Let’s come to terms with a few things.
Covid – 19 represents something we, despite our own good sense as a world population, expect. SARS, Aids, Ebola, Ecoli and other fast spreading infections are huge warnings that this will continue to happen – and we need to be prepared for this.
Our infrastructure for the care of people cannot handle this for two reasons
First, it’s privately owned and intended to make a profit. Profit motive, at its core makes its primary goal the antithesis of human wellbeing. It’s not bad for companies to aim at profit. It’s bad to consider healthcare a profit system. (I’m not arguing that Doctors shouldn’t make good money. I’m arguing that profit should not be the goal for the funding of a medical system).
Secondly, our Republican representatives, our so called “conservative” political party, have sold off, defunded and otherwise worked to derail our publicly owned systems to push people into becoming customers of the privately owned systems – and to take over the public investment at no or little cost. This party is conserving nothing. It’s radically destroying the protections we built, after the great depression, to keep these kinds of things from happening.
Think about this:
If we all had a plan that assured we would have enough to eat, that we wouldn’t be evicted from our homes for losing our jobs, if we couldn’t go into debt because of school or medical bills and we had environmental protections that prevented unsafe food and pollution practices, then, where exactly would the emergency be?
It would be with the care of the people dying from this disease and the prospect of not working would have an impact, but it wouldn’t “destroy our way of life”. People who drive ubers or work at restaurants wouldn’t be worried about being homeless or without food or medical care and wouldn’t be worrying about the medical costs destroying their lives.
By making a substantial social safety net, we don’t ruin life. We preserve it. Conserve it.
And the emergency in business would be substantially less too. They could idle with the understanding they could draw on assistance to keep workers whole while the issue was dealt with. Yes, they would need to idle in some cases, for public safety, but that would just be put on hold.
But in our current system, businesses will be punished for standing still, for doing what is right in cases like this. And they will layoff and cut workers in order to “stay in business” but that’s like cutting off your legs because you drank poison. Even if you recover from the poisoning, you now have no legs. Cutting your means of production is killing the golden goose. Idling it is not perfect, but you can still come back from it.
So when people argue against a progressive agenda with environmental and social safety nets, they are arguing for short sightedness, they are arguing against the ability to do the right thing. They are arguing not for reasonable capitalism, where the company makes a good profit – they are arguing for a profit only motive. They are arguing for money over everything else. And it’s a suicide argument. Everything – our health, welfare, safety, morals are all sacrificed on the alter of greed. This cannot be the case.
Capitalism is an economic system designed to make money. It is not a form of government. Democracy is a system designed to protect all of the people. To pursue life, liberty and happiness. Life. We cannot protect life by protecting greed. We can only protect life by intentionally protecting life.
Better vote Democrat. Register to vote if you have not. Register to vote by mail if need be.
IN PA https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/OnlineAbsenteeApplication/#/OnlineAbsenteeBegin
Or look up mail in or absentee ballots in your state.
Saturday, March 28, 2020
Sunday, March 22, 2020
Singularly optimized systems aren't robust
I have spoken a bit about the Invisible Hand – Adam Smith’s metaphor for the unseen forces that balance markets and distribute income in free society.
I have seen it in action (we all have regardless of knowing it or not) and it works to our benefit and detriment depending on who we are, what decisions we make and what money we have.
It’s a system, that we’ve tried to optimize for personal gain, which does work, especially if you have a lot of money. But the market is a gamble, which is played by a bunch of people who are unwittingly risk adverse – they want the game spun to optimize their chance of winning.
The system is so sensitive to the slightest turn of the screw that big things, which are complex to predict, send it into collapse.
We see this pattern repeated in many systems, because the human race has been so successful at Analysis and optimization, we push it to the max, everywhere, never thinking as to why some things always seem to incorporate “waste” or “lag time”.
The reason is, we are human. We need some lubrication in our systems. We don’t work like machines. We need to build in the ability for things to not go as planned. We need to understand that we don’t get 8 hours of work from and 8 hour day all of the time. We need to have systems that are robust enough to care for (food, medical attention) the poorest as well as the wealthiest among us.
I’m talking about Capitalism but with Social Responsibility built into our plan, our laws.
We cannot rely on business to do it. Business has the goal of optimizing capital. Fine. Good. But government cannot have the same singular goal. It needs to maintain balance in the economy and take care of every citizen. Its goal needs to be running a sustainable, durable, robust system that helps people and works with business in a balanced way.
It means businesses need to pay taxes. It means the wealthy need to pay taxes.
And in our other systems – food supply, medical supply and yes, toilet paper supply, we need to be able to build programs that makes sure the poor and elderly have access to necessities.
We shouldn’t need to go into massive special modes to ensure we can survive a pandemic. Or a market change that freaks out wall street. It should be part of our planning.
We know we’re not perfect. So why not plan for it?
I have seen it in action (we all have regardless of knowing it or not) and it works to our benefit and detriment depending on who we are, what decisions we make and what money we have.
It’s a system, that we’ve tried to optimize for personal gain, which does work, especially if you have a lot of money. But the market is a gamble, which is played by a bunch of people who are unwittingly risk adverse – they want the game spun to optimize their chance of winning.
The system is so sensitive to the slightest turn of the screw that big things, which are complex to predict, send it into collapse.
We see this pattern repeated in many systems, because the human race has been so successful at Analysis and optimization, we push it to the max, everywhere, never thinking as to why some things always seem to incorporate “waste” or “lag time”.
The reason is, we are human. We need some lubrication in our systems. We don’t work like machines. We need to build in the ability for things to not go as planned. We need to understand that we don’t get 8 hours of work from and 8 hour day all of the time. We need to have systems that are robust enough to care for (food, medical attention) the poorest as well as the wealthiest among us.
I’m talking about Capitalism but with Social Responsibility built into our plan, our laws.
We cannot rely on business to do it. Business has the goal of optimizing capital. Fine. Good. But government cannot have the same singular goal. It needs to maintain balance in the economy and take care of every citizen. Its goal needs to be running a sustainable, durable, robust system that helps people and works with business in a balanced way.
It means businesses need to pay taxes. It means the wealthy need to pay taxes.
And in our other systems – food supply, medical supply and yes, toilet paper supply, we need to be able to build programs that makes sure the poor and elderly have access to necessities.
We shouldn’t need to go into massive special modes to ensure we can survive a pandemic. Or a market change that freaks out wall street. It should be part of our planning.
We know we’re not perfect. So why not plan for it?
Friday, March 13, 2020
Shopping for the Zombie Apocalypse
Thinking I’d get a jump on things, I figured I’d shop Friday night (which I do sometimes to avoid Saturday rush) and figured as schools are closing and events are cancelled and working from home looms as a potential for some of us (unfortunately, not enough of us), this was going to be one of those Saturdays.
I knew heading into Sam’s Club, wiping my cart handle down, that there would be no toilet paper. Not an issue – my wife and I are well stocked. We buy a large pack, a few times a year. But I admittedly was not prepared for what I found.
Thinking maybe I would get a whole chicken and a couple pounds of ground beef I headed for the meat department, only swinging by to pick up cat food, which we have a reasonable amount of but there are 3 cats and couple of weeks is long enough we would run out and they would kill us in our sleep and eat us. Mine are little angels most of the time, but when they’re hungry…
Swinging over to the meat isles I was instantly stunned. Each section was completely empty, excepting the Tomahawk Ribeyes which were 2+ pounds and represented a similar investment as graduate school.
No Chicken, Pork or Beef. No milk. No eggs. Grapes and Bananas completely gone (?). Over to the frozen meat. Only a few bags of chicken nuggets left (now remember, this is a bulk buy retailer – huge inventories). Plenty of prepared meals available but very little. I found a small box of 12 frozen hamburgers Some Italian chicken sausage, half and half. As I looked around, stares of disbelief which likely mirrored my face.
There was even a substantial dent in the available bags of Doritos and Cheetos and I did grab one of each, so if you find my dead body with a strange, presidential looking orange dust on it, I went out, but I went out happily. It ain’t easy being cheesy.
A few more things and I was on my way. Stopping over at Target to get a few things I found a similar situation. Almost all meat (well, they did have some Bison, but it was $9 a pound and wasn’t doing that. A few cans of soup. Some Smarties which I use in a pinch instead of diabetic glucose when my blood sugar drops, of which they are the cheapest supplier but are almost always out of. I’m not sure why, sugar is eminently abundant.
Giant Eagle was more of the same, although they still had a lot of fresh Salmon and a few frozen ducks. I guess Duck is not “shelter in place” food.
As I was coming out of the last store, I ran into a friend and coworker and she reminded me of a thought I had earlier. In this world of just-in-time inventories, they only stock and plan on runs for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Snack foods for the super bowl. Milk and Toilet paper in substantially bad weather.
Inventory in fact, in our capitalist minds, exists as a necessary evil. But because of it, re-supplying will slow down. Manufacturing will slow down. Wall street and subsequently business, thrive on predictable outcomes and they scream in pain when they are not.
And that is infinitely funny. Because the Stock Market is a game of chance, but one whose players complains when they have to take a chance. Insurance companies and banks too, when they aren’t allowed to manipulate their bets into sure things. Oh, they’re fine with tossing the world for the little guy, overextending credit, charging high interest rates and late fees.
They’re only geniuses in the sense that they have put themselves in a position to gamble, but not in the sense they would actually want to gamble. And then you realize (if you hadn’t long ago), the issue for the market isn’t the deaths Covid 19 will cause or disruption to lives. It’s of course, the monetary impact, but even more, the unpredictability of it. And it effects a lot of us. Our retirement savings, which is invested there.
And those same people who run businesses that push for predictability, want to take away social nets that save families medically and economically – that make their lives more predictable (at least to the point where they can live and eat).
