Realities of Religion and Politics

We the people.  What wisdom in such a simple yet meaningful concept.  Unfortunately, the promise of equality too often falls short to profit and segregation.  Too often we make short-sited decisions in favor of personal greed instead of providing a foundation for a healthy, happy and sustainable society.  Too often we forget that we are a part of a community.  We forget that we are a people.  We forget that we are one world.

Fear has often driven this forgetfulness.  Fear of not having enough.  Fear of being wrong.  Fear of others.  Fear of the unknown which keeps us complacent.  Fear often proves to be a motivating factor in establishing laws that protect what financial gains we have.  Fear keeps the wealthy…wealthy.  Fear keeps us from understanding those that are not like us.  Fear sends us to war and keeps us at war.  Fear builds fences. 

Historically speaking, fear has caused massive bloodshed.  Take a look at Somalia, Kosovo, Rwanda, the Holocaust, Aboriginal Child Removal Policy (Australia), Indian Removal Act (North America), the Inquisition, Witch Trials, etc.  Unfortunately, this is only a short list.  After reading the list, what do you think?  Are those all things of the past? 

On December 12, 2011, Amina bint Abdel Halim Nassar was executed for sorcery and witchcraft in Saudi Arabia.  She was beheaded for blasphemy.  Unfortunately, that’s only one example of the destruction fear causes in the daily lives of worldly citizens.  It’s unfortunate that these things have happened, but it’s unfathomable as to why they continue to happen.  How can we put a man on the moon, discover the double helix, or describe quantum physics and still be so utterly ignorant? 

Knowledge of what is good is nothing new. 

“To see what is right and not do it is want of courage.” – Confucius

“I am not Athenian or Greek, but a citizen of the world.” – Socrates

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” - Edmund Burke

Yet too often, we do nothing.  Too often, we choose to be blind and dumb.  Too often, we find bliss in reaffirming ignorance. 

It’s reaffirming to find a congregation that thinks the way we do and oh what a coincidence that it’s exactly what god wants.  The town of Keyser, WV has a population of 5,303 as of 2000.  It also has 4 different United Methodist Churches (let alone all the other denominations).  They were, and primarily still are, the Methodist Episcopal Church, The Methodist Episcopal Church South, the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the United Brethren Church.  Each one maintains a slightly different socio-economic status and viewpoint, yet each one supports the “true” meaning of god’s will.  Keyser is not an anomaly. 

Some doctrines claim that homosexuals are living in sin.  Some say blasphemy should be punished by death.  Some say people of a different race are inferior.  Some say god blesses the wealthy.  Some think god helps a sports team win a game.  Some believe in stoning sexually active women.  Some believe that anyone who doesn’t believe like them should be killed.  All are confirmed to be most righteous.  All are living the true desires of their god.  Based upon personal affirmation all of them can do as much good or bad and claim to be right. 

This is the danger of allowing religious beliefs to govern society.  In this type of society, people make laws not because it’s right, but because a book or a person tells them to do so.  If it takes a book or religious belief to convince our political representatives that it’s wrong to cheat, steal or kill, then we should be ashamed to foolishly elect them. 

We know what is right.  We know what is wrong.  We can see…but will we speak?

Santa Fe

All I need in life is sustained happiness.  When I’m happy, I have something worth living for.  Oh sure, there will be some hard times and some unpleasant moments but overall, life is full of joy and gratitude when you have the foundation of love from another.  All the trinkets that one could buy in this developed world are worthless when compared to the gift of sincere and undiluted love.  Of all the things that could consume one’s time during their waking days, nothing compares to the simple moments shared with the one that makes you smile.  This posting is a heartfelt thank you to my partner on this awesome journey called life. 

Santa Fe, holy faith, sacred belief, the foundational essence that keeps you smiling each day; that’s what I think of Jeri, my wife.  Part of the inspiration for this posting comes from the music video of the song Santa Fe by Beirut.  I highly recommend watching, listening and hitting the replay button.  Whoever or whatever serves this role in your life, hold on to it.  Always remember how the simple smile is all you need to not only keep going but to enjoy life’s journey. 

The video starts off with sadness, but there’s more.  The protagonist is lifted from the depths of sorrow by his Santa Fe and life becomes worth living again.  He remembers the sheer joy of just being with his Santa Fe, playing on the beach without a care in the world.  He remembers the joy of sharing a simple meal with his partner and his friend.  He remembers how grand moments in time can be when shared with the ones that make your life worth living.  These moments are what make life…life.  The love of another helps make life ever so vivid no matter the situation.  Having a Santa Fe and being a Santa Fe are what allows one to keep finding the joy in even the hardest of situations.  It also makes those high times feel as though you’re in an all-encompassing paradise.

