Watching the AIG hearings this morning I heard one Congressional Representative (did not catch name or State) say that those who took the risks should take the losses. He then mentioned "the taxpayers who did not take a risk." I do not know anyone who fits this category! Taxpayers did take a risk and deserve to face what we now face. Taxpayers took the risk that comes with ignorance. It is a risk to watch mind-numbing programming (pro-wrestling) instead of reading a book! It is a risk to stay stupid! It is also a risk to stand back and hope that someone else will solve the problem. That is the risk I took. I took the risk that someone elses' voice would sound a warning. I am paying the price for that risk I took. I cannot complain that I lost 50% of the value of my retirement accounts. I risked, I lost.
Many years ago I stood with my family looking at a statue in a cemetery. As I recall, the statue consisted of a central figure representing some aspect of our nation. It was a figure like the Statue Of Liberty or Lady Justice. The figure was wound tightly by something, either snakes or vines. The writing indicated that our ability to accomplish all that liberty demanded was being hindered by corruption from within. The words, the statue, the setting were all very powerful to me (I think I was around 11 or 12.) I remember saying to my father that the "government" should come and look at this statue, hoping that "they" would be as affected as was I. My father simply said, "We are the Government." I had memorized the Gettysburg Address and Lincoln's words thundered in my head; "Government of the people, by the people and for the people." I have never forgotten that experience. I knew at once that he was correct. I knew that I could not pass off my responsibility to be part of the solution or I would be part of the problem. Because of this, whenever I hear the terms "the government" or "the state", I mentally substitute "me," "us," or "we".
This morning as I listened to the people WE elected to represent us I heard many examples of one of the biggest reasons we are in such a mess. Most everyone was looking to blame someone ELSE. One Representative asked, "How could the Government be so stupid as to . . . ?" Again, I made the mental substitution and I ask; how could WE have been so stupid as to allow this all to happen. WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT. We took the risks to be ignorant or to do nothing. Rep. Scott of Georgia made a comment about the government having a responsibility to restore the confidence of the American people. I want to go on record saying that WE the people must restore the confidence of our children in US. We must own the failure. There is not "them", the wicked, greedy government, and "us", the innocent albeit ignorant people. WE CANNOT BE IGNORANT AND INNOCENT.
This is indeed an uncomfortable truth. But if it remains unaddressed then we will make some adjustments, heal somewhat, and go back to risking the whole thing all over again. Several days ago Monica Novotony pointed at the Bernie Madoff mess and asked what WE can learn. I want to give my answer to that question.
WE can learn that the real causes of this mess relate to basic attitudes which WE hold. WE have to change our attitudes in order to avoid this type mess. Today, Sen. Olympia Snow of Maine said something I have been longing to hear; "The American people need to jettison the Wall Street culture." I agree. That culture holds:
1. It is the money I make not what I produce that matters. I was shocked to read Ed Liddy's OpEd piece in the Washington Post and see this:
"I have been fortunate in more than three decades in business to see firsthand the wealth creation that well-managed American companies bring to their employees and their communities. I have seen the good side of capitalism."
WEALTH CREATION!?! What is that? Is this the "good side" of capitalism? Is this what "educated" people now call the "good side"? If so, no wonder we are screwed. The notion that wealth is created may be the biggest reason we fail. Products and services, things that have value, are created. Not wealth. As people sought to "create wealth", look what has happened. We lost focus on true value, we were then free to make value appear out of thin air. We could accept the unfounded inflation of prices if it "created wealth" for us. The madness increased exponentially and the only result that made sense is what is happening now. Likewise, jobs that create nothing of value are the most sought after. No one seems to be proud of the creation of their own hands, unless it is wealth.
