Social

Essays on society and social change, political systems, and cultural movements

Truth in Poetry: 14

Problem: Civility

As the population grows and people move to cities en masse, the vast majority of people live in close quarters to one another. As this phenomenon continues to grow there becomes a “rat king” problem. Also, as our society evolves technologically, we have less and less need for our “neighbors”. This leads to the attitude that the “other guy” is getting something that I could have had, rather than the more healthy: there’s enough for everyone attitude. Now with cellphones we can disconnect at any time, for any reason, and anywhere. Furthering the problem of civility was Covid.

As civility wains in our societies, so do our societies. It is perhaps a well-known secret that the formalities of government keep government civil; they are often what makes a good government. The same applies to societies. When the so-called formalities of a good society wain, the society becomes less good. As we as a society disregard accepted norms and traditions, we often lose some that are actually useful, and good.

Although civility is an esoteric concept, it is also one which can be recognized. There are many examples of the dissolution of civility ranging from the way we drive, to the way we dress but civility, in all its forms is a cornerstone of any society worth living in. It is not easy, and that is a problem since ease has become more and more important to us as citizens. However, we must remember that easy is often not the best motivation for doing anything.

Solution: Parenting, Education, Population Control

Yes. Good parenting is an essential solution to the problem of civility. However, sadly to say, there are many bad parents in the world, but solutions to bad parenting come with their own set of issues. We could take Plato’s approach, that in The Republic. Population control, however, is an issue that must be addressed no matter what. And this would seem to help civility. If we are to live in close quarters, the less of us there are, the better behaved we might be.

Of course, the primary solution has to be the education of children in the importance of being civil. This could range from utilitarian manners to lessons in basic ethical philosophy (sympathy, empathy etc…) We could broaden the education to those in prison, and those charged with lesser crimes. If we chose to go China’s way, we could punish people for slight infractions, although it is not clear that that approach actually makes for a civil society.

The easiest and the most difficult is for us all to realize that we would live in a better society if we all acted civilly towards one another. Several other issues that could be enacted have been mentioned above. If we as individuals simply acted responsibly and courteously towards one another at all times, it would go a long way. However, getting to that point seems problematic without some kind of education in civility.

Truth is Like Poetry 9

Problem: Racism

For the sake of this argument, I will state that we are all racists. Racism is, after all, a bias. Given that, racism is not limited to two or more races of human beings. However, racism in the sense that is meant here, is a conscious giving in to that bias based upon fear and/or ideologies. Typically to be a racist is to be biased against someone’s skin color, which is ludicrous. So, in the simplest sense of the word, racism is irrational and based in ignorance at best. This simple problem is problem of stupidity and has its own solutions which will not be covered here.

However, racism, in a broader, more complex sense, encompasses much more than just skin color. Racism is cultural, it is social, it is tribal. And so, the problem of racism is found in those concepts rather than simple bias based upon skin color. Culture and social norms are primarily tribal, and so it would follow that racism is a tribal problem. But human beings are tribal by nature. For most of our history we have lived in small groups that have been completely ignorant of any others, or at least very few others, and we have and continue to view strangers, people different than ourselves, and people with different viewpoints, with quite a bit of wariness.

The problem, therefore, is not racism in the broad sense, but that we are no longer limited to living in small groups. We continually meet others, mostly strangers that are different than ourselves. And we constantly meet those with differing viewpoints. Now we must live with these “strangers”. These “strangers” are people that live in the same country, in the same town and in the same city. Furthermore, with the inception of the internet, these “strangers” are virtually anywhere and anyone with any viewpoint at any time of any given day, month or year. The problem is that we as individuals are still tribal while we live in a global environment.

Solution: travel/internet/time

The solution to simple, stupid racism is ironically enough, more complex than the solution to racism as tribal problem, although both the narrow sense and the broader sense are very closely related. The narrow solution is primarily a cultural one, encompassing ridding ourselves of religious views, ridding ourselves of irrational fear, and confronting the major issue, poverty, which inevitably creates ignorance in both realms. In the narrow sense of the word, the solution lies in regulation of false claims by religious, social and political institutions while making a good education (one steeped in critical thinking) available to all.

In the broader sense, the solution is a bit of the opposite. While the spread of disinformation and misinformation is ubiquitous online and should be regulated, any other censorship should not be allowed. While not everyone has the means to actually travel, the internet gives those that do not a chance to explore the world far outside of their own. Part of the solution is to make this virtual “world” as close to the “real” world as possible. However, in Europe it is much more the norm for young people to take off and travel for months early on. This is in part due to the social systems in place in most countries of Europe. And so, this too is part of the solution.

Lastly, innate problems like both the narrow and the broad senses of racism take time, generations often, to work themselves out. The older generations cling to the “old” world ways and beliefs while the “new” generations do their best to break free and be “normal”. There are several ways to promote this generational shift but many of those are often deemed immoral or simply not realistic. And so, time is of the essence. We can only hope that we have enough.

