It is the end of year. So naturally we focus on the ‘best’
or ‘worst’, the silliest or the most beautiful stories, things or puzzles of
the year. It’s the thing to do at this time of year. So indulge me my day for a list.
First, the most meaningless: Anything having to do with the
Kardashian family. They are not real, or at least do not live real lives. They
are make believe people for the sole purpose of earning money off their name,
thoughts, fashions, loves and births. I've never seen anything like it. I
guess 2014 was the year of celebrities with a twist: they are made up celebs.
How Americans came to be manipulated like this is beyond me. It’s like reality
TV on steroids. It’s so real that it is unreal. And there we have it. The
phantom celebs. Only their name begins with a K.
Second, weather. Anything to do with weather. It’s too cold,
too hot, too wet, too dry, you name it and we have read it this year. I like
learning about weather, at least to the point of understanding whether I need
to carry an umbrella for the day, or wear a heavier outer coat, or less
clothing, or whatever. How to cope with weather is all I need to learn. For my
region of residence, I also need to know if we are to have severe weather, too
much rain, not enough rain, and so forth. This allows me time to adapt to
issues that will affect my everyday life. Anything more is science fiction
until facts are evident and proven so. I generally believe in global warming.
Whether this will be cataclysmic or not I don’t know nor support. I do support
being aware of major changes that we might be able to lessen for the sake of
future generations.
Third, politics and government. This category is rife with
crap. That’s the nicest way of putting it. Our news channels are crammed with
meaningless stories about politics and ideologies. Figure out the latter –
complete with objectives and personalities – and you can figure out the special
interests involved. Then you can ignore them. They are not factual stories.
They are make believe scenarios someone wants to happen in a certain way and so
are not truly real. Let’s stick with facts, actual happenings and the rest
should fall into place.
Related to this category is the whole topic of government. I
will no doubt write much more on this in the near future. For now let’s just
say government is the work of the people for the common good of the people.
Some of this work has to be done by someone and individuals and private parties
usually don’t want to do this thankless job. So it falls on government
entities. Like national defense, or recovery from natural disasters, or search
and rescue, or policing local communities, writing parking tickets, enforcing
traffic safety standards, and on and on. Someone has to do this work and
private enterprise hasn't learned yet how to do that as a vendor and make a
reasonable profit. So far prisons operated for profit have gained ground
similar to private security firms. Each, however, has problems. They have a
spotty record of effectiveness. Usually they fail at some point and public
dollars are used to bail them out so order can be preserved.
Fourth, international relations. Who is mad at whom, and
why, and what diabolical results might this spell? It seems these relations are
always in flux. And if they are not the news media makes it seem so regardless.
For example, the National Security Agency spied on allies and their leaders in
an attempt to corral intelligence information concerning terrorism on a global
basis. Seems this was considered a heinous invasion of sovereignty by the
public, or was it? The media thought so and made that story rise throughout the
year. But wait! It appears our allies and their leaders need and desire
American Intel activities because it keeps their people safe. So the public
thinks it’s one way while their own leaders know it is another way.
Interesting, eh? We are allies because we know all of our interests reside in
the same clump of issues and activities. That’s how we won World War I and
World War II. Please note that very few other wars were won when we went it
alone. I think that is a good thing. It keeps us honest and trustworthy for the
long term. Russia
needs to learn this lesson for its own good!
Fifth, competition and entrepreneurial-ism. Politicians and
news media would like you to think that competition somehow exists in a pure
form. Thus they support the notion that entrepreneurs take on all the risk and
make good things happen. They don’t of course. In small ways the notion is
true, but in the main, it is not true. Society creates an environment in which
risk can be taken for good ends. If it doesn't lower risks, the risk takers
don’t participate. Pretty simple. If the ends are desirable, then the public
gets the work done by making it a governance operation. Companies need good
workers. But they don’t educate the populace themselves. They seek educated
employees and then provide them with additional training to make them
competitive within their own use patterns. The public education system,
however, is tasked with getting the larger job done in the first place. It
becomes a common good. And it has value. And the private sector demands it at
public expense but pretends in the media that they make it happen. They don’t.
Similarly, the private sector does not build roads, bridges,
communication networks or anything else unless they know government will
support the infrastructure over the long haul and reduce corporate risk
accordingly. You and I make for clean air, clean soil, clean water, and also
open broadband transmissions, internet, research and development, and so much
more. Corporations continue on with this infrastructure base to build their own
competitive environments that are hard to duplicate by others. But the base of their
operations are provided by the public in many, many ways. To hear them talk corporations are the beginning and end of
all progress in society. That would be false chatter on their part. They do not
own the ideology in this argument.
So when you read the best and worst lists of 2014, look
behind the veil of pomp and common belief. There is much more to be known and
the speakers or writers are not necessarily the source of all the facts.
Perhaps the real big story of 2014 is the individual. You
and I separately. We are the ones on the front line of living life. Relying on
our own wits and efforts is the way to the future. Working together will make
this task easier. But only if we are aware of our own vulnerability in the
first place. Trust yourself. Do the work. Think. Reach out and be a part of
another’s life.
Goodbye 2014. hello 2015! It’s good to know you are on the
doorstep.
December 31, 2014
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