2. Somehow we have accepted the attitude that jobs performed behind a desk are mysteriously worth more than jobs performed behind a toolbench. WE have all accepted the attitude of "CEO Worship". Perhaps the attitude that works is that any person's honest 8 hours of labor is worth the same as any other person's honest 8 hours of labor. Yes, I've heard the BS such as "but no one will put the work into study and preparation if they're not compensated at a greater rate." WE all really know that this is pure bullshit. (And if it is true that lacking incredible salaries and bonuses, no one would be a day-trader--I say GOOD.) Anyone with a passion for medicine will study medicine. This is who I want as my doctor anyway. I have a Ph.D. I spent many, many years of study and preparation to do what I do. I did not do it for money. If I had, I would likely be useless. I did it for passion. If all labor was equally valued maybe people could follow their bliss. Money is not bliss. We all know this but we refuse to accept the hard truth.
3. We want to pretend that all people have the same opportunity to succeed. While this may be the ideal, it is far from the truth and we all really know it. Somehow we can pretend that the kid who grew up with all the breaks had NO advantage over the kid who grew up on the south side of Chicago. Then we can pretend that when the advantaged kid succeeds and the poverty-ridden one did not, that it is all because the "loser" just didn't try hard enough, hence the advantaged one really deserves the wealth. I have spent lots of time in prisons and youth lock-ups. It is no coincidence that the histories of the people incarcerated are similarly ugly. That is why they are there, not because they are unwise. These things are far from being simply matters of choice, and any of us with a brain truly knows it. We just have not chosen to address it.
4. We give lip service to equality and egalitarianism. We do not want to truly seek them.
5. We give lip service to "ethics", "morality" and "compassion". We taut them for the other guy and even for ourselves when it is convenient.
6. Political correctness replaces wisdom. Stupidity is okay if it doesn't offend the wrong people. The only politically incorrect thing is the same as the basically incorrect thing--ignorance.
I am begging for the media to pick up on the fact that those truly responsible are the electors not the elected. WE are responsible.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Thank you, Jon Stewart. Now, the next step.
Jim Cramer is a man who KNEW. He knew what he was doing and advocating and did it anyway. Thank you Jon Stewart for calling him out and exposing him for the crooked intelligent dumb man that he is. But we need to take the next step. It is not enough to point the middle finger at Cramer and the rest of us skate. WE are all responsible for this mess. WE need to look at ourselves and make the needed changes.
It angers me to hear Obama critics moan that he, Obama, is "mortgaging our children's future." WE all did it. WE all owe our children and grandchildren an apology. WE also owe them our resolve and our commitment to use this to help us individually to learn and grow. WE need to look at our selves and recognize one of two things. Either I knew and did not enough, or I did not do enough to be educated/enlightened sufficient that I could help solve problems. In either case WE failed. For me, personally, I knew and did not do enough to forestall the problems. I have known for decades that certain attitudes and practices would inevitably lead to what we now see. I did not do enough, yell loud enough, push hard enough, to prevent it. I apologize to my children and grandchildren. I applaud Jon for holding Cramer's feet to this same fire.
However, it will not be enough to blister Cramer's soles if WE get to walk away with our souls unscathed. If you have sat back and accepted your own personal ignorance, YOU are to blame. If you whined that it was too hard to understand, YOU need to accept responsibility for this mess along with me. If you did not push to know enough to be a part of the solution, then YOU are part of the problem. Do not seek to blast some politician or a collection of them for our current mess. YOU elected them. It is OUR fault. If, like me, you knew--where was your voice? If you understood that a 30 to 1 leverage was unwise, did you scream that at anyone? If you knew that, in the end, only what a person produces should be rewarded, did you stand for that? If you respected a non-productive person or system, no matter how white the collar, while knowing it was unwise, then you contributed to this mess. If you knew that a hand which holds a big bank account means nothing if the hand produces little of real value, but deferred to that rich idiot, then YOU are to blame. If you did not know these things, why are you so lame? If you just accepted what the prevailing social order told you (money received, no matter how it was received is all that matters) why do you not think for yourself?
What we can resolve now:
I will read! I will seek to be enlightened.
I will ask questions! I will push for answers when I don't know something, rather than accept ignorance.
I will do the hard things! The only way we can avoid a continuation of this mess is to WORK to understand, plan and activate. It may be hard but it is the way.