This is a mild version of what might happen if this virus was say Ebola. We are not ready. Which is why we need a socially responsible democratic government to pair with our capitalist economic model. Capitalism is ultimately not built to govern or deal with people. It’s brutal. Supply and demand, right there in Sam’s club. Fortunately, it’s not life or death for me. But it is for many. Many without health insurance, without jobs, without homes. We need systems that cushion the reality of Capitalism for the little guy, where it is so brutal. The rich can lose money, but can remain rich. You cannot lose your health and remain alive. You cannot lose your sole income or ability to make that income and remain alive.
And if we need to remind the rich, more than a 70% of the world lives below the poverty line and overf 10% in the USA, the worlds richest country, do. We don’t need to save the rich. They will save themselves. It’s time for us to vote to save ourselves and our fellow humans.
It turns out in the Zombie Apocalypse, the zombies are just wandering around Sam’s club, trying to decide if they should try “meatless chicken” or subsist on Pop Tarts. They’re not dead, they are people who are seeing their social footing shake beneath them. And if the people in Washington are only concerned about the same things as the people on Wall Street, we’re screwed. Better vote.
I knew heading into Sam’s Club, wiping my cart handle down, that there would be no toilet paper. Not an issue – my wife and I are well stocked. We buy a large pack, a few times a year. But I admittedly was not prepared for what I found.
Thinking maybe I would get a whole chicken and a couple pounds of ground beef I headed for the meat department, only swinging by to pick up cat food, which we have a reasonable amount of but there are 3 cats and couple of weeks is long enough we would run out and they would kill us in our sleep and eat us. Mine are little angels most of the time, but when they’re hungry…
Swinging over to the meat isles I was instantly stunned. Each section was completely empty, excepting the Tomahawk Ribeyes which were 2+ pounds and represented a similar investment as graduate school.
No Chicken, Pork or Beef. No milk. No eggs. Grapes and Bananas completely gone (?). Over to the frozen meat. Only a few bags of chicken nuggets left (now remember, this is a bulk buy retailer – huge inventories). Plenty of prepared meals available but very little. I found a small box of 12 frozen hamburgers Some Italian chicken sausage, half and half. As I looked around, stares of disbelief which likely mirrored my face.
There was even a substantial dent in the available bags of Doritos and Cheetos and I did grab one of each, so if you find my dead body with a strange, presidential looking orange dust on it, I went out, but I went out happily. It ain’t easy being cheesy.
A few more things and I was on my way. Stopping over at Target to get a few things I found a similar situation. Almost all meat (well, they did have some Bison, but it was $9 a pound and wasn’t doing that. A few cans of soup. Some Smarties which I use in a pinch instead of diabetic glucose when my blood sugar drops, of which they are the cheapest supplier but are almost always out of. I’m not sure why, sugar is eminently abundant.
Giant Eagle was more of the same, although they still had a lot of fresh Salmon and a few frozen ducks. I guess Duck is not “shelter in place” food.
As I was coming out of the last store, I ran into a friend and coworker and she reminded me of a thought I had earlier. In this world of just-in-time inventories, they only stock and plan on runs for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Snack foods for the super bowl. Milk and Toilet paper in substantially bad weather.
Inventory in fact, in our capitalist minds, exists as a necessary evil. But because of it, re-supplying will slow down. Manufacturing will slow down. Wall street and subsequently business, thrive on predictable outcomes and they scream in pain when they are not.
And that is infinitely funny. Because the Stock Market is a game of chance, but one whose players complains when they have to take a chance. Insurance companies and banks too, when they aren’t allowed to manipulate their bets into sure things. Oh, they’re fine with tossing the world for the little guy, overextending credit, charging high interest rates and late fees.
They’re only geniuses in the sense that they have put themselves in a position to gamble, but not in the sense they would actually want to gamble. And then you realize (if you hadn’t long ago), the issue for the market isn’t the deaths Covid 19 will cause or disruption to lives. It’s of course, the monetary impact, but even more, the unpredictability of it. And it effects a lot of us. Our retirement savings, which is invested there.
And those same people who run businesses that push for predictability, want to take away social nets that save families medically and economically – that make their lives more predictable (at least to the point where they can live and eat).
This is a mild version of what might happen if this virus was say Ebola. We are not ready. Which is why we need a socially responsible democratic government to pair with our capitalist economic model. Capitalism is ultimately not built to govern or deal with people. It’s brutal. Supply and demand, right there in Sam’s club. Fortunately, it’s not life or death for me. But it is for many. Many without health insurance, without jobs, without homes. We need systems that cushion the reality of Capitalism for the little guy, where it is so brutal. The rich can lose money, but can remain rich. You cannot lose your health and remain alive. You cannot lose your sole income or ability to make that income and remain alive.
And if we need to remind the rich, more than a 70% of the world lives below the poverty line and overf 10% in the USA, the worlds richest country, do. We don’t need to save the rich. They will save themselves. It’s time for us to vote to save ourselves and our fellow humans.
It turns out in the Zombie Apocalypse, the zombies are just wandering around Sam’s club, trying to decide if they should try “meatless chicken” or subsist on Pop Tarts. They’re not dead, they are people who are seeing their social footing shake beneath them. And if the people in Washington are only concerned about the same things as the people on Wall Street, we’re screwed. Better vote.
Sunday, February 23, 2020
The Ball Pit Analogy
The basic idea of publicly funded health, publicly funded education and publicly funded military is capitalistic, but leveraging group buying.
Groups work like ball pits. if you slide down the slide you are bolstered by the balls in the pit - your fall is broken. If there are too few balls, you bottom out and still hit the floor.
If you already have health insurance, you already participate in a group to leverage investment. You do this with the military already.You don't purchase a "Military Plan" from an independent military contractor (although they exist and are purchased by those who have different-than-ordinary needs.
So when folks get freaked out with the idea of publicly funded healthcare or secondary education, I think they're not thinking clearly - they've been programed to label it socialism and call it evil (it's not socialism - the means of production is still privately owned - schools and doctors and hospitals and teachers - are paid by the state.
Yes, profit is not part of the equation for the payer. But it is if you are an institution or a provider - you make money. The part that changes, changes little. removing the profit motive from the payment system allows doctors to make decisions in favor of the patient. For teachers to make decisions based on the needs of students.
It's not that institutions (private or public) don't make mistakes. But publicly owned we have an opportunity to influence through ownership and advocacy and it means everyone gets access to these necessities.
I'm a capitalist - I believe in making money. I also believe in social responsibility. The two are not mutually exclusive. We can profit and make sure people have basic needs fulfilled. We already do it in many places. It's merely expanding it in ways that benefit everyone.
Groups work like ball pits. if you slide down the slide you are bolstered by the balls in the pit - your fall is broken. If there are too few balls, you bottom out and still hit the floor.
If you already have health insurance, you already participate in a group to leverage investment. You do this with the military already.You don't purchase a "Military Plan" from an independent military contractor (although they exist and are purchased by those who have different-than-ordinary needs.
So when folks get freaked out with the idea of publicly funded healthcare or secondary education, I think they're not thinking clearly - they've been programed to label it socialism and call it evil (it's not socialism - the means of production is still privately owned - schools and doctors and hospitals and teachers - are paid by the state.
Yes, profit is not part of the equation for the payer. But it is if you are an institution or a provider - you make money. The part that changes, changes little. removing the profit motive from the payment system allows doctors to make decisions in favor of the patient. For teachers to make decisions based on the needs of students.
It's not that institutions (private or public) don't make mistakes. But publicly owned we have an opportunity to influence through ownership and advocacy and it means everyone gets access to these necessities.
I'm a capitalist - I believe in making money. I also believe in social responsibility. The two are not mutually exclusive. We can profit and make sure people have basic needs fulfilled. We already do it in many places. It's merely expanding it in ways that benefit everyone.
Sunday, January 26, 2020
Socially Responsible Capitalism is the only Sustainable Capitalism
A friend posted a slide from a Goldman Sachs presentation in 2018 that says "Is curing patients a sustainable business model?"
So, I went looking to validate this and indeed, they make an observation that one-shot cures in these days of genome miracles don't leave the door open for ongoing revenue.
Which might make the argument for the cost of these cures to be extremely high if left to the free market.
Then I watched "Elysium" with Jen and here, it's world of sickness and poverty on earth, still used for production, where the rich have left the planet to live in an artificial environment orbiting the earth, where sickness and aging have all been but wiped out. A metaphor for Trumps wall or class division, it shows the stark contrast of a world where you die from things that are easily curable with modern technology.
And that's where we are. When all research is market driven, then this happens. When you take away publicly funded research, only large or sustainable revenue projects are looked at as viable by companies, because theirr focus is not on curing. Their focus is on a market.
And this is why we cannot trust capitalism to be our source of research.
Greta Thunberg recently made the argument that business should divest from oil extraction (and Stephen Miller, Trump minion, suggested she should study economics) and this is supported by science.
Monolithic business itself cannot get there. Because businesses are self-perpetuating and rarely respond to disruptive technology well. But divestment from oil, natural gas and coal have to be done, right now, in order for the planet to remain viable for life. And the way we get there is government incentives and taxes. You make it cheaper to use solar, wind and other technologies and more expensive to use oil. That's economics. It's not laissez-Faire economics where we let it run roughshod over common sense.
Business cannot monitor itself either. The profit motive is contrary to the wellbeing of people, much of the time. And while it's fine for an idea to exist in a perfect vacuum, we need to regulate in the real world, to keep that vacuum from sucking all of the oxygen out of the room. With balance and oversite, capitalism can be a positive force that helps us all grow. Left to its own devices, only those with capital benefit and they push out those with less.