Live in these moments.  Remember these moments. Be inspired by these moments.  Live…smile… laugh…love…remember.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlwDbdiaAvI&list=HL1323878505&feature=mh_lolz

Scarcity

I remember the story being told by my mom on a few occasions and it always brings a smile to my face.  I say I remember the telling of the story and not the actual event as I must have been about 2 years old at the time.  The story... toilet training.  Here is how I remember the story…

My dad is a budgeter.  He had (and still has) a budget for everything, including my disposable diaper allowance.  Since it was apparently becoming time for me to be weaned from diapers, my dad decided to have a conference with me.  He took me to his storage closet, filled with whatever supplies were needed for the house (toilet paper, batteries, light bulbs, diapers, etc.) and showed me the stack of diapers.  To a 2 year old, that stack of diapers appeared to be all the diapers that could possibly exist in the world.  He calmly informed me that when that stack was gone there would be no more diapers.  At that point I would simply have to use the toilet with no alternatives. 

I don’t recall what I thought as a 2 year old, but it must have been clear to me that there was a definitive limit to the diaper resources of my world.  It was so clear, evidently, that when that day of the last diaper arrived I accepted it without incidence.  I simply started using the toilet.  There was no other option. 

Now again, I was just a toddler with no real recollection of the events, but I’ve heard the story enough and it has a moral that I think deserves to be shared.  The moral, of course, is to use your resources wisely.  We live in an abundant world, yet it is definitively limited.  We will run out of resources at some point.  Someday, there will be no more diapers to absorb our mess.

If we use something today, then we won’t be able to use it tomorrow.  If we as a society use limited resources today, then we will leave a future world without the opportunity to use those resources.

We will run out of oil.  We will run out of money when we maintain a negative savings rate.  We will run out of opportunities to do the right thing.  We will run out of time. 

How do you want to live your life?  How do you want to be remembered?  How do you want to affect others?  How do you want to spend your day?  How do you want to spend your time?  …It’s probably time to start.  Time is getting scarce.  

Spend as much as you need

Americans have set an unprecedented level.  We are officially a league above any other nation and there is no evidence that this trend will change anytime soon.  That’s right; we are the kings when it comes to spending money.  Our consumption motto has been, “Savings?  We don’t need no stinkin’ savings.”  But why?  Why do we spend so much with no real meaningful thought towards tomorrow? 

Princeton professor Sheldon Garon tackled this question in his book, Beyond Our Means: Why America Spends While the World Saves.  His interview with NPR can be read here.  The gist, however, is that America has institutionalized incentives towards debt while many Western European and Eastern Asian countries have institutionalized incentives towards savings.  Many of these forward thinking practices of our worldly neighbors include government subsidies towards small savings accounts.  The government actually supports paying increased interest on individual’s savings account.  This encourages people to actually save and be more intentional about using their monetary resources. 

Let’s look at a couple of ballpark figures as of today (a quick Google search would confirm)…

Type	Interest rate in America	Interest rate in Western Europe
Simple Savings Account	.05%	2.5% to 3%
1 year CD	.5% to 1%	4% to 4.5%

Yes we spend statistically significantly more than our worldly neighbors, but we have also created and supported a society that doesn’t encourage the masses to save.  Conversely, we actually find it more convenient to keep the masses in debt. What do we do instead of encourage savings?  We actually subsidize lending institutions to lend extra credit to the masses to encourage them to spend more than they really have. 

Specifically, we subsidize the lending practices of a wide array of mortgage companies by offering the masses home equity loans.  With these loans, starting in 1986, we created a system that allowed tax exemptions for home equity loans, just like with original mortgages.  This encouraged people to take out second and even third mortgages on their homes so that they could maintain their spending lifestyle.   After the 1980’s, it became common place to find government approved and encouraged lending practices of up to 125% of the home’s value in home equity loans for whatever people wanted.  If someone couldn’t qualify for a bank loan, there became a multitude of options from the private sector.  Again, all of these loans were and are still provided with tax deductible interest, encouraging people to not only remain in debt, but also not fear debt. 

Lenders have treated the borrowing consumers as cash cows.  The borrowers have been trained to use these ways of “creating” money to help them through whatever budget dilemmas they may have.  With this mentality of debt is okay, even good, we find a society with deregulated lending practices that keep the masses in debt and dependence.  Credit card companies were also deregulated in the 1980’s and they were given the green light to charge customers whatever they wanted.  People found more and more options for credit that they eventually decided (consciously or not) that there was no need to pay off a house or reduce debts when finding credit is so extremely easy. 