I will let my voice be heard! I will find other voices crying in the wilderness and join with them. I will seek to understand issues and use my vote wisely.
I will allow someone to question me and what I believe! I will listen and learn from people who disagree with me. There is no "right" to be. Being "right" is always being "wrong". The only thing is growth through dissension, discourse and new ideas.
It angers me to hear Obama critics moan that he, Obama, is "mortgaging our children's future." WE all did it. WE all owe our children and grandchildren an apology. WE also owe them our resolve and our commitment to use this to help us individually to learn and grow. WE need to look at our selves and recognize one of two things. Either I knew and did not enough, or I did not do enough to be educated/enlightened sufficient that I could help solve problems. In either case WE failed. For me, personally, I knew and did not do enough to forestall the problems. I have known for decades that certain attitudes and practices would inevitably lead to what we now see. I did not do enough, yell loud enough, push hard enough, to prevent it. I apologize to my children and grandchildren. I applaud Jon for holding Cramer's feet to this same fire.
However, it will not be enough to blister Cramer's soles if WE get to walk away with our souls unscathed. If you have sat back and accepted your own personal ignorance, YOU are to blame. If you whined that it was too hard to understand, YOU need to accept responsibility for this mess along with me. If you did not push to know enough to be a part of the solution, then YOU are part of the problem. Do not seek to blast some politician or a collection of them for our current mess. YOU elected them. It is OUR fault. If, like me, you knew--where was your voice? If you understood that a 30 to 1 leverage was unwise, did you scream that at anyone? If you knew that, in the end, only what a person produces should be rewarded, did you stand for that? If you respected a non-productive person or system, no matter how white the collar, while knowing it was unwise, then you contributed to this mess. If you knew that a hand which holds a big bank account means nothing if the hand produces little of real value, but deferred to that rich idiot, then YOU are to blame. If you did not know these things, why are you so lame? If you just accepted what the prevailing social order told you (money received, no matter how it was received is all that matters) why do you not think for yourself?
What we can resolve now:
I will read! I will seek to be enlightened.
I will ask questions! I will push for answers when I don't know something, rather than accept ignorance.
I will do the hard things! The only way we can avoid a continuation of this mess is to WORK to understand, plan and activate. It may be hard but it is the way.
I will let my voice be heard! I will find other voices crying in the wilderness and join with them. I will seek to understand issues and use my vote wisely.
I will allow someone to question me and what I believe! I will listen and learn from people who disagree with me. There is no "right" to be. Being "right" is always being "wrong". The only thing is growth through dissension, discourse and new ideas.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Time for a new majority!
Move over Moral Majority, it’s time for the Wise Majority!
I was excited to hear the discussion this morning on Morning Joe (MSNBC). Everyone was talking hope and an increase in wisdom. What we stand to gain by the current hardships was reviewed, and needed changes explored. The common theme in it all was an increase in wisdom and acceptance of certain realities.
At this point, I think:
• The Moral Majority gave us, faith-based irrationality, faith-based elitism and bigotry, faith-based discrimination, faith-based fear of sexuality, faith-based fear of diversity, immoral evangelists, faith-based confusion of church/state issues, faith-based justification for hate/envy and faith-based election of very incapable people to run our nation. Use of the term “moral” has led us down a destructive path. The morality of the moral majority has been a destructive, foolish, hurtful and divisive thing—anything but “moral.”
• Members of the Wise Majority have been frustrated by the lack of a leader speaking wise approaches to solving problems. We have sat back waiting for an Obama-like leader to arise and excite us with the reality that it is finally time to learn from our mistakes and move forward, finding growth and the chance to truly solve problems by dealing with causes not symptoms.
• The upswell of support for Obama indicates that we have learned from the past and it is time for a Wise Majority to arise.
A Wise Majority movement can offer the following:
Accepting responsibility instead of excuse-making and blame-laying. We the people are responsible for the problems we now face. Let’s stop spending so much effort laying blame and more effort solving problems. We the people knew we were going down a destructive path, at least the wise among us did, and we did not stop it. There are a host of reasons we did not act and this is not about teeth-gnashing and self-blame either. We now stand to learn so much by accepting OUR failure to act and solve the problems.
