Economics and Life

Politics                     Economics

Whether discussing Politics, Economics or any other controversial issues; keep these facts in mind....

Do You KNOW WHY   You Believe  WHAT   You Believe?

If not.... Figure it Out! 

The WHY is INFINITELY more important than the WHAT we believe!

If we don't have objective facts to support why we believe a thing....  We are likely oblivious to the likely unintended consequences of helping our political opinions and beliefs to become reality.  Simply trusting our political leaders; democrat or republican is simply an invitation to deceit and chaos.   See why.

Vote for what you believe.... Know WHY you believe it and Where it leads!....

Otherwise this could happen to you!....

      You vote for candidate X because he promised to pass a bill to create higher wages.  He kept his word, he told the truth, he presented the bill and despite massive opposition he got it passed! So far so good....  Within 6 months of enactment, the data was rolling in and it was unequivocal. Employee income was on the rise all throughout your entire state!   Unfortunately, there is more.... 

     The bill also resulted in"other" consequences.  They weren't really intended but they were easily foreseen.  That is why there was so much opposition.  One group analyzed the bill and understood the probable consequences.   The other heard only higher wages so blindly supported it.  

      What candidate X neglected to mention is that for many companies, adhering to the new law and its requirements would not just be difficult but impossible.  As expected and promised, there were employee pay increase all throughout the state.  However, thanks to their burgeoning payroll expenses, many employers had No Choice but to either reduce employee hours, lay off some employees or simply close their business.   What if you are one of these who were laid off! 

NO DO OVERS!

      At first glance, the law sounded great!  Who doesn't want higher wages?  But, I wonder, if given the chance, would those who were laid off directly because of it, vote for it again?  Shouldn't they have been informed in the first place that it was certain to cause many layoffs?

      The point here is not to argue the pros and cons of a living wage, but to point out the law of unintended consequences.  See Unintended Consequences in Action    

Unless we have a minimal understanding of how even great sounding policies can in fact be incredibly destructive, we are destined to believe, support and possibly even become responsible for a policy that slits our own throat!

Remember, good decisions are possible only in conjunction with good information. 

Even if you are a well informed politico, you will often find THE missing insight into an issue that removes any question as to power of your position. What once seemed like a well founded opinion might be elevated to an incontrovertible fact incapable of being honestly refuted.  Unfortunately, nothing is ever immune from the unthinking dishonest attacks and arguments that are so prevalent today.  That's just the world in which we now live.     

ON THE OTHER HAND....

You may find that some of your most cherished and long held beliefs are challenged or even destroyed because objectively it enjoys little to no factual or historical support.  If  that happens it won't be fun.... but in the end, isn't believing that which is true, preferable to believing that which is currently comfortable, but ultimately destructive?

  Truth is Better:

Imagine you're on safari in the deepest jungles of Africa.  After a long day of hiking  you have only one remaining goal.... To escape the night's growing bursts of rapidly cooling cold wind.  You continue on your way, heavy with the anticipation of the warm comfort of your waiting bed roll.  Then, just outside your approaching camp you briefly glimpse what appears to be a thick, slightly crooked branch gently swaying in the wind.  At last!  You"ve arrived and blissfully sink into bed for a much needed night's sleep.

What Now?:

a.   Do you fall soundly asleep with dreamy replays of a dancing branch in an African breeze?

b.   Or do you die?  What if the swaying branch was actually an 8 ft. Black Cobra that also aspired to warmth and comfort so followed your heat signature right into your sleeping bag? 

If only it was known that life and death hang in a delicate balance that could be tipped by one simple inaccurate belief that would have been corrected with 90 seconds of additional inquiry....  Is it a  gently swaying branch? Or a snake intent on using your warmth and sharing your bed?.... 

OUR CHOICES IMPACT OUR LIVES- Like it or not we are in this together

What we as a people believe and perceive of our political leaders and governmental policies impact countless lives.  The balance shifts from life to death and back again according to the beliefs we hold and policies we support. 

Make sure the beliefs you hold and the positions you support will actually achieve what you want!  If we refuse to spend even the few minutes needed understand a few basic concepts....  you are doomed to eventually mistake a deadly cobra for a warm bed!

The history of nations, governments and politics is replete with snakes pretending to be a be the calming branch.... the results are always horrific.

Hitler-  He was the inspirational figure responsible for murder of millions, the destruction of his country and much of the world.   For many reasons, the German people chose to believe he was something other than what virtually every word he had ever written screamed that he actually was. They"preferred" to believe he had changed and was what they needed, rather than to believe his own words that repeatedly declared what he and his actual objectives had always been.  He was the perfect example of a cult of personality.  The power of his personality blinded the people to the cancer of his actions and ideas. 

Mao Tse Tung-"A chicken in every pot", the slogan that changed the world.  In spite of the literal impossibility of fulfilling such a promise, the people wanted and even NEEDED to believe and support him.  Poverty creates strange bedfellows. 

Mao could never have prevailed without the strong support of the people.  He had it during and after in spite of the murderous actions of Mao and his red guards.  In spite of the non stop human carnage he inflicted, the never ending hope created by his unfulfilled promises kept him popular.

We also have snakes among our political leaders; hopefully none as barbaric as the above.  In the US they consist of Democrats, Republicans, Independents, etc.... Many are incredibly appealing, they always look great, say exactly the right things, give the most inspiring speeches....  A great speech is no substitute for an effective policy.

Never forget!  A great policy is always preferable to a great speech. 

RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE POWER WE CONFER

With power, always comes the potential for great good and unimaginable harm. 

Shouldn't we be more careful about who we give the reigns of power?   Shouldn't we be more informed regarding the policies we support and the unintended consequences that logic dictates would follow from their implementation?  Shouldn't we spend at least, a few minutes contemplating how various policies will affect the future of our children and their children? 

CHECK UNDER THE HOOD 

Don't we owe it to ourselves and our futures to maybe check under the hood?....  even just one more time?  Maybe change the oil, find the old worn parts that could be dangerous and get rid of them?

WHAT SOCRATES SAID:

            The unexamined life is not worth, living.

WHAT I SAY:

            An unexamined opinion or belief is not worth holding.