These greater profit seeking practices have contributed greatly to a society that spends beyond their means.  It has also resulted in a fundamental shift of monetary resources from the have-nots to the haves.  Our widening income and wealth gap is big enough of a problem.  There is no need to facilitate it…yet we do. 

The good news is that the solution is easy.  Spend less.  Spend according to your means, not beyond them.  Yes, we should institute some of these societal wide incentives to save (like actual interest for a savings account), but you can choose not to borrow money that you don’t need.  We don’t “need” all the latest gadgets and extra toys that we find ourselves buying all too often.  If we find ourselves not needing to spend so much money, then we’ll also find ourselves not needing to make so much money.  We don’t have to take extra resources from others (people, the environment, etc.) just to support an unnecessary lifestyle. 

We won’t have to spend so much time focused on work that we forget about the things that really motivate us in life.  We can afford to take a less stressful and more enjoyable job when we aren’t dependent on the high salary to pay for our fast cars and enormous houses (all on the payment plan).    We can free ourselves from a seemingly inescapable cycle of debt and dependence if we just live according to our needs and means.  I think we would all be happier this way…and the planet would too.

Make as much as you need.

Obvious gaps in income and wealth distribution has been at the crux of social unrest for thousands of years. The classic battle between the Haves and Have-nots has plagued societies for as long as societies have been around. Many of us have heard the numbers, but few of us do anything about them. Why? Well, there are several reasons, but among them is the fact that the ones who find themselves empowered to make a difference are usually the Haves, and they choose not to give up their excess. In a global community that equates money with security, it makes sense that even the secure Haves wouldn’t want to give up potential security. Additionally, I think it’s easier to ignore the reality of the numbers when we pick and choose who to compare ourselves against. For example, it has been popular to compare ourselves to greedy, top 1% income receivers and feel justified in our assessment that we are not part of the problem. We should probably look at a couple numbers…

The following numbers are from Branko Milanovic of the World Bank in 2002.

• An American who earns an average income among the bottom 10% in the USA is better off than 2/3 of people worldwide.
• "The top 10 percent of the US population has an aggregate income equal to income of the poorest 43 percent of people in the world, or differently put, total income of the richest 25 million Americans is equal to total income of almost 2 billion people."
• The rate of the income of poor people (with less than 3,470 US$/year) is 78 %. The rate of the income of rich people (with more than 8,000 US$/year) is 11 %.
• With regard to wealth inequality (researchers defined wealth as the value of physical and financial assets minus debts. - "only $2161 was needed in order to belong to the top half of the world wealth distribution, but to be a member of the top 10 per cent required at least $61,000 and membership of the top 1 per cent required more than $500,000 per adult." (Davies, The World Distribution of Household Wealth, 2006)

How can this be? How can a minimum wage job in the USA generate an income that is among the top 10% earners in the world? Well, obviously the USA and other rich countries have a lot of wealth. We live in the land of the Haves. Even though we may compare ourselves to the Jones-es and feel as though we don’t have enough, we are still earning money that many on this planet can only dream about. We don’t have trouble with starving citizens but rather obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other ramifications of a sedentary lifestyle with massive amounts of cheap “food” available. We have so much that we are actually hurting ourselves by the excess.

More is not better. Bigger is not better. Better is better. We live in a land that has lots of cheap food and gadgets that are to be consumed over and over again. With the continual purchasing and consuming of these items, we are providing continued income for the Haves of the Have societies. With this mindset that more is better, we are also forgetting the purpose of money…security. We need money to help provide some of the security we need for basic needs and enjoyments in life. Money is not an end in itself. More stuff is not an end in itself. Security, freedom, enjoyment of life’s experiences…these are the things I think we all really want.

Instead of making as much money as you can, why not make as much money as you need? If we focus on what we need, not who we can make more than, then perhaps we can focus on real solutions to the obstacles that face societies. With all this excess that we have available it would only make sense to institute societal programs like universal health care. Like these countries…

 (July 2009).

  Nations with some type of universal health care system.

  Nations attempting to obtain universal health care.

  Health care coverage provided by the United States war funding.

  Nations with no universal health care.

We have a lot. There are plenty of resources out there to sustain human life. We’ve been doing this for thousands of years now. We have so much these days that we have to stop to ask ourselves what are we making all of this money for? Why do we need bigger houses, trucks, TVs, etc.? Why do we need more stuff?

We need more peace. We need more equality. We need more sustainable societies that find effective ways to provide for everyone’s basic needs as well as opportunities for individual freedoms. We need only so much money to satisfy these goals.

