Stop Making Stupid People Famous

I saw today’s title phrase on the internet the other day. I don’t know who said it. Nor do I know who it was said about. I have my candidates. So do you. Palin and Trump come to mind.

But more than that I think today’s title encourages us to put a stop to people who have little to say, or don’t speak factually.  Certainly many ‘popular’ politicians in the news today qualify for this distinction. Not all politicians, but many! And perhaps that is our problem.

You may ask what we are to do about this problem. I think it is pretty simple.

Silence.

Meet stupid comments with silence. Provide stupid people with silence.

Do not react. I know I come to this battle ground late! I have been moved to comment on what I perceive to be wrong headed thinking with a diatribe of my own. So I pledge to reform my behavior. I have placed this pledge in writing for all to see. Now it’s up to all of you to keep me honest and compliant with the pledge.

Here are the benefits of working together on this project:

• Politicians playing games with public opinion will be met with silence; they will get no traction
• Politicians who do not play games with public opinion and consistently deal with facts, will gain traction with other decision makers so good things get done
• Stupid people among our public will wonder why their audiences are silent; they may think before speaking next time; or not; they are stupid so they likely will not understand what is happening; no matter; they haven’t understood up ‘til now, either!
• Serious discussions will likely ensue and the public will gain knowledge of the facts and make good decisions; in turn good politicians will gain the support they need to do the work we all need to have done
• Emotional responses to the news will likely calm down; hopefully to a modicum of order, giving us peace
• Prioritization of issues will likely take place; this is an ordering of the work we have ahead of us; we do step one first, then step two, and so forth; taking things out of order confuses and stymies progress
• Stupid people will most likely cease to be a major component of public life; tranquility will have a chance to grow
• Perhaps we will finally get the government we deserve
• The world community will praise us and like us for the right reasons! 

Refreshing prospect isn’t it? And all from exercising the power of silence at critical times. I wonder why it took me so long to see this. I guess I have to give others the benefit of the doubt as well. Obviously they haven’t seen this either so I have to have patience with them until they learn to be silent in the face of stupidity.

For now, we need to support these key projects if our society will prosper long into the future:

1. Re-engineer all aspects of education so it is effective at reasonable cost; provide education for everyone to the extent they are able and desire it; enhance the utility of each person and the quality of their life for the common good of our social order
2. Respect our planet and make it whole: reduce pollution of air, soil and water to sustainable levels; insist our trading partners do the same or ban their products in our country
3. Manage our economy for the common good, not for special interests; always strive for self-sustaining function of the economy so it pays for itself
4. Reward risk-taking for the common good: if risk produces jobs and social benefits leading to quality of life for the masses, reward those who risk their wealth with profits sufficient to sustain more risk
5. Communicate effectively with all audiences – foreign and domestic – so the community of mankind gets along within its ranks and sustains such actions in perpetuity. Listen to one another; allow freedom of speech; intentionally connect with others and strive to understand them

I am confident these projects, movements and causes will yield results we will all recognize as worthwhile. With those results we will expect more of the same and keep the effort moving forward.

In the meanwhile, respect the past, enjoy the present and strive for a better tomorrow always.

Peace!

September 14, 2015