Seeking out and addressing root causes of problems. Treating the symptoms and castigating those who merely acted in ways congruent with the zeitgeist do not solve the problems. We can now go back to basics and discover the real reasons for our struggles.
Recognizing “conspicuous consumption” for what it is. This morning the Morning Joe crew reviewed the issues arising from our consumerism. We have crippled our children and led them to expect that the world owes them everything. We seek “to have” not “to be” (see Erich Fromm’s excellent book To Have or To Be.) We have lost the ability to rejoice over the truly joyful things, like discovery, knowledge, wisdom, nature, and our selves. Instead, we find joy in “stuff”. We are in a position now to learn from this and shift to a more wisdom-based rejoicing.
Wisdom-based offense taking. We can now move past the non-productive PC BS. Wise people take offense wisely. As I walked past the TV this morning (a commercial during Morning Joe) I caught a glimpse of someone pounding the face of another human-being. This is nuts. We can be so offended if a body part is displayed, but we can flippantly display incredible violence and then punish a second grader for hitting his classmate. WHAT?!? A common story re: the guy who is offended and complains about a dirty joke, while not being able to wait to tell it to his buddies, can inform us about faith-based offense taking. A wise person is not going to be offended by a body part. A wise person is not going to be offended at a painting depicting Robert E. Lee. That wise soul recognizes that Lee was a part of our history; a part we have learned from and moved on. Wisdom-based offense taking will allow us to be outraged at the appropriate, destructive things that merit offense. We can then take appropriate action.
Wisdom-based valuing. One example; it was mentioned this morning that one third of our recent economic activity was merely the swapping of assets to achieve profit. Nothing of value was created. We can learn that this is unwise; it leads to where we are now. A wise majority values productivity not bank account. As long as we the people value “dollars in hand” more than ”handiness” we will have an endless procession of Bernie Madoffs, corrupt CEO’s and wasteful government spending. It is when we the people value the ability to accomplish something that we can start to turn things around. When we the people value someone who educates our child above someone that can put a ball in a basket, we will see big changes. As long as we remain unchanged in our values (the values WE THE PEOPLE hold) no amount of regulation, laws and prisons, or overseers will change a damn thing.
Wisdom-based choice of officials. I spent many painful moments pondering the difference between George dubya and Thomas Jefferson. Go ahead take a look at that discrepancy. I know many people who voted for dubya because “he is a prayerful man”. He is also an unwise, greedy man (in my opinion). Wisdom-based election of officials can end so much abuse. Officials elected because they can solve problems regardless of whether or not they attend church, because they have the compassion to act for the collective good whether or not they belong to the right club will be the ones to lead a wise majority.
Addressing how and why we lost the principles of wise founders. A wise majority can seek out and apply the marvelous notions of the founding fathers/mothers. How, when and where, did we lose the dialectical process, for example. There can be no bi-partisanship without it. This morning the Morning Joe crew touched on this one (finally, I heard it from pundits). True bipartisanship demands valuing someone who honestly and respectfully disagrees with me. I agree whole-heartedly with the statement this morning relative to how Obama’s desire for true bi-partisanship was muffed by Pelosi, et.al. Being “right” is not important, solving the problem is. I hear so often people vaunting the “founding fathers” and then totally misconstruing what the founding fathers were about.
Wise education strategies. Education must involve more than educating the brain. Wisdom-based education recognizes that people act more often out of what they feel rather than what they think. Wise education strategies will need to address emotional education in the future. We see this beginning but it has a hard time gaining foothold. Wise education will also promote understanding the child’s need to learn, not our need for them to learn.
LONG LIVE THE WISE MAJORITY.
I was excited to hear the discussion this morning on Morning Joe (MSNBC). Everyone was talking hope and an increase in wisdom. What we stand to gain by the current hardships was reviewed, and needed changes explored. The common theme in it all was an increase in wisdom and acceptance of certain realities.
