachers to problems areas and periodic individual attention. With all the churches we have... those easily could double as smaller schools; I stop short a bit there though - too many would seek to impose/propagate religious views here. We do pay both for schools and for churches though... we are paying for extra buildings, I think; How many churches sit quiet most of the week?
I think the realm of education is due for serious problem-solving. Ideas?
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Smart Questions, Crisis, and Creation
One of the things that throws me about politicians and voters is that they think changing one's mind is bad; The fact is that times change and it is both irresponsible and dangerous to not be continuously re-evalutaing. There was a time that we thought the world was flat, that the sun revolved around the earth, that man would never fly, ... and that the resources of Earth were more than enough to sustain us.
I slipped that last one in... because the reality of limited resources is the new truth. Simply sending production to another country for its relaxed environmental regulation does not cut it anymore. Sending goods overseas and shipping them here now involves lost local jobs, economic woes, and huge shipping costs. The environment is not a backseat issue anymore - This is a reality that many have already discovered and the move to green solutions is gathering steam. The USA is behind many countries and it is another failing that may limit us also in the market. But the reality of limited fuel, poor water management, depleted soils and failing food supplies, and global warming are obvious and fundamental realities now.
The thing that throws me is how much we refuse to adapt and learn, when we are the one species who does it best. Man through his intelligence has the ability to overcome so much, but generally stands alone and afraid most of the time. We want simple answers and things to be done for us. We want our beliefs and fantasies to continue and change to stay away. If you are a religious person, you may believe your god chooses for us; But I think the gift of intelligence and choice though is one to take seriously. Empowered by these, we are compelled to be responsible owners and creators of our own reality.
In our fear, we often silently look at choice and knowledge as lemons; But we have all the tools we need to make lemonaid. A silly metaphor perhaps... But the choice is really that simple. Complain, blame, and cower - or - Own, risk, and create. I have no trouble seeing myself as imperfect and seeing the world as an ongoing challenge; Life would be boring without these... Life may be hard no matter what - But it does not have to be boring.
We stand now in a place where all of us can truly make a difference; Individuals and grass roots movements can have an effect. And personally reviewing your own choices, beliefs, and actions - and adopting real changes - can make profound differences. Critical thinking, scrutiny, and responsibility will yield ideas, opportunity, new choices, and truth. We end up in a bubble when we close our minds and bubbles seem to burst more often now; But if you can see past them - if you are willing to look and ask smart questions - and change yourself - we all have the freedom and ability to create a better world.
Questions to start with... On every belief... And on everything a politician tells you:
So - today - what are you willing to change or improve? What challenges are you willing to face? What uncomfortable truths will you start to deal with? What beliefs and decisions are you willing to review? If you can not change - what are you giving up? You are your own worst impediment.... Start creating and life can be exciting and meaningful again.
There it is... the meaning of life... why we are all here; In a nutshell. We have a contrbution to make. Own it - see the world from a pioneers eyes - and start to change the world.
I slipped that last one in... because the reality of limited resources is the new truth. Simply sending production to another country for its relaxed environmental regulation does not cut it anymore. Sending goods overseas and shipping them here now involves lost local jobs, economic woes, and huge shipping costs. The environment is not a backseat issue anymore - This is a reality that many have already discovered and the move to green solutions is gathering steam. The USA is behind many countries and it is another failing that may limit us also in the market. But the reality of limited fuel, poor water management, depleted soils and failing food supplies, and global warming are obvious and fundamental realities now.
The thing that throws me is how much we refuse to adapt and learn, when we are the one species who does it best. Man through his intelligence has the ability to overcome so much, but generally stands alone and afraid most of the time. We want simple answers and things to be done for us. We want our beliefs and fantasies to continue and change to stay away. If you are a religious person, you may believe your god chooses for us; But I think the gift of intelligence and choice though is one to take seriously. Empowered by these, we are compelled to be responsible owners and creators of our own reality.
In our fear, we often silently look at choice and knowledge as lemons; But we have all the tools we need to make lemonaid. A silly metaphor perhaps... But the choice is really that simple. Complain, blame, and cower - or - Own, risk, and create. I have no trouble seeing myself as imperfect and seeing the world as an ongoing challenge; Life would be boring without these... Life may be hard no matter what - But it does not have to be boring.