Why Bother?

Why does it matter?  Any of it. Why should we even bother worrying about how societies should interact, be governed or how we treat the planet or even the universe?  Our time of conscious existence is extremely limited.  Our planet is a little over 4 billion years old.  The Big Bang appears to have happened about 13 billion years ago.  We hope to live for about 100 years.  What can we possibly do in our lifetime that would make an appreciable difference to anything?  We are really nothing more than a compilation of elements that have been formed during the process of dying stars.  Does it even matter what happens to these elements that we are temporarily impacting?

This is a serious question.  It probably deserves a serious answer, so here goes my two cents worth.

I think the bottom line is that everything that exists is actually better off to exist with others.  Not only is existence better off with others, but it’s really better off when it exists with a diversity of others.  This diversity and interaction can be seen on the communal, biological and chemical levels.  Let’s take a look…

Communally, we have decided, time and time again, that there is great benefit if we work together towards some end.  Humans have some great examples of joint effort.  We have built pyramids, canals, aqueducts, modern societies with a whole myriad of functions to help make this a more secure environment in which we live. I am thankful that I do not have to build a train in order to ride one across the continent.  Running water in the home is another awesome cooperation.  I’m really glad that I don’t have to dig my own well or walk to a river every time I’m thirsty.  I’m even more thankful that I do not have to learn heart surgery or any other complicated skill in order to benefit from these advances.  As a society, we have figured out some basic principles of sharing in order to create a more secure existence.  Knowing that we have competent health professionals reduces my worries about my personal health in my time of need.  Access to these professionals is another debate for another time (i.e. universal health care).   

Nevertheless, I think we have shown that diversity and cooperation in skill sets lead to a much healthier and happier existence for individuals as well as the whole.  By caring about the welfare of others in the community, I am actually caring for myself.  By establishing a community that interacts with the best interests of the whole in mind, we are actually creating an environment that is safe and secure for ourselves.  By the way, humans don’t own the monopoly on this principle.  Birds flock together and take turns at different roles in migratory flights.  Wolves pack up to increase their hunting capabilities.  Fish school together to avoid being singled out by a predator.  It doesn’t take much looking to see this principle being applied throughout many species in the plant and animal kingdoms.  Working together and working for the whole is often the best strategy to assure individual success.

This idea of working together also works for inter mingling species.  Take a look at all the symbiotic relationships.  How about plants and bees?  The plant gets pollen distribution and the bees get a great meal.  How about fruit trees and mammals?  Plants get the seed distributed and the animals get a continued resource of food.  That sure makes sense.  How about humans and cultivated plants?  Seems like a no brainer.  We need to fully recognize that we are only alive due to the interaction of several species and environments working together.  Just think about the water cycle for a minute.  Think about where our water travels.  Why would we pollute our lakes, streams, and ground water when this is arguably the most important resource for our well-being?  Working together isn’t only important for intra-species security, but it must occur throughout all things that exist if we are to build ourselves a secure place to live.

Cooperation can be seen if we look at any complex organism.  There is a reason we have several different organs and systems in our bodies.  Nervous, circulatory, respiratory, etc…they all play key roles, cooperatively, in order to create a secure, healthy and happy existence for us.  What a great gift we have been given by this cooperation.  The conscious mind has been given life, only because our cells have found more efficient ways to transfer energy.  Without this cooperation, we would be stuck in a one celled existence.  Not bad, but I sure like being able to think, experience and remember all the great things in life.  I am thankful that organisms figured out this cooperation principle to help me enjoy this brief time of consciousness.

Dead stars are pretty helpful too.  Without them, it’s very probable that no life would exist.  All of the “heavy” elements that exist were once in a hydrogen burning star.  Upon its decay, explosion and crashing into its core due to great gravitational pull, we have elements like Iron, Potassium, etc.  This great diversity of elements leads to the ability of many more chemical reactions to occur.  Throughout all of these reactions and bonding, life was found.  That’s pretty cool.  This life that we have today is due in large part to the ability of the diversity of elements to share bonds and interact in such a way that organisms developed and here we are today.  Pretty simple, yet pretty awesome. 

Not only is life as we know it a result of cooperation, but also due to diversity.  Greater diversity, in elements, organs, organisms, etc. leads us to more variation.  Greater variation allows different compounds, organisms, ecosystems, etc.  In order to have life, we must be able to cooperate with a great diversity of matter. 