So the next time your conservative friend tells you that "smaller government" is needed, you can give examples where that certainly isn't the case. We need substantial public investment in everything from research, medicine, education, to sustainable production of anything - food, machines, clothing, etc...
Socially responsible capitalism is sustainable. There are profits and growth yes. And there are social benefits and protections, that allow everyone to reasonably live through it. Anything else is greed.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/04/curing-disease-not-a-sustainable-business-model-goldman-sachs-analysts-say/
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/11/goldman-asks-is-curing-patients-a-sustainable-business-model.html
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jul/05/biggest-compliment-yet-greta-thunberg-welcomes-oil-chiefs-greatest-threat-label
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Love in 2020
On this New Year’s Eve, the auspicious precipice of 2020, a few thoughts;
We are all the same in our makeup, with variations being a very small fraction of a percent - we share the same genetics, a set of specifications that allow this organic machine, the human body, to function, to some degree similarly to others. And to a large extent, we are also similar to all of the living organisms we coexist with.
We differ in cosmetic ways and in our thoughts, perceptions, opinions – and yet we congregate around ideas like love, friendship, peace, religion, government, war, poverty – some successes and failures – and even war and disease – so within our collective differences, we vary fairly slightly – so that at a distance, one could barely perceive them.
I can go on diatribes about those that would manipulate some portion of mankind to put themselves above others (and do and have) but they are in fact, less pervasive than the norms of love and peace. Evil stands out because of its agonizing reflection against Love and Peace.
I am reminded constantly – every day - Love is the answer. By my wife and family. By my friends and by this wide world. That doesn’t mean we don’t falter or take offence, or get mad. It doesn’t mean that there aren't atrocities or that we don’t play some unintended part in them.
It means that when we pull back, we understand when we’re wrong and that love is both action and being. We further it. It is how we can live, laugh and prosper together.
I wish you and your families love, peace, laughter and prosperity in 2020 and beyond. Pass it on.
Tobias Venar
We are all the same in our makeup, with variations being a very small fraction of a percent - we share the same genetics, a set of specifications that allow this organic machine, the human body, to function, to some degree similarly to others. And to a large extent, we are also similar to all of the living organisms we coexist with.
We differ in cosmetic ways and in our thoughts, perceptions, opinions – and yet we congregate around ideas like love, friendship, peace, religion, government, war, poverty – some successes and failures – and even war and disease – so within our collective differences, we vary fairly slightly – so that at a distance, one could barely perceive them.
I can go on diatribes about those that would manipulate some portion of mankind to put themselves above others (and do and have) but they are in fact, less pervasive than the norms of love and peace. Evil stands out because of its agonizing reflection against Love and Peace.
I am reminded constantly – every day - Love is the answer. By my wife and family. By my friends and by this wide world. That doesn’t mean we don’t falter or take offence, or get mad. It doesn’t mean that there aren't atrocities or that we don’t play some unintended part in them.
It means that when we pull back, we understand when we’re wrong and that love is both action and being. We further it. It is how we can live, laugh and prosper together.
I wish you and your families love, peace, laughter and prosperity in 2020 and beyond. Pass it on.
Tobias Venar
Sunday, December 08, 2019
Finding our way
Nestled down in the heart of our minds, is our home - a virtual place that exists as a center. It's a complex composite of experiences good and bad that surrounds and sets limits - that is unique and yet frequently common with others. Part of that shared experience is innately human and part of it has to do with the country, culture, economic position and social groups we are in.
It's in that humanity, that commonality that we have to realize - our boundaries and fears, our experiences in the past won't change and cannot. Only how we perceive them and work through them.
So change becomes difficult as we get older, we pile up experiences and group think pervades. We reflect opinions of some of our friends and influences. We get comfortable with our ideas being "right". And that's all good as long as we keep perspective and understand that "right" for us is just that. Our perfection is not someone else's.
Hold that in your hand for a moment and don't let go, while we switch gears.
People can be preyed upon, when change or perceived change takes them far from their home or comfort zone.
For instance, the president says there's an immigration crisis, even though illegal immigration is at it's lowest rate in years. He says these people are murders and rapists, with some, he supposes, good people. This too is a lie, with no basis in fact.
This isn't an innocent mistake - this is a campaign to inspire fear and get you angry about an issue that takes many, especially the less travelled, far from home and pits them against people advocating for human rights, trying to show them in a poor light, make them look like they want to invite murders and rapists into the country. "It's the immigrants that are to blame". Easy put. Call out a common enemy, any enemy and you are pulling those more gullible to your side.
It also angers the folks advocating for Human Rights, pulling them away from their comfort zone. It divides us and in it, gives a gift to those that wish to pull the wool over everyone's eyes.
This is a propaganda technique that used to be used sparingly. But for two years now, each day brings a news cycle that keeps people on both sides of the fence away from their comfort, with enemies to spare, we become more divided so that we can be taken advantage of. Our fears are exploited and our comforts pulled away. But why?
To distract. To pull your attention away from the draining of the public investment in this government. As each little piece is sold off or rented and funneled into tax relief for the wealthy, underwriting and subsidies for business, as public benefits are reduced. As veterans benefits are reduced. As alliances are made with enemies of the world, to support private ambitions. We start getting angry but the next news cycle comes with something else outrageous, pulling our fragile attention from the matter at hand.
This is all intentional. Even when an issue is real, it is spun to be the news cycle flaming, loud, item, which takes our attention away from yesterday's news. There's only so much outrage to go around. We can only expend anger in bursts - we're not made to do marathon anger in general.
So we lose it. It's why we cannot get anything done with Global Warming. It's a slow moving story. Aids - 32 million HIV related deaths since the start of the epidemic. 1.7 million new infections annually (4,657 people a day) and 25 million people in treatment now. And yet both of these should be headlined every day and instead they are sidelined. As are what's happening to class division. And education. Net Neutrality. The removal of support for clean energy sources, subsidies to oil and coal. Safe gun laws and the failure to do anything about the 385 mass shootings* in the USA between New Years 2019 and December 1, 2019.
And in losing this, we quickly lose what our founding fathers, our Grand Parents and Parents, our military have worked and fought for. We lose our identity as a country. We lose our foundation. We lose our long built government infrastructure, we lose public ownership. We lose our natural reserves and resources. We lose opportunity, which is our signature as a country - as the rich eat the rest of us, as our conservative politicians sell us to the rich, to our enemies, we become less.
We cannot afford to lose much more. it will take years to repair division and remake what we had. It will be a long time before we can get home again on a regular basis. But the sooner we get rid of the maleficence in Washington, those that profit from our division, the sooner we can. The sooner we can get back to being the land of opportunity and become the land of equality.
Don't lose the long view. Keep it squarely in mind. So much is at stake.
*https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mass-shootings-2019-more-mass-shootings-than-days-so-far-this-year/
It's in that humanity, that commonality that we have to realize - our boundaries and fears, our experiences in the past won't change and cannot. Only how we perceive them and work through them.
So change becomes difficult as we get older, we pile up experiences and group think pervades. We reflect opinions of some of our friends and influences. We get comfortable with our ideas being "right". And that's all good as long as we keep perspective and understand that "right" for us is just that. Our perfection is not someone else's.
Hold that in your hand for a moment and don't let go, while we switch gears.
People can be preyed upon, when change or perceived change takes them far from their home or comfort zone.
For instance, the president says there's an immigration crisis, even though illegal immigration is at it's lowest rate in years. He says these people are murders and rapists, with some, he supposes, good people. This too is a lie, with no basis in fact.
This isn't an innocent mistake - this is a campaign to inspire fear and get you angry about an issue that takes many, especially the less travelled, far from home and pits them against people advocating for human rights, trying to show them in a poor light, make them look like they want to invite murders and rapists into the country. "It's the immigrants that are to blame". Easy put. Call out a common enemy, any enemy and you are pulling those more gullible to your side.
It also angers the folks advocating for Human Rights, pulling them away from their comfort zone. It divides us and in it, gives a gift to those that wish to pull the wool over everyone's eyes.
This is a propaganda technique that used to be used sparingly. But for two years now, each day brings a news cycle that keeps people on both sides of the fence away from their comfort, with enemies to spare, we become more divided so that we can be taken advantage of. Our fears are exploited and our comforts pulled away. But why?
To distract. To pull your attention away from the draining of the public investment in this government. As each little piece is sold off or rented and funneled into tax relief for the wealthy, underwriting and subsidies for business, as public benefits are reduced. As veterans benefits are reduced. As alliances are made with enemies of the world, to support private ambitions. We start getting angry but the next news cycle comes with something else outrageous, pulling our fragile attention from the matter at hand.
This is all intentional. Even when an issue is real, it is spun to be the news cycle flaming, loud, item, which takes our attention away from yesterday's news. There's only so much outrage to go around. We can only expend anger in bursts - we're not made to do marathon anger in general.
So we lose it. It's why we cannot get anything done with Global Warming. It's a slow moving story. Aids - 32 million HIV related deaths since the start of the epidemic. 1.7 million new infections annually (4,657 people a day) and 25 million people in treatment now. And yet both of these should be headlined every day and instead they are sidelined. As are what's happening to class division. And education. Net Neutrality. The removal of support for clean energy sources, subsidies to oil and coal. Safe gun laws and the failure to do anything about the 385 mass shootings* in the USA between New Years 2019 and December 1, 2019.
And in losing this, we quickly lose what our founding fathers, our Grand Parents and Parents, our military have worked and fought for. We lose our identity as a country. We lose our foundation. We lose our long built government infrastructure, we lose public ownership. We lose our natural reserves and resources. We lose opportunity, which is our signature as a country - as the rich eat the rest of us, as our conservative politicians sell us to the rich, to our enemies, we become less.