We stand now in a place where all of us can truly make a difference; Individuals and grass roots movements can have an effect. And personally reviewing your own choices, beliefs, and actions - and adopting real changes - can make profound differences. Critical thinking, scrutiny, and responsibility will yield ideas, opportunity, new choices, and truth. We end up in a bubble when we close our minds and bubbles seem to burst more often now; But if you can see past them - if you are willing to look and ask smart questions - and change yourself - we all have the freedom and ability to create a better world.
Questions to start with... On every belief... And on everything a politician tells you:
- What if I am wrong - what might be at risk? What if this politician is wrong - What might be at risk?
- What am I gaining by holding on to this belief? What am I giving up? What motives am I not seeing?
- What untruths am I telling or being told? What are the motivations behind them?
- Am I angry or bitter or depressed or frustrated about anything? (You would be surprised how taking action can displace the problems of daily life)
So - today - what are you willing to change or improve? What challenges are you willing to face? What uncomfortable truths will you start to deal with? What beliefs and decisions are you willing to review? If you can not change - what are you giving up? You are your own worst impediment.... Start creating and life can be exciting and meaningful again.
There it is... the meaning of life... why we are all here; In a nutshell. We have a contrbution to make. Own it - see the world from a pioneers eyes - and start to change the world.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Rights and Responsibilities
Sometimes I wonder if the need to wrestle power away from the politicians has arrived; But I think our system truly can work, if we all step up. As corrupt as many have become, we have the capacity - if our polling system is intact - to make real change.
I think our government has worked so well for so long - because the founding fathers had meaningful experience to draw on and they cared enough to act intelligently. That system has been a remarkable success... mostly. They were smart and honorable men, no doubt... but more than that, they dared to confront the truth and take action. They did not sit at the sidelines and grumble or blame. And when asked what should be done, they used concrete ideas; They did not simply cast dispersions. They spoke eloquently by todays standards, but they were not far from the people.
They were all just men though... not a different species and not without their own challenges. Some were farmers; Most were family men. There were times when they had gone hungry, fought the cold, stayed awake with young sick children; They had bad days and made mistakes... But they made time to take on another country and assemble a new nation. They wrote their own speeches and took responsibility. They got out there and found the truth.
We have two real candidates this year - I think they are both honorable men. But I also think we have spent too much time on the sidelines. We let our politicians get away with simple words; We have escalated them to a status above us, by blindly believing and following and not using a critical mind. They are also just men.
We have a decision to make every four years, one that effects our lives profoundly, and we give it less attention than we give football. And our newspapers do little to make waves; There was a time we demanded more of them - but today they are profit centers and have a lot more to say about Britney Spears and OJ. I would love to see voting records tabulated, bill wording and earmarks in a politics section, money transfers in plain sight, and "public record" truly public; Wouldn't it be great if we had a government section that compared with our business and sports pages?
Taking back the country and making real change can not be done from the sidelines. Words must be matched with deads. Letting politicians avoid our questions and letting the media distract us with skiing squirrels and fashion, is a failing on our part also. Learn how the system works. Quit being self-serving in your view of the world... With everyone taking advantage and no one returning acts of generosity or getting involved, the entire system will surely fail faster, harder, and from out of nowhere. If no one thinks about keeping the schools working, helping the poor and hungry, and dealing with injustice... we will quickly become a starving, foolish, violent mob.
We have sent many of our young men overseas to fight for us; They are still there and its not clear we are doing well there or at home. When will they come home? What will they come home to? My dad was in the armed services and he quickly forwards anything honoring the soldiers of today and yesterday; For him it is probably not possible that he could be overdoing it a little. I am asking everyone to honor what they fight for... not just the soldier, but the ideals; And they fight for us and true freedom, not for politicians or oil. Its our politicians and corporate America though, that send men off to war. Our forefathers also fought for us, but with the idea that we would pay attention and take all of this as seriously as they did. In honor of all that, we need to find our own fight back here at home; We need to start fighting for our country and being serious in a way our forefathers were. We need to find the truth and we need to use a critical mind. And we need to step up.