We have developed, not because of the survival of the fittest, but rather despite survival of the fittest.  We need elements to cooperate to create compounds.  We need cells to cooperate to create organs.  We need organisms to cooperate to create ecosystems.  We need people to cooperate to create societies.  We need to strive to interact with the whole in mind in order to be successful individually. 

Let’s look at another illustration...

Life has been developing in Africa for a “long time” now.  Several different mammals have tried different approaches to establish security in life.  The lion is often considered to be king.  The lion is an example of the fittest ruler in the animal kingdom.  By being king, the lion enjoys the spoils of war.  They get fed.  The problem is there is still one main king in each pride of lions.  There is constant intra-pride fighting to establish the hierarchy as well as inter-pride fighting over territories.  The life of a lion king is one of constant stress.  There is always some lion to be concerned with, let alone the packs of hyenas that often have the same goals.  Even if you have tamed the other lions in your own pride and the prides of the area, you still have to worry about successful hyena challenges.  You may be fed, but it takes and immense amount of energy to ward off all these other pressures and your demise will be very unpleasant. 

Our ancestors reacted to this reality of life (consciously or not) while striving to survive.   Like many animals, we decided that it was beneficial to cooperate and even take advantage of adaptability.  We adapted to life on the ground.  We adapted to life along water ways.  We adapted to life in the mountains.  Wherever we go, we adapt to the diverse surroundings and cooperate to forge out an existence.  We are able to do these things, not because we are trying to be better than others, but because we are trying to find a safe, secure and low stress environment.  We didn’t try to beat the lions; we tried to find a way to exist with less stress and more security.  We tried to find a way to exist that was more sustainable.

I may finally be getting to my point.  Greater variation, from the elements to species, has led to a greater diversity of existence.  This greater diversity can only work if things cooperate and work interdependently.  It’s taken some time for these things to come to fruition, but basic hominids have only been around for a couple million years.  Basic humans, like we think of today, have only been around for about 200,000 years.  For a little perspective, the Jurassic period was about 200 million years ago.  We’re still pretty new at figuring these things out.   We’re still learning when it comes to living in societies and why some things work better than others.  However, if we realize that cooperation and diversity are at the core of more complex existence, then perhaps we can answer the original question.

Why should we even bother?  I think the answer is that it’s the only way to sustain complex life.  We are a part of complex life and if we want this way of existence to continue, then we need to care about how we interact with the rest of this planet.  If we want the opportunity of life, then we need to maintain a cooperative philosophy and maintain diversity so that we can adapt to survive as climates change, resources change and the world as we know it changes.  Without these principles, cooperation and diversity, we cannot expect to live very long. 

If we don’t live in harmony with humans, flora, fauna, ecosystems, etc., then we eventually have a world that is not habitable by complex life.  If we release excess carbon dioxide into the fragile balance of atmosphere, if we consume more at the expense of other living things, if we do any of these things that we know do more harm than good, then we are making the statement that they don’t matter.  We are saying that the only thing that matters is my individual desires and convenience.  Well, my friend, your whole concept of individuality, harnessed by the amazing conscious mind, would never exist if it weren’t for the cooperation and diversity of elements.  Our thinking and desiring mind would never exist if it weren’t for the diversity of life that helps sustain and fuel our entire beings.  Selfish interests for self-perseverance cannot happen at the expense of others (living or non-living).  The only way to secure individual life is if we secure the whole.   

I care about the whole because I care about myself, but I also care about the whole because I am thankful for myself.  Life is an awesome gift.  I breathe, share experiences, enjoy relationships and have a conscious mind due to cooperation and diversity.  I can exist, happily and securely, without doing harm to other members of planet earth.  So why should I take from another organisms opportunity at life?  Why is my temporary convenience, attained by cutting down forests and polluting everything I see, worth more than all of complex life?  My answer is... it’s not.  I gain more joy out of knowing that I can mean not to do harm than any potential temporary joy I may receive when I burn extra oil, consume extra resources or take more than my share.  Why bother?  Because it’s the right thing to do… and that’s all I need to keep going. 

Mean Not To

I remember being a child and being allowed more and more responsibility as I grew and learned.  It was a seemingly very natural process.  One particular event, however, has stuck with me for all of these years and has, perhaps inadvertently, helped shape who I am today.  Here’s the story…

I was at the dinner table and was filling my glass with some pop from a 2 liter bottle (probably Moon Mist as we were frugal Michiganders).  A 2 liter bottle is big enough for anybody, but especially for someone about the age of ten.  Since I liked to experiment with different ideas, I found it enjoyable to balance the entire bottle on top of one hand.  Holding the bottle with one hand, at the base of the bottle, I would then gently pour the contents into my glass.  I found success with this method several times before, but this was the first time my dad was able to witness it.  Sure enough, however, this time was not so successful.  I tipped the glass over and spilled the pop all over the table and the floor followed shortly thereafter. 