Truth is Like Poetry 5

Problem: Laissez-faire Capitalism

The problem of the idea of money is (actually) most likely as old as humanity. Money, in all its forms, is simply a method of barter. Bartering systems have varied over time, ranging from rocks and livestock and other things throughout history. However, capitalism goes beyond the concept of bartering. Capitalism is the concept of profitizing. Nowadays, especially in the USA, capitalism has taken on a religious tinge which gives it some of the same qualities and problems as religious belief. So, the idea/concept of using money as a system of barter is not the issue, the ideological fetishes regarding profit is.

Profit-at-all-costs is the end result of laissez-faire capitalism. This, in short, is the problem. This has cost the American society dearly morally, socially, and politically and culturally. One aspect of this problem is the so-called ‘Protestant work ethic”, which leads to meritocratic worth above all else and creates a moral worth to economic standing. Secondly, capitalism has led to an oligarchical and plutocratic governing system that is unhealthy and even dangerous.

Lastly, laissez-faire capitalism corrupts the concept of civilization; it undermines a core value system that allows peaceful societies to exist by rendering unfair the barter system itself. Profit-at-all-costs undermines trust in the economic system of a country. It is important to remember that greed is not a basic good, something capitalists throughout time have seemed to forgotten.

Solution: Government Regulation

FDR introduced “The New Deal” early last century when capitalism-run-amok tanked the American economy, and it is a good start as a solution today. Furthermore, anti-trust laws are already in place to rectify the problem of capitalism, but have simply been relegated to legal trash heaps by the Republicans in particular and indirectly by Democrats. They are The Sherman Antitrust Act, The Clayton Act, and The Federal Trade Commission Act.

The Sherman Antitrust Act deals with unfair and deceptive contracts and trading (think Wall Street) while The Federal Trade Commission Act deals with deceptive ‘acts and practices’ such as the housing bust in and the reasons the government (we the people) had to bail out the banks. The Clayton Act was put into place to cover issues not covered by the previous two. There is also the McCain-Feingold Act which, in part, was put in place to battle Citizens United (a heinous piece of pathetic legislation that undermines all vestiges of fair-trade practices).

Secondly, government is not a business and cannot be run as such. It is a platform upon which societies are built, and like all such platforms, it is conceptual, not financial. The question, as is the case with most socio-political questions, is what kind of society do we as individuals want to live in, and government is an answer to that question. Laissez-faire capitalists, Libertarians and Republicans mostly, have answered this question loud and clear as to the kind of society that they desire, and the consequences of their decision has not boded well for civil, fair, peaceful societies.

Truth is Like Poetry 4

Problem: Religion

It is said by many that religion is as old as humanity. It isn’t, but if it was it has been a problem for all of human history. There are many problematic aspects of religion not the least being its undermining of Truth, critical thinking, and the ability to decipher and search out meaningful truth, the scientific method. Other problematic aspects include the justification of human weaknesses, greediness, arrogance, selfishness, its stubborn and insistent anti-progressive stance, and the propagation of ignorance in general.

People turn to religion for many reasons, most of them bad, but for whatever reason people turn to it society pays. Churches are subsidized in several ways by the government (i.e society). They pay little to no taxes and in turn add little to no advantage to society other than to those who attend this or that particular church. Furthermore, religion has held societies in its grip for eons, standing in the way of social, economic, scientific and cultural progress. Religion is a problem, but so is the legislation of morality. The theocratic tendencies of religions continue to be a dangerous issue to most societies. People may have the right to believe what they want, false or not. However, all of society should not have to pay for that right.

Solution: taxation and education

The ultimate solution is for humanity to turn its back upon the crutch of religious belief by educating itself (especially regarding critical thinking). However, this is unlikely. So, the education of children should be limited to non-religious public education systems and private educational institutions should be limited to secular only. In short, religious belief has no place in any educational institution and has no business calling itself (or being established as) an educational institution (i.e. “Bible College” etc…).

Secondly, religions should be stripped of their nonprofit and/or not-for-profit status entirely. The multi-million-dollar monstrosities that dot most cityscapes should not exist if its members do not want to pay for it themselves. Public coffers and policy-making need to be off-limits to religious organizations, including the ability for religions to lobby the government. If a religious organization of any kind desires to do more, become public, build, or create an institution for public use, it should be held to the same tax laws as any other business.

However, religion is and ought to be a private affair alone. The division of church and state should be absolute. The Christian figure Jesus, perhaps said it best:

“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men … but when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your father who is unseen.”

A Little Soap Box

If we are to progress in any meaningful way as a species we must overcome the particular fears and beliefs that have defined us throughout history and continue to define us today. This idea is not new. The idea to overcome humanity’s shortcomings by changing not only the way we think, but our actions and the reasons that we act is one that has been presented by great thinkers throughout the history of our species. We simply must learn to listen to them.