We cannot afford to lose much more. it will take years to repair division and remake what we had. It will be a long time before we can get home again on a regular basis. But the sooner we get rid of the maleficence in Washington, those that profit from our division, the sooner we can. The sooner we can get back to being the land of opportunity and become the land of equality.
Don't lose the long view. Keep it squarely in mind. So much is at stake.
*https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mass-shootings-2019-more-mass-shootings-than-days-so-far-this-year/
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Truths
There is what we believe and there is truth. Real truth. And sometimes they are close and sometimes they are not. Depending on how you use truth - either plainly or twisting the world to create a perceived truth, you change your interaction with the world.
Truths can be simple or complex and can be true all of the time or situationally. Simple: The sky and oceans are blue. Death is a certainty. Moderate: I do some harm to the world by living a disposable lifestyle. Difficult: People act in their own self interest much of the time, intentionally or not, including me.
That last one is difficult because we like to think of ourselves as generous, caring, giving - good. And all of those can be true, but at the very basis of that, is the ability to survive. The difference then, is how I perceive the world - as a fight for limited resource or a place of relative bounty. If I see it as the later, I will tend to share more and I will see others, who share less perhaps as less fortunate. And I will see those that work to deny others that bounty as stepping past the bounds that define a good human being.
It is easy to get caught in a race and think in order to win, others must lose. There are those that profit off this mindset and so the race is presented every day, by some politicians, by private agendas, by those who trade in fear in order to control.
Humanity in reality has not survived by "survival of the fittest" for a long time. That was true before we developed civilization, when we we either ate or were eaten. Civilization developed to help us leverage each other to make survival easier. It's about what we can do together - and we serve ourselves by working with others. We defeated much of evolutions tools to filter us out. It's why near-sighted people survived. Vaccination. Food development. Social nets.
A truth: The very act of being selfless (in whatever way you can) can in turn serve oneself and others at the same time.
Another truth: Taking care of oneself is paramount. Self love is different than self aggrandizing or selfishness. It's necessary to continue. It's taking care of the golden goose.
So, all year, but during this season especially (because it is a time held special by many and a time of vulnerability), remember that we are all different and in that we are all equally deserving of a life, happiness and love. Remember that you can get where your going by helping others get where they are going.
Earth's the right place for love:
I don't know where it's likely to go better.
(from Birches, by Robert Frost)
Thursday, September 26, 2019
The fine line between self and me
By our very nature, we are self serving. We are designed to eat when we are hungry, sleep when we are tired and protect our livelihood. We have learned behaviors and anxieties that can subvert that some. We also have learned behaviors that use these instincts to go further than self care, into justifying self serving behavior for gain beyond need - to disguise want for need. We can take these behaviors further to justify actual greed.
And in moderation, it allows some of us to work and live with a safety net and cushion from basic issues like hunger, shelter - and get on with pursuing art, love and well being. In moderation, it hopefully helps one help others get there too.
It's when we act in self interest beyond the boundaries of need, beyond the boundaries of others freedoms. It's the difference between self care and "me first". It's the difference between working hard to get into a school and buying your way in. It's the difference between running a energetic and smart campaign and asking outside interests to get rid of your political opponents.
I'm certainly not perfect. I own a few more guitars than I can justify. I need to modify my life to be more in line with sustainable guidelines on waste and consumption. I've worked hard to benefit others and in turn benefit myself and my family along the way - I have taken opportunities that others might not have gotten. I'm aware of my windfalls and fault, at least to a healthy extent and my family, friends and community help ground me there, remind me of who I need to be.
This president, this "me first" buffoon, this two bit hustler is a cancer. He presents himself as the normal, but is greed and narcissus incarnate. He sets the worst example by doing the worst he can. He doesn't work to get where he is going by helping others - he blackmails to get what he wants. That's not deal making. That's win/lose. And you can't sustain a business with that philosophy - even in a perfect capitalism. And in democracy, a real democracy, you have to push for the common good, not individual greed.
And it's in the common interest that he needs to be removed. And that in the next election cycle, the infection that he has spread be removed and replaced with people interested in representing their constituency and work for the common good - and prevent that which subverts common interest in the form of special interest. That's self care.
Saturday, August 31, 2019
Homesick
Let’s go back to a time, if you had one, where you felt safe, where things were simpler, where cookies and milk were a solution to a lot of what ailed you, where you likely didn’t have to focus much on anything besides your small world.
For time this was maybe 5 or 6 years old. 1968/1969 for me was a new house and new instant friends next door and down the street. Dinner on the table, concerned teachers, church every Sunday followed by a drive to your Grandparents,
playing in the garden and sandbox, then Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, followed by The Wonderful World of Disney and then falling asleep in the car on the way home.
Those of us lucky enough to have this sort of childhood hopefully relate to what I describe even if yours was earlier or later. It was a gift. Our parents made this happen for us. There are many who didn’t have this (a discussion for another time, however). A world we can sometimes be homesick for.
But the real world wasn’t safe in 1968/1969. Womens and Civil Rights struggles. Vietnam, the Tet Offensive. Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy assassinated. Qaudafi takes Libya. Chinese and the Russians clashing. Nixon announces candidacy. Stonewall Riots.
I was too young to understand these things or pay attention to most of them.
And it’s that uncomplicated world that Trump is appealing to when he speaks to his core followers – MAGA. Nobody that age was trying to understand which pronouns best described them. Nobody was questioning God. Nobody was making them think about Global Warming, Aids, Apartheid, School Shootings, World Hunger, recycling, etc… in any meaningful way. Nobody was pushing their limits, making them think.
They were not understanding the horrors of the age, only some of the brilliance.
You cannot go home – it doesn’t exist except in your mind. And the reason is, you are an adult – you understand more of the world around you – you are conscious and aware and you know that people have all kinds of things to survive in this world. You realize that the person sitting next to you at a bus stop may have been exposed to discrimination all of their life.
You try to understand an imperfectly adapt to the changing world around you. It’s difficult. It’s perilous. And it’s worth it.
Because only when we recognize that our struggles are our own, but we’re in this all together – where we recognize and help lift each other, in whatever ways we can, that we succeed.
Repression of everything that has changed, that we don’t understand, that doesn’t agree with our world view, that makes us have to be have differently is not the answer. The world moves and changes and we must with it. It’s the only way to real happiness and peace, that doesn’t exclude others.
And there is the rub. You have to care about others that aren’t like you. And that’s why the white nationalism, the racism, the anti LGBTQ+ actions, the propaganda calling civil rights protesting anti-American, the propaganda calling immigrants and Muslims the enemy. It’s framed around presenting a world sterilized of everything that is different and challenging that world view.
And it’s being sold not because Mr. Trump believes it. It’s being sold because the base believes it and will vote for it. It’s being sold because the money that has taken over power will unscrupulously pander to people who prefer not to step out of their protective shell and change.
Our challenge is to help those around us step out. To embrace some discomfort for the good of humanity. To find joy in others success and joy.
It’s hard to get people to walk in others shoes, to forget the homesick feeling they have in their gut and understand that it’s nostalgia for something that doesn’t exist anymore – to leave that behind and see how the world needs to change for everyone to live together, each on their own way.
It’s hard. I’m as guilty as the next person being homesick at times. Wanting to go back to that simpler life. I get there through a song or picture or something else that triggers a memory. And it’s ok to live there for a minute, to revel in the back of the car sleep. But a few minutes later, when I wake up, I put on my big boy pants and catch up with the rest of the world and understand it’s not just about me.
But it is also about me - here, in the world many of us are striving to make, I get to choose what I listen to, how I live my life, who and how I love – as long as it doesn’t step on others rights to do the same.
One way of helping others there is by pulling them to the scene of abuse, helping them walk side by side with the abused then helping them step into those shoes. A good example of this is during the closing argument of “A time to kill”.
The trial of a black man who kills the man who raped his little girl. All white jury, in the south. Jake, the protagonist lawyer, walks the jury agonizingly through the rape and beating of the little black girl. The urination on her, the throwing of her fragile, broken body over the bridge and being left for dead. “Can you see her?”
“Now, imagine she’s white”.
Suddenly the white jurist is transported to standing in the shoes of someone who is horrified and is now seeing the horror from their own shoes – from their own house, if you will. If you cannot get them to care about others, then get them to care about themselves in the same circumstance. That their safe home is not safe for others.
This is how we get some of those that cannot go any other way there. There are those that cannot be shaken even then. But we know the majority of folks want to coexist. Want to revel in the joy of others as well as their own. Who want everyone to be able to live, love and worship with dignity and respect. There is comfort in that, as we face the vocal few who still cannot get there, who are being tweeted to.
Home. That home is a place of mutual respect, not a world sanitized of all that is different. Keep that in mind as you fight the good fight. Keep that in mind as you persevere.
Sunday, August 11, 2019
Where we came from, where we are going
As you are enjoying your coffee or latte, eating your breakfast burrito or sandwich, dreading your 40 minute commute to your workplace on Monday, imagine you were desperate enough to change your life that you leave the place you were born on foot.
Imagine walking for months, not knowing how you were going to eat, but knowing ahead there’s a place where you can eat regularly, maybe even have bed, where the threat to life is only occasional and accidental. Where exploitation is as minimal as it can be.
Then imagine the toil of getting there and having to deal with arbitrary constructs called borders and imaginary obstructions to finding reasonable way of making a life let alone a living, that were lumped in with legitimate law, as you pass through one country to another, until you finally reach your destination and find they put up the biggest artificial constraints of all.
We enjoy our privilege because our grandparents or theirs made this journey themselves – many on boats, but many on foot too. All of them taking their lives in their hands. And unless you are Native American, this is your family story. And we enjoy what we enjoy because they were given the opportunity to join this country.