Now, I witnessed each member of the family spill things before.  My dad usually did a pretty good job at not overreacting at these types of accidents as he was well aware that accidents happen.  This time, however, he was not as forgiving.  My anticipation of forgiveness, given that I cleaned up the mess, was not that simple.  He didn’t really yell, but he made it quite clear that he was unhappy.  My excuse, predictably, was with the response, “I didn’t mean to.”  I did in fact not mean to spill the pop.  My goal was simply to fill my glass, just in an enjoyable way.  To that, his response has remained forever prophetic, “Yeah, but you need to mean not to.”  I understood the basic message then, but the full ramifications of that simple event continue to affect my life.

The message is simple.  Think things through before you act.  Be calculated in the choices you make.  Mean not to do harm. 

Today, I find myself asking myself the question, “What do I mean to do in life?” I ask this question all the time and I do my best to answer it, every day.  Sometimes I know what I mean to do, but other times I simply know that I don’t want to make things worse.  I don’t want to do harm.  If that’s true, then I need to mean not to harm. 

A simple example is transportation to work.  The goal is to get to work…preferably on time.  Well how should we get there?  Most people drive a car or truck, some people ride a bus or train and others walk or ride a bike.  While I do believe that there is more than one right answer, there are definite ramifications that result from the different methods.  Personally, I choose to ride a bike.  If public transportation were an option in this town, I’d probably use it on the inclement weather days.  Since it’s not an option, I wear a rain jacket, if necessary, on my 5 mile trip to work.  The question that needs to be answered, of course, is why?

First of all, one gallon of burned gasoline pollutes about 20 pounds of CO2 into the delicate atmosphere.  One average mature tree can absorb 50 pounds of CO2 per year.  It doesn’t take long to figure out this equation.  If I burn more than “my share” of fuel, then I’ll be doing more harm to those who live in this same environment.  By biking, I’m making a statement that my convenience is not worth more than the livelihood of the creatures that share this planet.  There are 2 other main reasons for this decision.  Ten miles of biking a day is a great weight management technique.  I’m healthier and more active in all aspects of life and I think my biking habit helps this to occur.  Also, surprise, I’m a bit of a cheapskate.  I save considerable amount of money by not using or owning another vehicle.  Not only is gas expensive, but the insurance, maintenance and purchase price add up. 

I could say, like many do, “Oops, I didn’t mean to pollute the environment,” but all I can hear is my dad saying, “Yeah, but you need to mean not to.” 

I think the same attitude can be applied to many things in life, such as…

"I didn’t mean to get overweight.

I didn’t mean to spend all of my money.

I didn’t mean to ignore the important people in my life.

I didn’t mean to let life go by without enjoying it.

I didn’t mean to hurt the environment."

And those words that were handed down from my dad to me, his dad to him, and so on can be heard…

“Yeah, but you need to mean not to.”

The Paradox of Perfect Pickles

Okay, so that title probably doesn’t tell you much, but bear with me.  First of all, if you aren’t familiar with Malcolm Gladwell and Barry Schwartz, you should watch these two videos.  They are featured on TED talks and seemingly portray the dichotomy of choice.  I recommend watching Gladwell’s talk on spaghetti sauce first (each take a little less than 20 minutes)…

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/malcolm_gladwell_on_spaghetti_sauce.html

Then watch Schwartz’s talk on the Paradox of Choice.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/barry_schwartz_on_the_paradox_of_choice.html

When watched independently of each other, it appears that these two talks are in direct opposition to one another.  Gladwell highlights the fact that choice has led to greater satisfaction.  We see this very dramatically when we go to the supermarket and see a myriad of food choices.  With all of these choices, we have created the opportunity to be happier with our consumable decisions.  Schwartz, on the other hand, highlights these same choices and identifies them as a key cause of buyer’s remorse.   He believes that we are actually worse off by having too much choice and are less happy individually, as well as communally, due to this paradox of choice. 

I believe Schwartz is accurate for identifying the remorse of purchasing a product in the developed world.  We worry a lot about being able to do better by another choice and we are quick to establish blame with ourselves for making the wrong choice.  I also believe that Gladwell is right to identify that there are some people that prefer extra chunky spaghetti sauce.  I am very pleased that this sauce is available today as it is in fact my favorite.  It took me a little while to let these two ideas sink in, but I think we can take them and build a society that is full of both choices and satisfaction. 