There are three frailties of humanity that stand in the way of progress. Make no mistake, these frailties do not stop progress completely, but only slow it down. The first is tribalism in all its forms. There can be no “us” versus “them”. Where there is patriotism there is nationalism, and where there is nationalism there is war. We have come to the point in our history where we cannot afford war.

The second shortcoming that will define humanity’s future for better or worse is ideological belief whether it is in a religious form or a political one. Ideology is a certitude that leads to tribalism, to the death of curiosity and to confusion. Our ideologies, if they define us, take over us and create a concrete bunker in which intellect dies. Our ideologies are born out of fear and arrogance. Not knowing an answer is always better than creating one out of thin air.

The third is as old as the gods and is known by many names: selfishness, avarice, greed. To have enough is something that does not come naturally to most of us and to have too much is something that is not often enough recognized. We have many excuses for our greed ranging from family to individual rights. Greed is too many times measured economically, but its seed is psychological.

The question must become what kind of society do we want to live in? The question will become what will we have to do in order to achieve this society. The question is simply when will we have to decide these things and how.

Pride, Ignorance & Reality

(Trump Voters Will Not Like What Happens Next)-Washington Post Garrison Keillor is an author and radio personality.

So he won. The nation takes a deep breath. Raw ego and proud illiteracy have won out, and a severely learning-disabled man with a real character problem will be president. We are so exhausted from thinking about this election, millions of people will take up leaf-raking and garage cleaning with intense pleasure. We liberal elitists are wrecks. The Trumpers had a whale of a good time, waving their signs, jeering at the media, beating up protesters, chanting “Lock her up” — we elitists just stood and clapped. Nobody chanted “Stronger Together.” It just doesn’t chant.

The Trumpers never expected their guy to actually win the thing, and that’s their problem now. They wanted only to whoop and yell, boo at the H-word, wear profane T-shirts, maybe grab a crotch or two, jump in the RV with a couple of six-packs and go out and shoot some spotted owls. It was pleasure enough for them just to know that they were driving us wild with dismay — by “us,” I mean librarians, children’s authors, yoga practitioners, Unitarians, bird-watchers, people who make their own pasta, opera-goers, the grammar police, people who keep books on their shelves, that bunch. The Trumpers exulted in knowing we were tearing our hair out. They had our number, like a bratty kid who knows exactly how to make you grit your teeth and froth at the mouth.

Alas for the Trump voters, the disasters he will bring on this country will fall more heavily on them than anyone else. The uneducated white males who elected him are the vulnerable ones, and they will not like what happens next.

To all the patronizing B.S. we’ve read about Trump expressing the white working-class’s displacement and loss of the American Dream, I say, “Feh!” — go put your head under cold water. Resentment is no excuse for bald-faced stupidity. America is still the land where the waitress’s kids can grow up to become physicists and novelists and pediatricians, but it helps a lot if the waitress and her husband encourage good habits and the ambition to use your God-given talents and the kids aren’t plugged into electronics day and night. Whooping it up for the candidate of cruelty and ignorance does less than nothing for your kids.

We liberal elitists are now completely in the clear. The government is in Republican hands. Let them deal with him. Democrats can spend four years raising heirloom tomatoes, meditating, reading Jane Austen, traveling around the country, tasting artisan beers, and let the Republicans build the wall and carry on the trade war with China and deport the undocumented and deal with opioids, and we Democrats can go for a long , brisk walk and smell the roses.

The effect of working women on society goes well beyond added income.

I like Republicans. I used to spend Sunday afternoons with a bunch of them, drinking Scotch and soda and trying to care about NFL football. It was fun. I tried to think like them. (Life is what you make it. People are people. When the going gets tough, tough noogies.) But I came back to liberal elitism.

Don’t be cruel. Elvis said it, and it’s true. We all experienced cruelty back in our playground days — boys who beat up on the timid, girls who made fun of the homely and naive — and most of us, to our shame, went along with it, afraid to defend the victims lest we become one of them. But by your 20s, you should be done with cruelty. Mr. Trump was the cruelest candidate since George Wallace. How he won on fear and bile is for political pathologists to study. The country is already tired of his noise, even his own voters. He is likely to become the most intensely disliked president since Herbert Hoover. His children will carry the burden of his name. He will never be happy in his own skin. But the damage he will do to our country — who knows? His supporters voted for change, and boy, are they going to get it.

Back to real life. I went up to my home town the other day and ran into my gym teacher, Stan Nelson, looking good at 96. He commanded a landing craft at Normandy on June 6, 1944, and never said a word about it back then, just made us do chin-ups whether we wanted to or not. I saw my biology teacher Lyle Bradley, a Marine pilot in the Korean War, still going bird-watching in his 90s. I was not a good student then, but I am studying both of them now. They have seen it all and are still optimistic. The past year of politics has taught us absolutely nothing. Zilch. Zero. Nada. The future is scary. Let the uneducated have their day. I am now going to pay more attention to teachers.