---
In New York for one evening on a training, I rush to Battery Park to catch the last boat to Ellis Island to view my Grandparents names on the wall there (my Aunt went through trouble of getting their passage recognized, as thousands have). All four of my Grandparents came from Europe, over on boats. orphaned by the Russian Revolution, others with their parents, looking for a better life.
As I looked at Yasha and Helen’s names on the wall, I was overwhelmed with gratitude, with the memories of these dear people, who worked so hard, changing their lives and subsequently making mine possible.
---
The people making their way here are doing so because they are at best in poverty and need and at worst, in danger. We are the 3rd largest country in the world. We have a population density of 36 people per square kilometer – maybe a little higher (number is 2016). In India it’s 416 per square kilometer. Our fear of scarcity in this, the most lush and vibrant economy in the world, is unfounded. Our prejudices about people of different origin and in some cases different skin color based in scripting from generations of prejudice and propaganda, especially in the propaganda of these political years, where one party has decided that calling these people the enemy will allow them to stay in power.
In a self made crisis, in one of engineered mismanagement and underfunding, they are pointing as these people, who are fundamentally us, as a threat. Clearly, as we look at the past, anytime someone has pointed at an unorganized group of humans as a threat, it’s been a move to further themselves (think of McCarthyism. Think of the interment of Japanese Americans. Think of the Nazi persecution of Jews. And on and on.) We not only have the ability to welcome more, but a moral one. Being born somewhere is hardly good criteria from which to separate humans.
Yes, we need to screen and understand who is coming here and try to ensure they are not bringing hate with them (just as we see, we need to do a better job of this within our borders, for people who were born here). But this crisis is a political stunt, done with malice and hurting thousands, ripping families apart as a grab for control over a fearful part of our populace, by an oligarchy, with the goal of staying in power, to further exploit the populace, through government and business.
We cannot allow this to continue to be our way. We are the land of equality and the land of opportunity – not in perfect practice, but in declaration, in purpose and we need to strive to pull ourselves back on to that path.
We do that by;
And if you think this is not what this country is about, then read through our founding documents again. Read the words of our great women and men – and understand. We are not here to stake a claim against the rest of humanity, but side by side with them. There is no us and them. It is just us.
Imagine walking for months, not knowing how you were going to eat, but knowing ahead there’s a place where you can eat regularly, maybe even have bed, where the threat to life is only occasional and accidental. Where exploitation is as minimal as it can be.
Then imagine the toil of getting there and having to deal with arbitrary constructs called borders and imaginary obstructions to finding reasonable way of making a life let alone a living, that were lumped in with legitimate law, as you pass through one country to another, until you finally reach your destination and find they put up the biggest artificial constraints of all.
We enjoy our privilege because our grandparents or theirs made this journey themselves – many on boats, but many on foot too. All of them taking their lives in their hands. And unless you are Native American, this is your family story. And we enjoy what we enjoy because they were given the opportunity to join this country.
---
In New York for one evening on a training, I rush to Battery Park to catch the last boat to Ellis Island to view my Grandparents names on the wall there (my Aunt went through trouble of getting their passage recognized, as thousands have). All four of my Grandparents came from Europe, over on boats. orphaned by the Russian Revolution, others with their parents, looking for a better life.
As I looked at Yasha and Helen’s names on the wall, I was overwhelmed with gratitude, with the memories of these dear people, who worked so hard, changing their lives and subsequently making mine possible.
---
The people making their way here are doing so because they are at best in poverty and need and at worst, in danger. We are the 3rd largest country in the world. We have a population density of 36 people per square kilometer – maybe a little higher (number is 2016). In India it’s 416 per square kilometer. Our fear of scarcity in this, the most lush and vibrant economy in the world, is unfounded. Our prejudices about people of different origin and in some cases different skin color based in scripting from generations of prejudice and propaganda, especially in the propaganda of these political years, where one party has decided that calling these people the enemy will allow them to stay in power.
In a self made crisis, in one of engineered mismanagement and underfunding, they are pointing as these people, who are fundamentally us, as a threat. Clearly, as we look at the past, anytime someone has pointed at an unorganized group of humans as a threat, it’s been a move to further themselves (think of McCarthyism. Think of the interment of Japanese Americans. Think of the Nazi persecution of Jews. And on and on.) We not only have the ability to welcome more, but a moral one. Being born somewhere is hardly good criteria from which to separate humans.
Yes, we need to screen and understand who is coming here and try to ensure they are not bringing hate with them (just as we see, we need to do a better job of this within our borders, for people who were born here). But this crisis is a political stunt, done with malice and hurting thousands, ripping families apart as a grab for control over a fearful part of our populace, by an oligarchy, with the goal of staying in power, to further exploit the populace, through government and business.
We cannot allow this to continue to be our way. We are the land of equality and the land of opportunity – not in perfect practice, but in declaration, in purpose and we need to strive to pull ourselves back on to that path.
We do that by;
- Voting in people who believe in and act on diversity, human rights and secular law
- Influencing government, business and neighbors to understand and work for these goals once again
- Build laws that help prevent this from ever happening again, that value human dignity and account for basic human rights and needs for all of us.
And if you think this is not what this country is about, then read through our founding documents again. Read the words of our great women and men – and understand. We are not here to stake a claim against the rest of humanity, but side by side with them. There is no us and them. It is just us.
Sunday, July 14, 2019
Finding Joy
Here’s the thing; Everyone has the right to find their joy within their own space. The minute you involve others in any way, the rules change and you have to be cognizant of their right to find joy too. There are certainly unintentional ways this happens. In families it can happen because of a sense of obligation, the obliged frequently giving up joy for the obligator – and both parties may not recognize this – and both may play both roles.
It frequently happens from differing expectations. It frequently happens because one or more parties feels entitled. We impinge on each other without intention – and if with intention, we’re doing wrong and need to fix it.
It reminds me of something my Dad used to say; “Only you are responsible for the perfection of your own dream.” My corollaries are, “You’re not an island. Your dream needs to consider others.” And “It’s better to focus on the Journey as much as the Destination. Destinations are goals, but the Journey is now.”
So – you’ve got to be your own advocate. You need to say what you want. You need to find joy in the moment, the process, as well as the end product. You need to decide when you can live with the compromises and responsibilities that come with relationships with others. You need to understand how you affect others. This isn’t easy, even if you’re a reasonable person. It takes introspection and self awareness. It frequently takes work. There will be limiting factors (societal rules, resources).
But you can find your joy in the process, if you pay attention, if you get where you’re going by helping others get where they’re going.
I urge you to find that path.
It frequently happens from differing expectations. It frequently happens because one or more parties feels entitled. We impinge on each other without intention – and if with intention, we’re doing wrong and need to fix it.
It reminds me of something my Dad used to say; “Only you are responsible for the perfection of your own dream.” My corollaries are, “You’re not an island. Your dream needs to consider others.” And “It’s better to focus on the Journey as much as the Destination. Destinations are goals, but the Journey is now.”
So – you’ve got to be your own advocate. You need to say what you want. You need to find joy in the moment, the process, as well as the end product. You need to decide when you can live with the compromises and responsibilities that come with relationships with others. You need to understand how you affect others. This isn’t easy, even if you’re a reasonable person. It takes introspection and self awareness. It frequently takes work. There will be limiting factors (societal rules, resources).
But you can find your joy in the process, if you pay attention, if you get where you’re going by helping others get where they’re going.
I urge you to find that path.
Sunday, June 16, 2019
Fathers Day
Our parental values being what they are, call for the building of community - one we call family and we work to help and protect that family. Today we celebrate Fathers (and along with Mothers day) and their role.
I'd like to address our paternal sense in terms of the greater community. I trust you love your family and hope you are celebrated for your loving role. We have similar responsibilities to our fellow humans.
As parents, frequently it is necessary to put ourselves first for survival. "Put on your air mask and then assist the person next to you". It is myopic and tragic, when we put ourselves first to a degree that forget or ignore that we live together. So it goes for society too.
But there are those who feel they can put themselves first all the time - that they don't need to contribute to the greater community, making self interest exclusive, they forget that they live with the support of a whole community, not just a family and not just themselves.
And to those who feel they contribute more than others - this isn't about equality in return. It's not an even trade. Those that can pull heavier loads. It's the ability of the strong to stand up for the weak that made this country, that earned us the statue of liberty and the eloquent poem from Emma Lazarus "“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” - that's not a call for personal gain. It's not for the forwarding of our personal agendas. It's a call for humanity, recognizing our responsibility to help others - to create a world everyone can live in.
Fatherhood (or parenthood in general) was never meant to be a material return. The return comes in the knowledge you helped - you cannot control your child, you can only help aim them in the right direction (to paraphrase a favorite quite from Gibran). So it is with community, with your country. Everyone has to contribute - and it's not equal, but to the best of our ability.
In doing that, we maximize our potential as humans - to love, to give and subsequently let others love and live, without judgement of thier individual values. It is what it means to be a citizen in a democracy.
You contributed positively to the well being of other human lives to the best of your ability. And that's the beauty Parenthood.
Being a father changed my life, especially once I started figuring out how I was truly needed, but it also helped me understand it is a metaphor for growing up and living in this world.
To my child, Jessica Gabriel Tabetha Venar - I love you with all my heart. I'm proud of the human you have become and continue to become.
To my Dad - I love you, miss you and cherish what you taught me, gave to me of yourself.
To Fathers on this day - I recognize your love and efforts - I see it in your children - my fellow human beings and in general, it brings me great hope.
To everyone - we all have the potential to offer each other love and a chance for life and growth. Do it often, without judgement, if you can.
I'd like to address our paternal sense in terms of the greater community. I trust you love your family and hope you are celebrated for your loving role. We have similar responsibilities to our fellow humans.