The answer is to take joy in knowing that the world is full of perfect pickles.  The world is full of “right” choices. Yes, there are different ways to accomplish the many different goals we have as a developed society.  But no, there is not one “right” way or even one “best” way to get the job done. 

Take housing for an example.  There are a multitude of options available in today’s modern world to fulfill this basic function.  There are apartments, houses, dormitories, mobile homes, motor homes, rooms, tents, travel trailers, etc.  We can buy, rent, sublet, etc. these styles of shelter.  We can live by ourselves, with a roommate or several roommates.  Which one is the “right” way to find shelter?  Answer:  all of them.  According to Gladwell, they are all perfect pickles.  They are all great ways to live and do a great job of getting the job done.  As Schwartz points out, we can be stressed by worrying about those other perfect pickles, i.e. those other perfect homes, so why do it?  You are living in a perfect pickle. 

This is a great way of thinking to help you feel acceptable with your current state in life.  Instead of worrying about the grass being greener on the other side, you can help yourself take solace in knowing that the grass is actually pretty green right here and now.  Likewise, I’d like to point out that this philosophy should equally support the idea of change.  If you find yourself really wanting to try that other spaghetti sauce, that other location to live, or riding a bike to work, etc., then do it.  It too is a perfect pickle.  You will not be giving up anything. 

We are often paralyzed by choice for fear of doing worse.  If, on the other hand, you see choice as an opportunity to experience the greatness that variety has to offer in life, then it can be liberating.  Life is full of perfect pickles.  Life is full of satisfaction, if we’ll only allow ourselves the freedom to enjoy it. 

Can you imagine a world that didn’t fight for each other’s resources?   Can you imagine a world that didn’t claim that there is only one way to worship a god?  Can you imagine a world that didn’t favor one race over another?  Can you imagine a world that not only allows but actually encourages different cultures? 

Plants know that there isn’t only one way to distribute seeds.  Some use wind and some use animals.  Some use hard shells for protection and some use delicious soft fruit to attract transportation and fertilization.  Some methods work well in the desert and some methods work well in a deciduous forest.  Which is the best way to live as a plant?  Which is the best way to live as humans?   

Instead of believing that “we” are the only perfect society out there, perhaps we should embrace an attitude that the world is in fact full of perfect ways to live.  Perhaps the world is full of perfect pickles.  The world has a lot to offer and we have an awesome opportunity to experience the greatness.  Let’s stop worrying about what we could have and embrace what we do have.  Also, let’s not worry about what we may lose if we try something new and embrace the opportunity to experience an awesome pickle. 

An obvious disclaimer… If a society believes in discriminating against other “pickles”, then perhaps that isn’t an example of a perfect pickle as it goes against this philosophy by definition.  

Public Transportation: The Great Equalizer

There are so many reasons why mass transit, light rail and bus, are an essential part of a sustainable society.  Obviously, a community that embraces this mode of transportation will greatly reduce their usage of fossil fuels, carbon emissions, congestion, etc.  The quality of the air and water would increase tremendously and we would have a healthier, happier environment in which we call home.  On top of these necessary benefits, however, I believe there to be an overlooked benefit that would positively affect the interactions of our communities.  We would have to see one another. 

If we all rode public transportation for our daily commuting needs, then we could no longer hide from the fact that we share our communities with a great diversity of human beings.  In our personal motorized carriages, we have found a way to be delivered from doorstep to doorstep without acknowledging the fact that others even exist.  On our way to work or even the store, we see mere geometric solids that rotate on wheeled apparatus that only prove to be potential obstacles along our route.  We don’t see a face, only a menacing grill in our review mirror or frustrating and annoying tail lights through our windshield.  People, however, are seemingly nonexistent. 

By not interacting with a variety of others on a daily basis, it becomes much easier to remain ignorant about other ways of life.  We ensure that our interactions only occur at home or at the office and chances are, that’s a very limited amount of variation of humanness.  Like many species, we as humans perceive safety in the known.  The unknown is often seen as unsafe and risky.  We all know to take the bird in the hand because you may come up empty in the bush.  It has been programed and reinforced for thousands, if not millions, of years that safety is in known quantities.  By forcing ourselves to remain ignorant about the people in even our own communities, it just reinforces the fear of others. 

The fear of others has caused many a military buildup in many civilizations throughout time.  We’ve been afraid of communists, Muslims, Jews, atheists, bearded people, black people, brown people, yellow people, people that dress weird, people that have tattoos, or anything else that isn’t what we see on a daily basis.  With all of this fear, there is no wonder why societies become war hungry.  We are under threat by…by…well, whatever it is, it’s not what I know, so it must be unsafe. 

