Tag: commentary

We’re All Dumb

Let’s just say this out loud, our current political environment is much more a shitshow than anything approaching intelligent discussion.  Clown car, performative art, demagoguery –these are words that show up when observing our politicians attempt to lead.  Why?

I’m sure some of us can remember a politician or two who would discuss some of the issues addressing our nation with a thoughtful presentation regarding their causes and a detailed legislative agenda to address those issues.  Much of the political discussion today is being conducted by one bozo after another.  Why?

There are reasons.  A couple are cable TV and the internet.  These wonderful sources of entertainment and information have been turned into the main draw for the gullible.  Why think when you can tune in and watch some morons tell you lies about almost anything that might cross your mind.

The U.S. Department of Education says that 54% of U.S. adults 16-74 years old—lack proficiency in literacy, reading below the equivalent of a sixth-grade level.  Welcome to the land of stupid. 

What does it mean to have over half the adults in a country not being able to read a newspaper?  It means as a country we have gone backward.  Today we think based on a group test.  My group believes this, so I do too.  And who often leads the group.  The loudest, most confident member of the group.  That person has rock solid beliefs that will never change, no discussion could alter their views, no facts could interfere with their assuredness, no argument could sway them to question themselves; completely closed minded and absolutely confident in what they believe.  They are the leaders.

There was a time, in the not-too-distant past, when critical thinking was a skill schools taught.  Not now.  Schools are more likely to teach beliefs than facts because the parents demand it.  Don’t confuse my kids with uncomfortable facts—it’s bad for their self-esteem.  There was a time when schools taught art, music—not so much now.  Teach my kid to be a computer coder, so they can be millionaires or billionaires, that’s what matters.  I don’t care if they can’t read or think, can they code?

Who cares if people can’t read a newspaper, newspapers are dead anyway?  Yep, there is some truth there, but the on-line world will dumb down everything if half their customers are functionally illiterate.  Can you convey a complex thought and keep the sentence structure below a sixth-grade level?  We just had a leader who wanted critical information presented to him in picture form—and many people thought he was smart. 

There is ample evidence that the U.S. school system is failing.  More and more kids are being taught in religious schools or home schooled where often the primary agenda is beliefs not objective truth.  There are more STEM programs, but they are not teaching critical thinking or objective facts, just computers, math, and ego.  Independent test scores show children under performing compared to other countries while school grades are averaging higher.  More A’s to C students.  Makes the parents feel better, but what does that accomplish?

The decline in our educational system may be contributing to the current crop of clowns in congress.  Stupid people elect stupid people to lead them; then believe they are doing a good job because at least they are entertaining, and don’t take shit off anybody.  That last part fogs my brain.  It is so outlandish.  A common requirement in politicians today is that they fight.  Fight almost everyone.  You would think we were electing pro-wrestlers not thoughtful leaders.  This strange requirement to be outlandish to win elections is driven by ignorant people who have no idea what the country would look like if all leaders were as clueless as their favorites. 

Why?  One easy answer to all of those “why”s is money.  The money in politics is staggering.  This is better than pro-wrestling and less dangerous.  There seem to be three groups running for office.  One group are people who actually want to serve and make things better, this group is becoming smaller rapidly.  The second group are people who have money, often lots of money, but want power.  The motivations here are hard to understand but people seeking power usually have an agenda that is more personal than honorable.  The third group are the hustlers.  They’ve looked around and decided this is the best con-game in town.  These are the real clowns.  Their only goal is to attract attention.  To do that they must be louder, more offensive, more obnoxious, more controversial, more hatful, more ridiculous than anyone else in the room.  The biggest clown wins.

The biggest clown wins because we are all dumb and we decided we want entertainment, not a well governed country.  Send in the clowns!

Isn’t it rich?
Are we a pair?
Me here at last on the ground
You in mid-air
Send in the clowns

Isn’t it bliss?
Don’t you approve?
One who keeps tearing around
One who can’t move
Where are the clowns?
Send in the clowns

Just when I stopped
Opening doors
Finally knowing the one that I wanted was yours
Making my entrance again with my usual flair
Sure of my lines
None is there

Don’t you love a farce?
My fault, I fear
I thought that you’d want what I want
Sorry my dear
But where are the clowns?
Send in the clowns
Don’t bother
They’re here

Isn’t it rich?
Isn’t it queer?
Losing my timing this late
In my career
Where are the clowns?
There ought to be clowns
Well, maybe next year

Drawing Conclusions

What is it about power that allows humans to think it is justified to kill other humans?  Does power rot away at the brain until the only functioning part is an ugly vicious part.  I’ve always been a creative person.  I drew, painted, wrote, dreamed, designed, built, thought all sorts of creative things.  I never once imagined conquering someone.  So, if you’re a leader of a group and you dream about destroying people, are you the same species as me?  Is killing creative?  Is killing human?

Everyone knows most people only want to live their lives, not destroy others. They only want to raise their children, not kill.  So only a few can destroy hundreds or thousands; and they become leaders?  WTF?  How does that happen?