At this point, I think:
• The Moral Majority gave us, faith-based irrationality, faith-based elitism and bigotry, faith-based discrimination, faith-based fear of sexuality, faith-based fear of diversity, immoral evangelists, faith-based confusion of church/state issues, faith-based justification for hate/envy and faith-based election of very incapable people to run our nation. Use of the term “moral” has led us down a destructive path. The morality of the moral majority has been a destructive, foolish, hurtful and divisive thing—anything but “moral.”
• Members of the Wise Majority have been frustrated by the lack of a leader speaking wise approaches to solving problems. We have sat back waiting for an Obama-like leader to arise and excite us with the reality that it is finally time to learn from our mistakes and move forward, finding growth and the chance to truly solve problems by dealing with causes not symptoms.
• The upswell of support for Obama indicates that we have learned from the past and it is time for a Wise Majority to arise.
A Wise Majority movement can offer the following:
Accepting responsibility instead of excuse-making and blame-laying. We the people are responsible for the problems we now face. Let’s stop spending so much effort laying blame and more effort solving problems. We the people knew we were going down a destructive path, at least the wise among us did, and we did not stop it. There are a host of reasons we did not act and this is not about teeth-gnashing and self-blame either. We now stand to learn so much by accepting OUR failure to act and solve the problems.
Seeking out and addressing root causes of problems. Treating the symptoms and castigating those who merely acted in ways congruent with the zeitgeist do not solve the problems. We can now go back to basics and discover the real reasons for our struggles.
Recognizing “conspicuous consumption” for what it is. This morning the Morning Joe crew reviewed the issues arising from our consumerism. We have crippled our children and led them to expect that the world owes them everything. We seek “to have” not “to be” (see Erich Fromm’s excellent book To Have or To Be.) We have lost the ability to rejoice over the truly joyful things, like discovery, knowledge, wisdom, nature, and our selves. Instead, we find joy in “stuff”. We are in a position now to learn from this and shift to a more wisdom-based rejoicing.
Wisdom-based offense taking. We can now move past the non-productive PC BS. Wise people take offense wisely. As I walked past the TV this morning (a commercial during Morning Joe) I caught a glimpse of someone pounding the face of another human-being. This is nuts. We can be so offended if a body part is displayed, but we can flippantly display incredible violence and then punish a second grader for hitting his classmate. WHAT?!? A common story re: the guy who is offended and complains about a dirty joke, while not being able to wait to tell it to his buddies, can inform us about faith-based offense taking. A wise person is not going to be offended by a body part. A wise person is not going to be offended at a painting depicting Robert E. Lee. That wise soul recognizes that Lee was a part of our history; a part we have learned from and moved on. Wisdom-based offense taking will allow us to be outraged at the appropriate, destructive things that merit offense. We can then take appropriate action.
Wisdom-based valuing. One example; it was mentioned this morning that one third of our recent economic activity was merely the swapping of assets to achieve profit. Nothing of value was created. We can learn that this is unwise; it leads to where we are now. A wise majority values productivity not bank account. As long as we the people value “dollars in hand” more than ”handiness” we will have an endless procession of Bernie Madoffs, corrupt CEO’s and wasteful government spending. It is when we the people value the ability to accomplish something that we can start to turn things around. When we the people value someone who educates our child above someone that can put a ball in a basket, we will see big changes. As long as we remain unchanged in our values (the values WE THE PEOPLE hold) no amount of regulation, laws and prisons, or overseers will change a damn thing.
Wisdom-based choice of officials. I spent many painful moments pondering the difference between George dubya and Thomas Jefferson. Go ahead take a look at that discrepancy. I know many people who voted for dubya because “he is a prayerful man”. He is also an unwise, greedy man (in my opinion). Wisdom-based election of officials can end so much abuse. Officials elected because they can solve problems regardless of whether or not they attend church, because they have the compassion to act for the collective good whether or not they belong to the right club will be the ones to lead a wise majority.