As parents, frequently it is necessary to put ourselves first for survival. "Put on your air mask and then assist the person next to you". It is myopic and tragic, when we put ourselves first to a degree that forget or ignore that we live together. So it goes for society too.
But there are those who feel they can put themselves first all the time - that they don't need to contribute to the greater community, making self interest exclusive, they forget that they live with the support of a whole community, not just a family and not just themselves.
And to those who feel they contribute more than others - this isn't about equality in return. It's not an even trade. Those that can pull heavier loads. It's the ability of the strong to stand up for the weak that made this country, that earned us the statue of liberty and the eloquent poem from Emma Lazarus "“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” - that's not a call for personal gain. It's not for the forwarding of our personal agendas. It's a call for humanity, recognizing our responsibility to help others - to create a world everyone can live in.
Fatherhood (or parenthood in general) was never meant to be a material return. The return comes in the knowledge you helped - you cannot control your child, you can only help aim them in the right direction (to paraphrase a favorite quite from Gibran). So it is with community, with your country. Everyone has to contribute - and it's not equal, but to the best of our ability.
In doing that, we maximize our potential as humans - to love, to give and subsequently let others love and live, without judgement of thier individual values. It is what it means to be a citizen in a democracy.
You contributed positively to the well being of other human lives to the best of your ability. And that's the beauty Parenthood.
Being a father changed my life, especially once I started figuring out how I was truly needed, but it also helped me understand it is a metaphor for growing up and living in this world.
To my child, Jessica Gabriel Tabetha Venar - I love you with all my heart. I'm proud of the human you have become and continue to become.
To my Dad - I love you, miss you and cherish what you taught me, gave to me of yourself.
To Fathers on this day - I recognize your love and efforts - I see it in your children - my fellow human beings and in general, it brings me great hope.
To everyone - we all have the potential to offer each other love and a chance for life and growth. Do it often, without judgement, if you can.
Friday, May 17, 2019
Stay in your lane Bro'
I'm angry and sad today at the state of our thinking. We are so concerned with legislating the bodies of others, against their will, that we work to stack a court with judges and then push the unthinkable to get the question in front of them, when the will of the people is clearly for choice.
For those that want to impose their religious will, I ask - if God does not agree that abortion is an option, why does it exist?
Faith, you see, is your belief - not god's will. It's not God's faith - it's yours. And faith is based in what you cannot touch - it's your beliefs. It's private.
To impose your beliefs - your faith on others is to invalidate their belief and violate their space. This is why our founding fathers set up a secular system. Separation of Church and State. Laws were not intended to impose rules on faith. They were intended to apply to our social interaction and action.
A woman seeking an solution to an unwanted pregnancy - for whatever reason - is making a decision for herself. It does not impact you. You have no stake in the game. Even if you are the father, you have no stake in the game.
Parenthood is a lifelong choice. So is adoption and abortion. But they are choices regardless of being legal or not. Long before adoption laws were formed, people took in others. Long after abortion was illegal, women died or mutilated themselves trying to prevent an unwanted baby.
To go down a path of taking away choices for birth control and abortion literally forces a woman's destiny. And your judgement that people shouldn't have sex if they don't intend parenthood is Orwellian and outdated.
It's fine if you choose to not consider abortion a choice for yourself. It is criminal to try to force that choice on others.
For those that want to impose their religious will, I ask - if God does not agree that abortion is an option, why does it exist?
Faith, you see, is your belief - not god's will. It's not God's faith - it's yours. And faith is based in what you cannot touch - it's your beliefs. It's private.
To impose your beliefs - your faith on others is to invalidate their belief and violate their space. This is why our founding fathers set up a secular system. Separation of Church and State. Laws were not intended to impose rules on faith. They were intended to apply to our social interaction and action.
A woman seeking an solution to an unwanted pregnancy - for whatever reason - is making a decision for herself. It does not impact you. You have no stake in the game. Even if you are the father, you have no stake in the game.
Parenthood is a lifelong choice. So is adoption and abortion. But they are choices regardless of being legal or not. Long before adoption laws were formed, people took in others. Long after abortion was illegal, women died or mutilated themselves trying to prevent an unwanted baby.
To go down a path of taking away choices for birth control and abortion literally forces a woman's destiny. And your judgement that people shouldn't have sex if they don't intend parenthood is Orwellian and outdated.
It's fine if you choose to not consider abortion a choice for yourself. It is criminal to try to force that choice on others.
Thursday, April 18, 2019
Israel and Restraint
When I hear anything that smacks of racial or religious purity I cringe, because hiding behind the thin layer of masked language are the ideas of exclusion and discrimination, hate and genocide.
And the Jewish people have been recipients of this treatment for hundreds of years. Egyptians, Romans, Crusades, Inquisitions, Nazis - and those are just well known instances - tons of persecution.
And some of us have engendered acceptance and co-existence. But the recent movement in Israel to be a Jewish only state, is a movement of exclusion, discrimination and hate.
“Israel is not a state of all its citizens,” he [Netanyahu] wrote a few weeks before the election. “Israel is the nation state of the Jewish people — and only it.”
What makes this different than 1930s-40s Germany then? What makes this different than Rwanda, Darfur, Ireland?
This is a mistake. And it's a mistake for US Government to support it. And it's a mistake in the playbook for all Jewish persons - understand that we sit in the role of persecutor now. And that cannot be the case. We of any, should be working for the eradication of hate, not the cultivation of it - even in the face of extremist adversity - should be pushing for peace.
Should israel be strong - yes. But they need to carry that with restraint. Mr. Netanyahu is not. He is figuratively and literally killing innocents along with terrorists. He is persecuting Israeli citizens because of their genetics and beliefs.
How do we achieve restraint?
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/18/opinion/benjamin-netanyahu-israel.html
And the Jewish people have been recipients of this treatment for hundreds of years. Egyptians, Romans, Crusades, Inquisitions, Nazis - and those are just well known instances - tons of persecution.
And some of us have engendered acceptance and co-existence. But the recent movement in Israel to be a Jewish only state, is a movement of exclusion, discrimination and hate.
“Israel is not a state of all its citizens,” he [Netanyahu] wrote a few weeks before the election. “Israel is the nation state of the Jewish people — and only it.”
What makes this different than 1930s-40s Germany then? What makes this different than Rwanda, Darfur, Ireland?
This is a mistake. And it's a mistake for US Government to support it. And it's a mistake in the playbook for all Jewish persons - understand that we sit in the role of persecutor now. And that cannot be the case. We of any, should be working for the eradication of hate, not the cultivation of it - even in the face of extremist adversity - should be pushing for peace.
Should israel be strong - yes. But they need to carry that with restraint. Mr. Netanyahu is not. He is figuratively and literally killing innocents along with terrorists. He is persecuting Israeli citizens because of their genetics and beliefs.
How do we achieve restraint?
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/18/opinion/benjamin-netanyahu-israel.html
Friday, April 12, 2019
The element of suprise
I personally think the Democrats are blowing it in regards to the presidential race.
Where's the element of surprise?
1. Trump has two years to evaluate, research and talk down all of his competition
2. If the fight gets ugly within the party, it will cause disenfranchisement and apathy.
3. 20 candidates who eventually need to push their voters to one? Are they relying on the "better than Trump" argument to get people out to the polls (see Apathy above).
4. By the time we do get to a single candidate, pocketbooks will be worn down, not to mention voters. I'm already tired of political ads and we've two years to go.
Behind the scenes, party leadership needs to be pushing to run polite campaigns and figure out a strategy to help things pull together faster. By that I do not mean they need to pick the candidate. I mean they need to negotiate with potentials on ways to understand their chances early and be able to throw support to someone who represents the voters in the party more holistically than others. They also need to eliminate the pretenders and investigate themselves to ensure there are no skeleton issues with the candidates that do move forward.
All this may be going on - but so far, it feels more disorganized than previous disorganized elections. Everyone was in way too early and there are too many of them. I think this is because they think this polarization will buy them the election - simple math - more Dems in the country and a horrible Republican candidate. Again, I think they are miscalculating the potential for voter apathy. Having canvassed voters in the past, there are a contingent who would not be sure they could leave their homes if their downstairs was on fire. Numbers are great, but they have to get to the polls.
Democratic leaders (are there any?) need to get former party leaders to step up and start rallying folks now. They need to help disseminate information about all of the candidates - side by side comparisons on real issues. They need to make sure Dems understand it is their choice and they need to get them to pick early and politely work toward consensus, so that goodwill and money are not spent on the internal haggle, leaving nothing on the table for the real fight.
Otherwise, the other guy, the man who is destroying the country, is going to win without having to do anything else.
Where's the element of surprise?
1. Trump has two years to evaluate, research and talk down all of his competition
2. If the fight gets ugly within the party, it will cause disenfranchisement and apathy.
3. 20 candidates who eventually need to push their voters to one? Are they relying on the "better than Trump" argument to get people out to the polls (see Apathy above).
4. By the time we do get to a single candidate, pocketbooks will be worn down, not to mention voters. I'm already tired of political ads and we've two years to go.
Behind the scenes, party leadership needs to be pushing to run polite campaigns and figure out a strategy to help things pull together faster. By that I do not mean they need to pick the candidate. I mean they need to negotiate with potentials on ways to understand their chances early and be able to throw support to someone who represents the voters in the party more holistically than others. They also need to eliminate the pretenders and investigate themselves to ensure there are no skeleton issues with the candidates that do move forward.
All this may be going on - but so far, it feels more disorganized than previous disorganized elections. Everyone was in way too early and there are too many of them. I think this is because they think this polarization will buy them the election - simple math - more Dems in the country and a horrible Republican candidate. Again, I think they are miscalculating the potential for voter apathy. Having canvassed voters in the past, there are a contingent who would not be sure they could leave their homes if their downstairs was on fire. Numbers are great, but they have to get to the polls.
