My token political post…

In this blog, I generally try to avoid talking about controversial things, things were I don’t feel that I can effectively contribute, and things that that just feed the 24×7 news cycle. However, as this political season marches on, I feel that I need to make a statement (to all two or three folks who might stumble across things here). I make no secret that I’m a lifelong democrat, albeit one who’s a believer in globalization, capitalism and the free market ;-). Friedman’s “The World is Flat” should be required reading for every high school student. Heck, I subscribe to The Economist and the Wall Street Journal. I try to be an informed citizen, and try to spend my time reading things that help me understand the political and economic landscape. One of my recent favorites is Alan Greenspan’s biography.

I am discouraged by the tendency of people to want things to be simplified to a short sound bite, to be told what to think without critically examining what and why, and favoring style over substance. Today’s world is an exceedingly complicated place. While it may be satisfying to think that our leaders are just like us, frankly, I want them to be wiser, more reasoned, more thoughtful, more insightful and willing to reevaluate their beliefs when confronted with new information. What’s wrong with waffling? I’ll change my mind if someone presents me with compelling countervailing facts. If I don’t, I’m foolish. Staying with a bad decision because you don’t want to change is not a sound way to run your life or to run the country. Remember what they teach in business school, the concept of “sunk costs?” It doesn’t matter how much money you’ve put into a solution, you have to look forward at revenues and expenses and not be hung up on the financial and emotional capital you’ve put into a project. Running the government is like that, only much bigger and more complicated.

So, here’s my “virtual yard sign” — I unabashedly, enthusiastically and fully support Barack Obama for President and Joe Biden for Vice President. I’m cautiously optimistic about their chances. I think that they can restore the faith in our government and restore the confidence in our country. They are the Change we Need!

PS: Did I mention that I’m a gun-loving liberal? I grew up in Eastern NC, and hunting is a way of life there. I’ve belonged to the NRA for a while now, but I’ve decided that I can’t enjoy the firearms articles in the American Rifleman due to the incredibly myopic, single-issue litmus test politics of the NRA, and I won’t be renewing my membership. The current issue was the final straw.

0 thoughts on “My token political post…

  1. concerned citizen

    Well, I would recommend a book, which has been written as a rebuttal to Friedman’s “The world is flat” and surprisingly has chapters relating to the economic mess facing US today.

    It is a small, but interesting book, by Aronica and Ramdoo, “The World is Flat? A Critical Analysis of Thomas Friedman’s New York Times Bestseller,” which offers a counterperspective to Friedman’s theory on globalization.

    Interestingly enough, the book written about two years back, discusses in the following chapters,

    “Debt and Financialization of America”

    “America”s Former Middle Class”

    “A Paradigm Shift for America” with prescriptions for the future

    the debt ridden American society, deregulated financial institutions, mortgage crisis and other related issues, with clear pointers to the economic crisis gripping US today. For more information regarding the same, check this out: mkpress.com/FlatExcerpts.pdf

    This is a small book compared to the 600 page tome by Friedman, and aimed at the common man and students alike. As popular as the book may be, some reviewers assert that by what it leaves out, Friedman’s book is dangerous. The authors point to the fact that there isn’t a single table or data footnote in Friedman’s entire book.

    “Globalization is the greatest reorganization of the world since the Industrial Revolution,” says Aronica.

    You may want to see http://www.mkpress.com/flat

    and watch http://www.mkpress.com/flatoverview.html

    for an interesting counterperspective on Friedman’s

    “The World is Flat”.

    Also a really interesting 6 min wake-up call: Shift Happens! http://www.mkpress.com/ShiftExtreme.html

    There is also a companion book listed: Extreme Competition: Innovation and the Great 21st Century Business Reformation

    http://www.mkpress.com/extreme

    http://www.mkpress.com/Extreme11minWMV.html

    Reply
  2. Joel

    I approved the comment above, as it was a civil and reasonable critique of the view of globalization. I don’t agree with the poster, but it’s important to allow civil discourse.

    Reply

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