Addressing how and why we lost the principles of wise founders. A wise majority can seek out and apply the marvelous notions of the founding fathers/mothers. How, when and where, did we lose the dialectical process, for example. There can be no bi-partisanship without it. This morning the Morning Joe crew touched on this one (finally, I heard it from pundits). True bipartisanship demands valuing someone who honestly and respectfully disagrees with me. I agree whole-heartedly with the statement this morning relative to how Obama’s desire for true bi-partisanship was muffed by Pelosi, et.al. Being “right” is not important, solving the problem is. I hear so often people vaunting the “founding fathers” and then totally misconstruing what the founding fathers were about.
Wise education strategies. Education must involve more than educating the brain. Wisdom-based education recognizes that people act more often out of what they feel rather than what they think. Wise education strategies will need to address emotional education in the future. We see this beginning but it has a hard time gaining foothold. Wise education will also promote understanding the child’s need to learn, not our need for them to learn.
LONG LIVE THE WISE MAJORITY.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Sure way to spot an evolved adult-- Taking Responsibility.
I agree with A Break Please,(http://gimmeabreak100.blogspot.com/) we need to take responsibility for "the stink of our own outhouse." Evolved adults may make mistakes but then we LEARN from our own mistake. I like Obama's willingness to do this--he clearly shows his adulthood. Conversely, when Bush was asked if he would own any mistakes (in the 2004 election debate) he showed his moron status when he would not own mistakes, like a child he refused to admit he had made mistakes. Monica Novotny asks a very good question when she asked us what we can learn from the Bernie Madoff mess. Lets look at what we need to learn from that and a few other issues.
My ex-wife's grandmother made a trip through Vegas many years ago. One of her entourage encouraged her to experience a slot machine. She won and the coins pourd forth, SHE WALKED AWAY and would not accept the money. When told that she had won and the money was hers, she replied that she had done nothing to earn that money and she would not accept it. There was a time when the term "speculation" had a very cautious connotation. Adults knew that making money when nothing was being produced was dangerous. How did we lose this awareness? Someone on the morning news reported that we have been consuming 105% of what we produce. An evolved adult knows this cannot go on. We did not solve the problem. What I would like to see us learn is that making money by swapping ownership of companies and etc. is not what an evolved adult seeks to do. Making money for MISmanaging things (most CEO's) and expecting this should go on, is the life of an adolescent, not an adult. Lets look at the production of our own hands and our own involvement. When many so-called adults turn to Madoff (and others) and expect him to make them millions while not producing anything, they show their own childishness. Lets learn that money made with nothing of value produced only leads to what we have going on now. This is how WE the people created this mess. Buying of stocks to invest in a company and what it produces is a different matter than buying stocks so they can be resold for profit. This is where speculation becomes a destructive program that will, without fail, lead to the problems we have now. It also leads to unevolved adults seeking more and more to live a non-productive life and expecting that they are entitled to be rich. This is the program of a child--a Santa Claus belief. We are now seeing the result. WE DID IT!
We also need to take responsibility for not solving other problems. An evolved adult looks down the road and acts in the best interest of the entire society. We have had too many so-called adults acting in their own narrow self-interest for too long. What I want us to learn is that when I act in my own narrow self-interest it will not work, eventually I, along with the rest, will suffer. We are indeed "all in this together (I miss John Denver)" and it is high time that we learned that the only way I can truly act in my own self-interest is to act in the interests of the entire society. Some examples of problems WE refused to see and solve:
Illegal immigration: Adults have known for years that this was a problem but WE refused to solve it in a timely way. Now it is hear to bite us all, HARD. Let's learn
Abuse of gov't spending: Adults have known for years that government spending programs were being highly abused for the enrichment of a few. WE knew this was going on but WE did not stop it. We knew non-competitive contracts were being handed and that cronyism was rife. WE did not stop it, now we are paying the price for our inaction. (Sadly many, many "children" only sought to find out how they could get in on the riches being handed out in OUR name.)Let's learn.