Maybe it happens because they are willing to destroy, and their anti-human behavior gives them power over the normals.  The “normals” being all of us who could never imagine dropping bombs on hospitals.

How can it happen that the bad ones somehow come to power and can destroy the rest of us?  If there are only a few “bad ones”, what are the odds they become leaders?  That’s when we should start to look around and see that the bad people are everywhere.  Sure, it’s the haters, but it also the screamers, the yellers, the functioning crazies; this group is huge.  We see it every day.  Some madman pulls up beside your car and starts yelling, shaking his fist, gives you the finger; why?  Going too slow, going too fast, just being?  We live with these destroyers in our society. 

I believe there is a connection with creativity that starts to explain these people.  Can an open mind that wants to be productive also be destructive?  Maybe or maybe not? 

This may sound like a silly observation.  There was a time when art and music were a major portion of elementary school activities.  Due to budget cuts, and other more nefarious reasons, those programs have been reduced or eliminated.  I’m sure the argument that we need to concentrate on STEM programs makes sense to the “practical” people who often are the most vocal.  And of course, I cannot draw a straight line from no art and no music to an increase in the “bad ones”, but I can assure you I can draw.  That ability to draw was enhanced during my years in grade school. 

More “bad people” still does not explain how they become leaders.  While I don’t have a full explanation for that, what I see is the ability to lie as a common trait.  Our history starts with a tale of George Washington not being able to lie and ends with leaders not being able to tell the truth.  The Washington tale was no doubt a lie, so even that bit of Americana is not proof that some leaders don’t lie.   

Just think about someone who always told the truth and imagine them running for office.  That person might say, “I won’t be able to change much, but I’ll try to not make things worse,” or “I really need this job, my law practice has gone into the toilet, and I need the money, please support me,” or “I want to be famous so I can cash in big time later, I haven’t a clue how to run anything much less a country.”

At this point the novelty of someone speaking the truth might not be a bad strategy to win, but who would risk that?

So, we have an increase in the number of “bad people”, who are not creative and can lie at the drop of a hat; and they become our leaders.  Might also add bullying as a trait since it is very common in the worst leaders. 

What we haven’t addressed is why people chose those flawed folks to lead them.  Number one answer must be something about smarts, but also, we are gullible.  The biggest liar wins the election suggests that the voters can’t use their own common sense to determine who is lying to them.  Or maybe it’s easy to believe the lie and think everything will be wonderful because this buffoon of a person just said it would be.

Like a famous possum named Pogo once said, “We have found the enemy and it is us”.

Good people, honest people, creative people give the power of madness to “bad people”.  Bad people use that power to destroy good people. 

I have offered my voting advice before; here it is again.

Never vote for someone who:

  • Yells all the time.
  • Is followed around by a team of lawyers.
  • Is followed around by a team of goons.
  • Says all your problems in life have nothing to do with your decisions but are the fault of _______.
  • Would appear to have an ego as big as a house.
  • Doesn’t own a dog.
  • Likes the military a little too much.
  • Would prefer not to shake your hand.
  • Will obviously do or say anything to win.
  • Really wants to be a TV star.
  • Admires no one and has no heroes.

You should vote for people who:

  • Don’t really seem to want the job.
  • Love dogs.
  • Listens all the time.
  • Wants you to have more control over your life, but not infringe on anyone else’s.
  • Loves history.
  • Thinks all people have value.
  • Thinks being wealthy does not make you smart.
  • Would rather be _____________, as opposed to being at this press conference.
  • Still talks to mom.

Would also add that the best leaders love to read and take walks (alone or with their dog).

Stopping the Hate

Growing up in Oklahoma in the 1960s meant a lot of discussion about war, political assassination, religion, race, crime, and college football.  Most people in Oklahoma at that time were registered Democrats who voted Republican.  While that may sound confusing, it led to a more fluid idea of politics. 

Almost all those topics of discussion could become heated but generally the conversations were logical and well-meaning, even if biased and shallow.  However, some actions during this time were horrible and life changing.

The assassination of the Kennedys hit me hard.  I identified my world with John and Robert Kennedy.  It was the world I wanted to live in.  Their deaths seemed like a horrible movie that should have never been made.  Till this day it has never made sense to me, why people would choose such drastic means to solve something—something, I didn’t even see.  Why were they assassinated?  That question has never been answered for me.  Politics, CIA madness, gangsters, insanity, Cubans?  Why?

I entered that period with great hope.  Optimism was not a strong enough word to describe what I expected.  I came out of those dark days, pessimistic and angry.  Nothing was ever the same again.

Remembering those times, I recall how I felt lost.  The country felt lost.  I worried about everything.  But, somehow, we survived.  I don’t believe we got better, but we did move along, and many good things did happen.  Even with healing, I felt like a great harm had been done to me, to my country and to the world, for no good reason.