I think our government has worked so well for so long - because the founding fathers had meaningful experience to draw on and they cared enough to act intelligently. That system has been a remarkable success... mostly. They were smart and honorable men, no doubt... but more than that, they dared to confront the truth and take action. They did not sit at the sidelines and grumble or blame. And when asked what should be done, they used concrete ideas; They did not simply cast dispersions. They spoke eloquently by todays standards, but they were not far from the people.
They were all just men though... not a different species and not without their own challenges. Some were farmers; Most were family men. There were times when they had gone hungry, fought the cold, stayed awake with young sick children; They had bad days and made mistakes... But they made time to take on another country and assemble a new nation. They wrote their own speeches and took responsibility. They got out there and found the truth.
We have two real candidates this year - I think they are both honorable men. But I also think we have spent too much time on the sidelines. We let our politicians get away with simple words; We have escalated them to a status above us, by blindly believing and following and not using a critical mind. They are also just men.
We have a decision to make every four years, one that effects our lives profoundly, and we give it less attention than we give football. And our newspapers do little to make waves; There was a time we demanded more of them - but today they are profit centers and have a lot more to say about Britney Spears and OJ. I would love to see voting records tabulated, bill wording and earmarks in a politics section, money transfers in plain sight, and "public record" truly public; Wouldn't it be great if we had a government section that compared with our business and sports pages?
Taking back the country and making real change can not be done from the sidelines. Words must be matched with deads. Letting politicians avoid our questions and letting the media distract us with skiing squirrels and fashion, is a failing on our part also. Learn how the system works. Quit being self-serving in your view of the world... With everyone taking advantage and no one returning acts of generosity or getting involved, the entire system will surely fail faster, harder, and from out of nowhere. If no one thinks about keeping the schools working, helping the poor and hungry, and dealing with injustice... we will quickly become a starving, foolish, violent mob.
We have sent many of our young men overseas to fight for us; They are still there and its not clear we are doing well there or at home. When will they come home? What will they come home to? My dad was in the armed services and he quickly forwards anything honoring the soldiers of today and yesterday; For him it is probably not possible that he could be overdoing it a little. I am asking everyone to honor what they fight for... not just the soldier, but the ideals; And they fight for us and true freedom, not for politicians or oil. Its our politicians and corporate America though, that send men off to war. Our forefathers also fought for us, but with the idea that we would pay attention and take all of this as seriously as they did. In honor of all that, we need to find our own fight back here at home; We need to start fighting for our country and being serious in a way our forefathers were. We need to find the truth and we need to use a critical mind. And we need to step up.
In my lifetime I have seen decidedly democrat states - states with farmers and working men - swing incredibly conservative; This was not a sudden wave of street genius - this was marketing. This was the influence of hype and spin. We are letting soundbites stomp out the truth. Many of us simply grunt and clap when someone says family values; But for all the conservative flag-waving and pretense at religious faith, what has happened to our country? They have spent a lot of time blaming... but the democrats have had minimal influence for over 20 years.
Don't just make noise because you have the right. Don't just guess at what the truth is. Don't vote uninformed - Rights come with responsibilities. Don't blame everyone else; Put in some effort yourself and be critical of your own actions first. Quit giving our power away - let us all hold ourselves and our leaders accountable. Like our forefathers, we are all just men... but we can create amazing things and overcome ridiculous odds. Apathy and pretense are not going to cut it though; Thought, research, sweat, risk, and genuine caring are involved. We need to own this problem - and the failure will be our own if we let the country fail.
So - What are you doing today to make this all go better?
Friday, October 17, 2008
I Do Wonder ...
Once upon a time I had a blog here... Attempts to find it produced little result. I wonder if the old info and log-in are still out there though... in the blogosphere... hurtling into the cosmos. That said, I am not sure it was so interesting back then. I had things to say... But it is definitely a new day. I have much bigger things to wonder about these days:
- The World Financial Situation - McCain is a decent man - a war hero also - but he seems old now and his ideas are mired in promises with little detail - he says he can save us billions; He has no idea - the economists differ in their opinions - the Reserve Chairman Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Paulson are winging it. McCain has been in congress for years - what has he been waiting for? The economy has long been rushing headlong for this "surprise" - the tax bases across the US are drying up, the economies overseas have boomed through outsourcing of US work, but even now they are in trouble also because we are. What part of this system is so elusive?