Democratic leaders (are there any?) need to get former party leaders to step up and start rallying folks now. They need to help disseminate information about all of the candidates - side by side comparisons on real issues. They need to make sure Dems understand it is their choice and they need to get them to pick early and politely work toward consensus, so that goodwill and money are not spent on the internal haggle, leaving nothing on the table for the real fight.
Otherwise, the other guy, the man who is destroying the country, is going to win without having to do anything else.
Sunday, April 07, 2019
Anti-Semitic
anti–Semitic /ˌænËŒtaɪsəˈmɪtɪk/ adjective
: feeling or showing hatred of Jewish people
Merriam-Webster Learners Dictionary
Folks - last night, in front of a conservative Jewish audience took a shot at Ilhan Omar, the congresswoman from Minnesota. He indicated she "doesn't like Israel", with the implication through the speech that not liking the actions of the Israeli government or the political policies of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC - a pro-Israeli expansion lobby) is anti-Semitic. He went on to say that Democrats are harboring anti-Semitism within the party.
This is not true - it's blatantly false. Ilhan Omar is not an Anti-Semite, nor are Democrats.
Yes - Israel has legitimate concerns about the safety of their people. But many of us recognize this is done at the expense of the Palestinian people in the region and that you cannot subjugate and kill your way to peace.
People who are against those policies are not anti-Semitic or anti-Israel (which are two completely different things). They are perhaps anti-violence. They are likely anti-poverty and anti-discrimination.
To twist the racist term of anti-Semitism to meet the political objective of winning conservative Jews to the Republican party is actually racist itself. It's asking conservative Jews to grasp the imagery of a hateful group and apply it to people who have never made or insinuated any such hate.
I'm Jewish by birth. I love my Jewish family and friends. I'm for equality in Israel for all of their people, Jewish and otherwise. I do not agree with many policies of the Israeli state.
Ilhan Omar is a Muslim. She has watch her fellow Muslims subjugated by the Israeli government and she is against those policies too. Her much touted comment "It's all about the Benjamin’s, baby" was a comment on the political money that is funneled into congress to promote the pro-Israel expansion policies by AIPAC - it was not ant-Semitic. But because Omar is Muslim, it's easy to link stereotypes and push an image of hatred, rather than allow people to understand her legitimate concerns.
We have to see through the ploy.
Ultimately the President and AIPAC threaten the Jewish people, because they are linking Jewishness with racist activity - the subjugation of others for racial and religious purity. If we go back in history and look at when this happened before to Jews - to the Spanish inquisition, to the Holocaust - and others, like Apartheid in South Africa - we see that the Israeli government is pushing for racial inequality.
That's not anti-Semitic. That's anti-racist. That's anti-poverty, anti-subjugation, anti-war.
The presidents actions have been about using his endorsement to help leaders in Israel that will help get him re-elected. Just remember, he is using bigotry to win. He's counting on a part of the Jewish population to racially hate in order to win. And if we do that, we have truly lost our way. We, of all peoples, should be sensitive to racial inequality. To the cause of peoples who are treated wrong for who they are, for where they are. We need to reach out with love. With caring. With inclusive policy.
It is the only way to wipe out hundreds of years of violence in the region. You cannot kill your way to peace. You must be peaceful in order to have peace. You must work, you must compromise, you must be strong against forces on both sides that will want to continue the hate - there's political profit in hate. But it's the people on both sides that die. The only way to get there is to stop. That's not anti-Semitic. It's a hope for all the peoples of the region, regardless of religion or race.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/04/us/politics/aipac-congress-democrats.html
: feeling or showing hatred of Jewish people
Merriam-Webster Learners Dictionary
Folks - last night, in front of a conservative Jewish audience took a shot at Ilhan Omar, the congresswoman from Minnesota. He indicated she "doesn't like Israel", with the implication through the speech that not liking the actions of the Israeli government or the political policies of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC - a pro-Israeli expansion lobby) is anti-Semitic. He went on to say that Democrats are harboring anti-Semitism within the party.
This is not true - it's blatantly false. Ilhan Omar is not an Anti-Semite, nor are Democrats.
Yes - Israel has legitimate concerns about the safety of their people. But many of us recognize this is done at the expense of the Palestinian people in the region and that you cannot subjugate and kill your way to peace.
People who are against those policies are not anti-Semitic or anti-Israel (which are two completely different things). They are perhaps anti-violence. They are likely anti-poverty and anti-discrimination.
To twist the racist term of anti-Semitism to meet the political objective of winning conservative Jews to the Republican party is actually racist itself. It's asking conservative Jews to grasp the imagery of a hateful group and apply it to people who have never made or insinuated any such hate.
I'm Jewish by birth. I love my Jewish family and friends. I'm for equality in Israel for all of their people, Jewish and otherwise. I do not agree with many policies of the Israeli state.
Ilhan Omar is a Muslim. She has watch her fellow Muslims subjugated by the Israeli government and she is against those policies too. Her much touted comment "It's all about the Benjamin’s, baby" was a comment on the political money that is funneled into congress to promote the pro-Israel expansion policies by AIPAC - it was not ant-Semitic. But because Omar is Muslim, it's easy to link stereotypes and push an image of hatred, rather than allow people to understand her legitimate concerns.
We have to see through the ploy.
Ultimately the President and AIPAC threaten the Jewish people, because they are linking Jewishness with racist activity - the subjugation of others for racial and religious purity. If we go back in history and look at when this happened before to Jews - to the Spanish inquisition, to the Holocaust - and others, like Apartheid in South Africa - we see that the Israeli government is pushing for racial inequality.
That's not anti-Semitic. That's anti-racist. That's anti-poverty, anti-subjugation, anti-war.
The presidents actions have been about using his endorsement to help leaders in Israel that will help get him re-elected. Just remember, he is using bigotry to win. He's counting on a part of the Jewish population to racially hate in order to win. And if we do that, we have truly lost our way. We, of all peoples, should be sensitive to racial inequality. To the cause of peoples who are treated wrong for who they are, for where they are. We need to reach out with love. With caring. With inclusive policy.
It is the only way to wipe out hundreds of years of violence in the region. You cannot kill your way to peace. You must be peaceful in order to have peace. You must work, you must compromise, you must be strong against forces on both sides that will want to continue the hate - there's political profit in hate. But it's the people on both sides that die. The only way to get there is to stop. That's not anti-Semitic. It's a hope for all the peoples of the region, regardless of religion or race.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/04/us/politics/aipac-congress-democrats.html
Friday, April 05, 2019
Reality imposes itself on fantasy
Reality imposes itself on any lie, fantasy or expedient plan eventually. It happens over and over again.
We danced around the idea that Tobacco is bad for you. "The science isn't conclusive" was argued by tobacco and it's powerful allies in congress. And guess what. We got lung cancer anyway, even though those who gained got off. Now, everyone knows.
We're almost at the point where Global Warming is universally understood and yet we still have powerful profit motive driving governmental policy to our own detriment.
We know that gun violence can be reduced by reducing the number and types of available guns and ammunition. The statistics are sound, yet a powerful profit motive coupled with a liberal (yes liberal) interpretation of the constitution driving our government policy to our own detriment.
We know that privilege exists and yet we hesitate to level the playing field for poor, for minorities, for women, for people of alternate gender and sexualtiy. We know that unwanted pregnancy and STD transmission can be reduced by providing birth control and education, we know that legalized abortion saves lives - all proven beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Reality imposing itself on our fantasy. Maybe, it's time for us to grow up. To understand reality and work to shape outcomes rather than listening to the fairytale and hoping it's true.
We do this for ourselves, in ways that really matter. Many other countries have. We can too.
That is the idea behind the Green New Deal - to address some of these realities rather than ignoring them and hoping the fantasies and lies are true.
It doesn't have the answers, it paves the way for the answers. If you listen closely, rather than shouting you can hear that.
Please step back and know in your heart of hearts that we need to solve climate, poverty, healthcare, employment in the face of automation - and be part of the solution, not just a part of the problem. Vote for people with vision. Read. Write your representatives. Volunteer.
We danced around the idea that Tobacco is bad for you. "The science isn't conclusive" was argued by tobacco and it's powerful allies in congress. And guess what. We got lung cancer anyway, even though those who gained got off. Now, everyone knows.
We're almost at the point where Global Warming is universally understood and yet we still have powerful profit motive driving governmental policy to our own detriment.
We know that gun violence can be reduced by reducing the number and types of available guns and ammunition. The statistics are sound, yet a powerful profit motive coupled with a liberal (yes liberal) interpretation of the constitution driving our government policy to our own detriment.
We know that privilege exists and yet we hesitate to level the playing field for poor, for minorities, for women, for people of alternate gender and sexualtiy. We know that unwanted pregnancy and STD transmission can be reduced by providing birth control and education, we know that legalized abortion saves lives - all proven beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Reality imposing itself on our fantasy. Maybe, it's time for us to grow up. To understand reality and work to shape outcomes rather than listening to the fairytale and hoping it's true.
We do this for ourselves, in ways that really matter. Many other countries have. We can too.
That is the idea behind the Green New Deal - to address some of these realities rather than ignoring them and hoping the fantasies and lies are true.
It doesn't have the answers, it paves the way for the answers. If you listen closely, rather than shouting you can hear that.
Please step back and know in your heart of hearts that we need to solve climate, poverty, healthcare, employment in the face of automation - and be part of the solution, not just a part of the problem. Vote for people with vision. Read. Write your representatives. Volunteer.
Saturday, March 30, 2019
A Reminder
Watching a video about Flint Michigan drinking water and as they step back to discuss history talk about how the automobile industry left the area when they could find cheaper labor in Mexico and overseas, after Michigan and the city of Flint made huge concessions and even paid incentives for them to stay.