Today we are still discussing war, religion, race, crime, and college football.  What we are not discussing, thank goodness, is political assassination.  Nevertheless, the arena of politics has become aggressively ugly.  Still, aggressively ugly is not assassination. 

In some ways we’re better today than we were then, in others we’re worse.  The hatred level in this country has risen to a new high.  Republicans hate Democrats, liberals hate conservatives, one group hates another group, rural communities hate big cities; we are divided haters.  The violence is just below the surface.  It will surely show its ugly head soon, unless we start to hate less. 

How do we hate less?  Not sure we can agree on the major differences, nor can we compromise and split the issues down the middle.  So how do we hate less?  We just do it!

Stop the hate by stopping the hate.  I don’t agree with you, but I do not hate you.  This is especially important when it is groups.  Hating groups is stupid.  Hating some asshole cousin who has always made your blood boil makes sense.  Hating people you do not know, because they are different or because they hate you, is just dumb, and it should stop.

Not easy.  We must relearn to appreciate that we are all humans, we all have flaws but also value.  Now you can disagree with that, but only do it on an individual basis.  Break the hate habit.

Some say we should love more, but I believe it would be just as beneficial if we just hated less.  Think about some group you hate, maybe it’s Democrats, or the left, or the right—just spend a little time thinking and decide—well, they sure are wrong but I don’t hate them.  Keep saying it until you start to really believe it.  If you can’t, maybe it is time to think about yourself and who you have become. 

If your solution to all the hatred is war or even assassination, then you have slipped over to the dark side of life.  If you want to live there, you will need to recognize the ugliness of the world you have chosen.  And it gets damn ugly quick. 

If your neighbor is part of the “other”, your group will want the neighbor gone or even dead.  You might say, no way, I will stop them, but when you are part of the mob you will have no control over what they do, and if you defend the neighbor, the mob will turn on you.  Good people will become bad people with a mission to destroy.  All driven by hate, not political goals.  The hate says you must defeat your enemy.  The ultimate defeat is death.

The assassination of the Kennedys was not a political statement, it was a statement of hate.  This country and the world are once again playing with fire.

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New e-book Success Paths Business Series book just released. How to Start and Run a Successful Small Business (someone misled me into beliving a long title had merit). Paperback should be available next week. This knowledge is from my other life as a small business owner and accounting maven.

Leading a Mob is not Leadership

Tumbling Tumblweeds by Ted Clifton

“Definition of fascism,

a political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.”

Never thought much about fascism as it related to the U.S., until the last few years.  Wasn’t that some craziness tied to Mussolini?  Yeah, sometime in the 1930s or something.  Has nothing to do with us, right?  Well read that definition again—what does that remind you of?

The real question is why would anyone support such a thing?  A dictator can’t be one unless there is an army in support for such a person, or the people elect that person.  Why would anyone vote for a dictator?  The easy answer is the wrong answer—they’re stupid.  I just don’t buy the stupid answer.  Sure, there are plenty of dumb as a post people who would vote for the loudest person running promising a great world, but that is a very small minority.  I think what motivates people to close their eyes and elect a tyrant, is hate. 

Hate clouds the mind.  There is no logic that can penetrate the barrier of hatred.  Groups of people become mobs because of hate.  Honest, caring people become mindless animals because of hate.  If the hate is strong enough all it takes for destruction is an amoral leader who points the mob at a target.  There is the reason your life is not as good as it should be—those people.  Attack and destroy, and everything will be wonderful.

Hate needs an enemy to become action.  The autocratic leader recognizes the hate and directs it at the “other”, then sits back and watches as good people turn into a mob.  A very frightening aspect to that is you might find yourself in the “other” group.

At some point the people who elected the tyrant will realize their mistake, but it will be too late.  There will no longer be elections, the dictator decided it was in your best interest for the dictator to be leader for life.  You will not be allowed to participate in most decisions, because your leader knows what’s best, plus the leader knows you don’t really want to be bothered.  You now live in 1930s Italy, without the excellent food.

There maybe no way to stop this drift towards a dictator because the hate is so strong, but I thought a voting guide might be useful. 

Never vote for someone who:

  • Yells all the time.
  • Is followed around by a team of lawyers.
  • Is followed around by a team of goons.
  • Says all your problems in life have nothing to do with your decisions but are the fault of _______.
  • Would appear to have an ego as big as a house.
  • Doesn’t own a dog.
  • Likes the military a little too much.
  • Would prefer not to shake your hand.
  • Will obviously do or say anything to win.
  • Really wants to be a TV star.
  • Admires no one and has no heroes.

You should vote for people who:

  • Don’t really seem to want the job.
  • Love dogs.
  • Listens all the time.
  • Wants you to have more control over your life, but not infringe on anyone else’s.
  • Loves history.
  • Thinks all people have value.
  • Thinks being wealthy does not make you smart.
  • Would rather be _____________, as opposed to being at this press conference.
  • Still talks to mom.

Would also add that the best leaders love to read and take walks (alone).