How disconnected can politicians be? Plumbers making $250k a year - really? Republican bias toward their rich friends has gone overtime - empty promises to the people and drunken sailor profit-taking by the rich... Bush Junior and Bush Senior were and are in the oil business; Cheney was and is in the oil business; Halliburton and big oil is the singular booming market. And they get subsidies still?! They have had time to chase alternative energy - and they have the money to do it on their own. CEO pay - way out of control. If politicians were paid for performance, they would owe us everything. We all could have retired rich if they had invested social security... now they can't keep it afloat or pay enough to sustain our final years. I struggle to think of anything going well. Please - let this party be over! Out of the pool!!!!
The firmly entrenched actually need to be removed. Any system in place over a long enough time becomes corrupt and bureaucratic. Line item budget review, as Obama suggests, is needed - bigtime. Change itself spurs economic development. Fearing it is the wrong reaction. Any industry too long under major regulation probably needs deregulation... and vice-versa. There is no one answer or inevitable truth other than change - and it is exactly what we need. Darwin was right - adapt and experiment - or die. - The Presidential Election - Obama now has some detail to offer, but I understand why he paused before bringing these forward. He needs to get elected before he can pursue his agenda. And too many are still fearful of the needed change and hopeful that the old ways can simply return. Its easy to be nostalgic, but the 50s are gone - and the thinking that got us here is not going to get us out.
At the end of the day, any president has only the power that the system allows. Few political promises are delivered because no one person can promise much - the system is designed for consensus and mediation. Bush has enjoyed too much freedom in office at our expense - because he had the congress and ultimately most of the justice system aligned on his agenda; The checks and balances have not been working because the democrats were not on the field. Two years of a marginal representation in congress did little so far to upset the momentum of the Iraq war - Big Oil - Pro Business - Anti middle class spending spree. That democrats receive money from big oil as industry as much republicans do... they simply can no longer do otherwise; They can't get on the ballot without it. That is how broken our system is.
We were generally enamoured with the Kennedys some years back - their youth and eloquence - but I think we have forgotten what charisma and leadership look like. If Obama is scary in his message of hope and change, my advice is simple; The freight train has been barreling towards trouble for a while. Smooth as the ride has been, we have been apathetic and have abdicated our responsibilities as citizens. Change is inevitable. The brakes, some vision and depth, and an ability to think past the old ways - is what we need. As McCain said - Obama is a decent man and a family man; But more than that - he is smart enough to know that we have problems to fix. Our national education, our infratructure, and financial vigor are faltering... Obama is simply asking us for the courage to help get our respect back. It will take all of us and it will take work. But we need to change... We can take part in it and start using our voices again... or we can let the next crisis arrive unimpeded.
I think we need to "stay the course" on what started last election - getting the imbalance out. I think we need to displace yet more of the unfettered republican influence, and after that we need to oust the long-standing incumbents. Our founding fathers never imagined career politiains. The government is supposed to work at the consent of the governed... they have not listened to us for years. Their talking to us has been mostly pandering for re-election. Lets just get that out of the equation. We do not need term limits to oust the old men in place... we just need to vote our message. Enough already! - The Reality of Ecological Peril - That the republicans might actually get out the vote better than the democrats [they usually do] scares me to no end. The economic system abused - Is it no wonder the bigger system, our own ecosystem, is also in peril? It takes almost 50 years for the net effect of carbon emissions to be realized, and global warming is still accelerating... our change in behavior will likely come too late if we do not figure things out and take meaningful action soon. With the heat will come increased air quality issues - not just pollution, but also more pollen in the air and mosquitoes carrying disease. The weather will continue to surprise us with bigger storms, unprecedented drought, and more. Food chains are already being disrupted and some of our larger species are struggling - are we next? Being smart does not trump reality - it is only the potential for survival. You still have to move out of the way of the train
Solar has been viable for years - builders simply have not built them because we have not made them do it. There are real example of green buildings and whole countries that are way ahead of us in understanding and implementing true green ideas. Oil companies has us over a barrel[sorry about that] because we have not demanded alternatives; And car manufacturers were here in the 1970s learned nothing apparently. We ourselves knew in the 1960s... Mother Earth reigns supreme. The 60s radical was a visionary - the world chose not to listen. But we can listen now. Geothermal energy, wind power, alternate fuels... these are not new ideas, just inconvenient ones. You could have been disconnected from oil and power companies years ago.