And it gave me pause, because I'm an MBA and understand that if this was my business, I might make that decision too. We have to remember - there are smart people and hard working people everywhere - as much as we'd like to tout our national pride, there are people in every country who can do what we do. Economics drives business to the cheapest sources of labor.
So at the risk of repeating myself (and I will, because the message needs to be clearly understood) - Business works within the economic and legal framework. Not a moral code. Not an emotional code. It works within regulations and economic rules.
So as a business person, I would look at the laws around labor and move where I could legally move. And that's where we need to understand - our laws need to protect jobs.
Republicans can trumpet concern for the common man, while pushing "right to work" laws that prevent collective bargaining and you can understand - they are saying one thing and doing another. "Right to work" is all about their ability to shift work force without legal challenge. So they can call themselves the jobs party, but the reality is, those jobs could be pushed anywhere at the drop of a hat.
We cannot count on business being good community citizens (it's great when they are) - because it's not always in their self interest. We need to legislate protections for communities and employees. It needs the rule of law.
And yes - some businesses will choose to go elsewhere because of that. But while we have no monopoly on smart people, our economy is still 25% of the world economy. We have resources and we have the market. If we legislate now, we keep that and jobs. If we don't we lose it to China, India and the middle east, where there is a great deal of capital.
That's right - you want the low risk and high yield the American economy generates, you employ our people. We allow collective bargaining so that companies that need access to our markets have to work in ways that benefit our communities and workers.
Trump says he's protecting American jobs, while all the while his administration is disabling the protections we have in place for the American people. Incent business - sure - but also build the legal structure to negotiate - not to make the rich richer, but to maintain the working class and narrow the gap.
Even the most honorable business will always do what's best for it, within legal guidelines. Economics requires it. Capitalism requires it. Setting the legal guidelines - regulation - to protect both businesses and communities is the way we get to the reasonable balance. Not by removing those protections, but by working hard to make them workable and allow balance and counterbalance.
Out current congress, save a few, cannot. They are owned by interests that would have to reform. We need new representation that will work for fair regulation, work for their constituents. Our elections are ever more important, if we are to move to a model that is sustainable for everyone.
And it gave me pause, because I'm an MBA and understand that if this was my business, I might make that decision too. We have to remember - there are smart people and hard working people everywhere - as much as we'd like to tout our national pride, there are people in every country who can do what we do. Economics drives business to the cheapest sources of labor.
So at the risk of repeating myself (and I will, because the message needs to be clearly understood) - Business works within the economic and legal framework. Not a moral code. Not an emotional code. It works within regulations and economic rules.
So as a business person, I would look at the laws around labor and move where I could legally move. And that's where we need to understand - our laws need to protect jobs.
Republicans can trumpet concern for the common man, while pushing "right to work" laws that prevent collective bargaining and you can understand - they are saying one thing and doing another. "Right to work" is all about their ability to shift work force without legal challenge. So they can call themselves the jobs party, but the reality is, those jobs could be pushed anywhere at the drop of a hat.
We cannot count on business being good community citizens (it's great when they are) - because it's not always in their self interest. We need to legislate protections for communities and employees. It needs the rule of law.
And yes - some businesses will choose to go elsewhere because of that. But while we have no monopoly on smart people, our economy is still 25% of the world economy. We have resources and we have the market. If we legislate now, we keep that and jobs. If we don't we lose it to China, India and the middle east, where there is a great deal of capital.
That's right - you want the low risk and high yield the American economy generates, you employ our people. We allow collective bargaining so that companies that need access to our markets have to work in ways that benefit our communities and workers.
Trump says he's protecting American jobs, while all the while his administration is disabling the protections we have in place for the American people. Incent business - sure - but also build the legal structure to negotiate - not to make the rich richer, but to maintain the working class and narrow the gap.
Even the most honorable business will always do what's best for it, within legal guidelines. Economics requires it. Capitalism requires it. Setting the legal guidelines - regulation - to protect both businesses and communities is the way we get to the reasonable balance. Not by removing those protections, but by working hard to make them workable and allow balance and counterbalance.
Out current congress, save a few, cannot. They are owned by interests that would have to reform. We need new representation that will work for fair regulation, work for their constituents. Our elections are ever more important, if we are to move to a model that is sustainable for everyone.
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
America First?
When my family moved to a new residence in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, I was 5 years old and while the adults were busy taking care of the move, I had important business of my own. I went next door to see if there were kids I could play with. Indeed there were - Todd and Lisa were 6 and 4 respectively and immediately we start to play together. Our ideas in collaboration were grand - we had a band - I already was playing guitar and a set of boxes provided a drum. We built forts. We rode bikes. We ate at each others houses, we walked to school together.
It's natural for us to collaborate, to share. We are more than the sum of our parts when we do. And there's value beyond the immediacy of the moment. I have not seen Todd or Lisa for many years - life took us down different paths, but I still value the interaction, the collaboration, the sharing.
Throughout that, I never starved because i was sharing. I never suffered for it - scarcity mentality was unknown to me and I was taught to share, to help others, to collaborate, to discuss. My folks were at least moderate intellectuals and they taught me a lot about interacting with others.
That's why this idea of "America First" is so troubling. Yes - we always make sure we keep our own health and interests in mind - but not to the exclusion of others. If I gave a neighbor half my peanut butter sandwich, I wasn't expecting anything in return, except, perhaps, goodwill.
Since WWII we've been a leader of the world, understanding that if we help others achieve their goals, we achieve our goals - we get where we are going by helping others too. The very idea that we would abandon our leadership role, because we "aren't getting anything" from others is ludicrous. As we retreat, we give up leadership in economic markets, in technology, in business services, in design and engineering. And instead, we replace it with greed and avarice, like a spoiled child saying "the toy is mine. It's mine, not yours".
Propaganda is put out to support the position supposing that we are giving money to other countries and that is what is keeping us from treating our veterans or our poor well - when in reality, we can and need to do both. We can help others in need both here and outside of the country.
We are a country of immigrants and yet we are closing our doors to the tired, the hungry and the poor - just like our Grandparents were when they came here? When I see us pulling out of Climate accords, when we talk about leaving the United Nations or berating our NATO allies in public, I see this selfishness. If we need others to rise to a challenge, we need to coach and mentor, negotiate in good faith.
America First is really code for "It is all mine". And that spoiled, greedy child cannot thrive. We need to embrace others. We need to compete, yes, but also be collaborators, philanthropists and most importantly, support our fellow humans. It is not through selfishness we rise. It is through the giving of ourselves. Take care of ourselves, yes. But that doesn't have to happen at the exclusion of others. It's not all or nothing.
We not only succeed with our fellow humans, but we succeed because they succeed (and vice versa). That deep friendship, dependence and integration make us stronger, not weaker. Is it harder? Sometimes, because you have to negotiate not dictate. Collaborate, not demand.
Good leaders know, you don't succeed by thinking your the smartest and telling people what to do. You hire good people and work together to achieve. Leadership is supporting those you lead and helping remove obstacles. Not in demanding.
We can do both. We can look after our interests and collaborate and help others. We never stop keeping our own interests in mind, we just don't do it to the exclusion of others interests. That's how we win. That's how we all, as a world, win.
It's natural for us to collaborate, to share. We are more than the sum of our parts when we do. And there's value beyond the immediacy of the moment. I have not seen Todd or Lisa for many years - life took us down different paths, but I still value the interaction, the collaboration, the sharing.
Throughout that, I never starved because i was sharing. I never suffered for it - scarcity mentality was unknown to me and I was taught to share, to help others, to collaborate, to discuss. My folks were at least moderate intellectuals and they taught me a lot about interacting with others.
That's why this idea of "America First" is so troubling. Yes - we always make sure we keep our own health and interests in mind - but not to the exclusion of others. If I gave a neighbor half my peanut butter sandwich, I wasn't expecting anything in return, except, perhaps, goodwill.
Since WWII we've been a leader of the world, understanding that if we help others achieve their goals, we achieve our goals - we get where we are going by helping others too. The very idea that we would abandon our leadership role, because we "aren't getting anything" from others is ludicrous. As we retreat, we give up leadership in economic markets, in technology, in business services, in design and engineering. And instead, we replace it with greed and avarice, like a spoiled child saying "the toy is mine. It's mine, not yours".
Propaganda is put out to support the position supposing that we are giving money to other countries and that is what is keeping us from treating our veterans or our poor well - when in reality, we can and need to do both. We can help others in need both here and outside of the country.
We are a country of immigrants and yet we are closing our doors to the tired, the hungry and the poor - just like our Grandparents were when they came here? When I see us pulling out of Climate accords, when we talk about leaving the United Nations or berating our NATO allies in public, I see this selfishness. If we need others to rise to a challenge, we need to coach and mentor, negotiate in good faith.
America First is really code for "It is all mine". And that spoiled, greedy child cannot thrive. We need to embrace others. We need to compete, yes, but also be collaborators, philanthropists and most importantly, support our fellow humans. It is not through selfishness we rise. It is through the giving of ourselves. Take care of ourselves, yes. But that doesn't have to happen at the exclusion of others. It's not all or nothing.
We not only succeed with our fellow humans, but we succeed because they succeed (and vice versa). That deep friendship, dependence and integration make us stronger, not weaker. Is it harder? Sometimes, because you have to negotiate not dictate. Collaborate, not demand.
Good leaders know, you don't succeed by thinking your the smartest and telling people what to do. You hire good people and work together to achieve. Leadership is supporting those you lead and helping remove obstacles. Not in demanding.
We can do both. We can look after our interests and collaborate and help others. We never stop keeping our own interests in mind, we just don't do it to the exclusion of others interests. That's how we win. That's how we all, as a world, win.
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