Politician dishonesty and question dodging: WE have tolerated this forever. WE have no right to complain that politicians cannot be trusted. WE have rewarded this behavior, WE can only expect it to increase. Let's learn.
Partisanship: Adults have accepted the dialectical process and have sought to participate in it. Children continue to cling to polarized black/white notions of reality. This does not lead to growth and progress. WE tolerate and listen to the rantings of children who are more interested in being "right" than in solving problems (stick that in your cigar and smoke it (sorry, I just couldn't resist.)) Let's learn.
WE created these problems by our unwillingness to dig in and do the hard work that would solve and prevent the problems. WE need to stop tolerating children who want Obama to now solve what WE created.
My ex-wife's grandmother made a trip through Vegas many years ago. One of her entourage encouraged her to experience a slot machine. She won and the coins pourd forth, SHE WALKED AWAY and would not accept the money. When told that she had won and the money was hers, she replied that she had done nothing to earn that money and she would not accept it. There was a time when the term "speculation" had a very cautious connotation. Adults knew that making money when nothing was being produced was dangerous. How did we lose this awareness? Someone on the morning news reported that we have been consuming 105% of what we produce. An evolved adult knows this cannot go on. We did not solve the problem. What I would like to see us learn is that making money by swapping ownership of companies and etc. is not what an evolved adult seeks to do. Making money for MISmanaging things (most CEO's) and expecting this should go on, is the life of an adolescent, not an adult. Lets look at the production of our own hands and our own involvement. When many so-called adults turn to Madoff (and others) and expect him to make them millions while not producing anything, they show their own childishness. Lets learn that money made with nothing of value produced only leads to what we have going on now. This is how WE the people created this mess. Buying of stocks to invest in a company and what it produces is a different matter than buying stocks so they can be resold for profit. This is where speculation becomes a destructive program that will, without fail, lead to the problems we have now. It also leads to unevolved adults seeking more and more to live a non-productive life and expecting that they are entitled to be rich. This is the program of a child--a Santa Claus belief. We are now seeing the result. WE DID IT!
We also need to take responsibility for not solving other problems. An evolved adult looks down the road and acts in the best interest of the entire society. We have had too many so-called adults acting in their own narrow self-interest for too long. What I want us to learn is that when I act in my own narrow self-interest it will not work, eventually I, along with the rest, will suffer. We are indeed "all in this together (I miss John Denver)" and it is high time that we learned that the only way I can truly act in my own self-interest is to act in the interests of the entire society. Some examples of problems WE refused to see and solve:
Illegal immigration: Adults have known for years that this was a problem but WE refused to solve it in a timely way. Now it is hear to bite us all, HARD. Let's learn
Abuse of gov't spending: Adults have known for years that government spending programs were being highly abused for the enrichment of a few. WE knew this was going on but WE did not stop it. We knew non-competitive contracts were being handed and that cronyism was rife. WE did not stop it, now we are paying the price for our inaction. (Sadly many, many "children" only sought to find out how they could get in on the riches being handed out in OUR name.)Let's learn.
Politician dishonesty and question dodging: WE have tolerated this forever. WE have no right to complain that politicians cannot be trusted. WE have rewarded this behavior, WE can only expect it to increase. Let's learn.
Partisanship: Adults have accepted the dialectical process and have sought to participate in it. Children continue to cling to polarized black/white notions of reality. This does not lead to growth and progress. WE tolerate and listen to the rantings of children who are more interested in being "right" than in solving problems (stick that in your cigar and smoke it (sorry, I just couldn't resist.)) Let's learn.
WE created these problems by our unwillingness to dig in and do the hard work that would solve and prevent the problems. WE need to stop tolerating children who want Obama to now solve what WE created.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Its time to attend to adult development!
How many of you have taken a course on child development? There are a lot, right? How many of you have taken (or even heard of) a class on adult development? Very, very few, right?
How many of you have heard of Piaget's theories? Most college grads have. How many of you can discuss a theory of adult development? Most college grads cannot.
WHY?