I am not completely opposed to nuclear as many would be. Quite simply, unless we get very energy-frugal very fast, our current mechanisms may bury us. Solar requires a lot of real estate when done on a large scale; We can do things at home, but the trend is to wait for someone else -be it government or some other "free spirit". Wind also takes a lot of real estate. And neither is a silver bullet - there are cloudy days and days of low wind - we need to understand energy storage. Geothermal works - but we have so few who know how to implement it - so we wait again. If the economic engine needs power - and mother nature needs attention - we might need to do nuclear. I understand the challenges... but we truly have gotten better at managing the risks. We still need to identify better answers for nuclear waste... but given all the other truths on the table, we may have limited our choices already. We may need near-term nuclear just to avoid ecosystem calamity
Our disposable mentality has to change also. We try to recycle and tell ourselves we are doing plenty. In Seattle, we are soon charging for the super-thin plastic grocery bags... but Americans individually create nearly a ton of garbage a day[not just trash at home - think of what it takes to build a car, serve fast food, assemble buildings, and more]; Its not shopping bags. Its plastic though... and electronics. The plastic packaging on most consumer items represents an enormous part of it - little yogurt containers, packaging for scissors you need scissors to open - iPods and batteries that are easier to toss than repair. Not long ago, we bought economy sized things to save money - and it was ecological almost by accident. Now we recycle and yet generate trash faster still. How do we not see? - Healthcare & Education - As critical as this one is, it probably is number four. Economic collapse will make healthcare and education reform difficult; Ecologic cotastrophe negates any healthcare or education gains; And out political choices will drive all of this. Both candidates talk about affording college educations - but our children first need a foundation before college and public schools are also faltering. I group education and health - because they do go together - mind and body. That said, both need attention. McCain's health plan has holes all over it. $5000 is nothing for the elderly and at the rate of medical cost increase, it will not help young people long.This one to me is easy. Obama's kids are still early in their education - he is a young father - he will live long enough to see the results so you can bet he will think a bit harder on it.
- The other distractions - After we clear the major items above, most of the remaining is political distraction. The war is something we can not afford - We can not fix the world until we are strong at home again - and it is questionable that we should have tried. Simple national arrogance and opportunistic oil power thinking. Enough said.
Religion, abortion, safety, guns, immigration, equality of the races and sexes - these are distractions for the moment. We can not save everyone - so lets just make sure we have sensible protections. Guns - are a guaranteed right - lets simply punish the unlawful. Religion and abortion - whatever your position, these are not issues the country needs to pay attention to - Morality and religion are inward focused... Freedom does not mean freedom to be like everyone else; The constitution and bill of rights seek to preserve both the group and the individual. Seriously - let he who is without sin throw the first stone. Or more simply stated... but out. I am tired of the righteous imposing their values when they are mostly angry, annoying, dogmatic hypocrates themselves. And the politicians who seek to use these issues are trying to duck what matters - Don't let them. They don't care one way or the other, except for how they can manipulate voters with it. These issues are largely fear-mongering... Britney Spears doesn't matter and most of this does not either. We have bigger fish to fry.
I am [believe it or not] an optimist; This is me reflecting the evidence I see; I believe though enough in our capability as a species, our strength as Americans, and our desire to do the right thing. I rarely jump up and shout, though maybe I[we] should. But belief, faith, and hope is not enough; Apathy can not rule the day any longer. Action is called for: Find your truth, make your case, and get involved. If I am wrong, prove it... But get out of the lazyboy and do it soon.
Reading of Interest
The Tyranny of the Bottom Line
The Predator State
The New Golden Age
The Necessary Revolution
The Productivity Imperative
The World is Flat
Read for ideas - I do not advocate any particular book - but fresh ideas can only make our own ideas better. And pay attention to numbers - but question everything; Look for verification. Don't let the thoughts of others become your own without scrutiny.
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