1. There has never been the degree of study relative to the way adults can and "should" evolve.
Anyone acquainted with psychological works knows that the amount of ink used to write the studies relative to child development would fill Lake Michigan. However, the studies relative to adult development are nowhere near as vast or comprehensive.
2. We have a lot of agreement on the "shoulds" of child development. Talking about how an adult "should" evolve gets us into a lot of heated disagreement.
While we argue about some specifics of child developmental paths, we mainly agree on the direction and speed of the paths. How an adult evolves, mentally, morally, spiritually, emotionally, however generates huge arguments. Is Sarah Pallin an"evolved" adult? Is Bernie Madoff and "evolved" adult? Is Karl Rove? How about Michael Jordan, Barry Bonds, Tom Cruise, a Jesuit Priest, a Buddhist monk, Hulk Hogan, Demi Moore? It is a fascinating question.
3. We agree on the developmental levels of child development--we know what a 10 yr. old (for example) "should" look like physically, emotionally, morally, cognitively, etc. We have no consensus for what an evolved adult would look like.
Developmental milestones are established for the growth of a child physically, emotionally, cognitively, morally and any serious deviation from those milestones is something parents and educators are encouraged to look at closely. We have no research based idea on how a 23 yr. old would look different from a 33 yr. old, or how a 53 yr. old would look different from a 43 yr. old. Often we believe there would be no significant difference.
4. For some reason we don't believe we need to care about development beyond 18.
We tend to believe that since an adult is an adult she/he gets to develop or not develop beyond 18 to whatever degree they may want. It is true that parents have a moral obligation and somewhat of a legal obligation to attend to the development of a child. After 18 no one has that obligation. Does this mean we are served by no longer caring. We do little to encourage development. In fact, we tend to glamorize or at least normalize idiocy (see most commercials), promiscuity and dishonesty (especially if it makes money). Does an evolved adult seek to make money while not producing anything of value?
Does all this serve us as a society?
How many of you have heard of Piaget's theories? Most college grads have. How many of you can discuss a theory of adult development? Most college grads cannot.
WHY?
1. There has never been the degree of study relative to the way adults can and "should" evolve.
Anyone acquainted with psychological works knows that the amount of ink used to write the studies relative to child development would fill Lake Michigan. However, the studies relative to adult development are nowhere near as vast or comprehensive.
2. We have a lot of agreement on the "shoulds" of child development. Talking about how an adult "should" evolve gets us into a lot of heated disagreement.
While we argue about some specifics of child developmental paths, we mainly agree on the direction and speed of the paths. How an adult evolves, mentally, morally, spiritually, emotionally, however generates huge arguments. Is Sarah Pallin an"evolved" adult? Is Bernie Madoff and "evolved" adult? Is Karl Rove? How about Michael Jordan, Barry Bonds, Tom Cruise, a Jesuit Priest, a Buddhist monk, Hulk Hogan, Demi Moore? It is a fascinating question.
3. We agree on the developmental levels of child development--we know what a 10 yr. old (for example) "should" look like physically, emotionally, morally, cognitively, etc. We have no consensus for what an evolved adult would look like.
Developmental milestones are established for the growth of a child physically, emotionally, cognitively, morally and any serious deviation from those milestones is something parents and educators are encouraged to look at closely. We have no research based idea on how a 23 yr. old would look different from a 33 yr. old, or how a 53 yr. old would look different from a 43 yr. old. Often we believe there would be no significant difference.
4. For some reason we don't believe we need to care about development beyond 18.
We tend to believe that since an adult is an adult she/he gets to develop or not develop beyond 18 to whatever degree they may want. It is true that parents have a moral obligation and somewhat of a legal obligation to attend to the development of a child. After 18 no one has that obligation. Does this mean we are served by no longer caring. We do little to encourage development. In fact, we tend to glamorize or at least normalize idiocy (see most commercials), promiscuity and dishonesty (especially if it makes money). Does an evolved adult seek to make money while not producing anything of value?
Does all this serve us as a society?
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