If you have to sit by the bearded man on the bus, the brown person at the bus stop, or see the Muslim conducting the train, the tattooed girl holding the door for you, the atheist helping an elderly man off the train platform or any other “weird” person, you’re forced to at least acknowledge their existence as human beings.  When we recognize that we live in a community with all sorts of interesting people, and yes, they are actual people, then we become less afraid.  We may not agree with everything that we see out there, but at least we are more aware of people and therefore are less afraid.  We recognize that we are actually all living in the same shared space…locally our communities and globally the world.  No matter where we go, we are sharing the same planet, the same resources, and the same basic goals in life. 

So yeah…go ahead and ride the bus.  What is there to be afraid of? 

Labor Economics

Wait a minute...are you telling me that the first issue of importance when thinking about living sustainably is really the most efficient use of the labor force?  Yep, I guess so.

Don't get me wrong, I do think there are a lot of important topics that need to be discussed; such as income disparity, sustainable fuel source(s), proper nutrition, public transportation and many others.  However, I wonder if solving the labor economics dilemma could lend itself to helping solve some of these other very important issues. 

The dilemma?

We have a labor economics dilemma?  Good question…in my opinion, the answer is, “Yes!”  We, the westernized world, have developed a global economy that focuses on profit as the driving force behind all decisions.  I believe the main reason for the focus on profit is that we correlate extra monetary resources with security.   The logical thought process has been more money = more security as we are able to purchase health insurance, houses, cars, etc.  The problem is we don’t need many of these aforementioned purchases.  What we need is security.

Many people work a job so that they can generate an adequate income.  Now adequate is a relative term, but nevertheless, the modus operandi is that we are to strive to climb the corporate ladder, buy a nice house and drive a good, reliable, if not fancy, car.  We strive to get the next promotion, earn the next bonus and do a little better, personal profit being the driving factor.   But what does our world look like when we all aim for this?  We end up with suburbia. 

We end up with people moving a little further from their place of employment so that they can build the “perfect” home with an adequate yard to enjoy.  A little piece of “paradise” that we can own for ourselves.  In order to live here, however, we become reliant on this nice car to get us to and from work, where many people spend their lives earning money.  Health insurance is also necessary to ensure the hospital and doctor bills can be paid.  Some employers offer this, but only to the higher end positions.  If you have to pay for insurance yourself, then you most likely work even harder to make enough money to afford it. 

Okay, so there are a few ramifications, but for those that can find a job in a certain region, things work out and their needs are met, right?  Nope.  In addition to utilizing the benefits of a global economy, we have magnified specialization.  Everyone has their special role with a fancy title and very few people manufacture actual merchandise in the western world.  What this means is that we have become almost incapable of adaption.  We used to be “jack of all trades” and now we are full of one trick ponies.  What happens when that “trick” is no longer profitable? 

Take Detroit, and much of Michigan, as a perfect example.  Detroit was just another community in the Midwest until the advent of the automobile.  The city doubled their population from 1910 (465,766) to 1920 (993,078) as they boomed onto the global scene.  Many immigrants to the country sought out Detroit and Southern Michigan as they had plenty of manufacturing jobs.  With plenty of profit in the auto industry, other players entered the automobile market.  The race for profit ensued and there have been many changes in the way a car is made.  The automobile boom, along with all the supporting manufacturers, has long since declining in the region and Detroit has become a story of a city that exists without a real industry. 

Many people have been dealing with real decisions as a repercussion of this “city without an industry.”  Not the least of which is what to do with their house, car and reliance on a job that no longer exists.  The global economy idea has created communities that rely on purchasing power to support their security and existence.  People find themselves stuck with mortgages on houses they can’t afford, payments on cars they don’t need to drive to a job that no longer exists.  The perfect bubble of prosperity has busted.

The solution?

Well, how about “a” solution.  How many times have you heard somebody say something along the lines of, “If I can just stick it out at work, then things will be okay.”?  A lot of people put up with their jobs because they think the income is their security.  What if, instead, there was an option to have those basic needs taken care of without the stress of finding a place to live, finding an adequate job, or finding a way to get to the job?  What if we created a society where the basic worries of life are eliminated? 

I think a big key to this solution is to redefine our understanding of the word “security.”  When profit means security, then we understandably focus on profit and can forget what security really means.  I think what we all really strive for is the basics.  We need a sufficient and safe place to call home.  We also need good food to feed our bodies and quality health care.  I think a legit argument exists for the need to participate in recreation as well.  We need pastimes and opportunities to explore our environment and enjoy the planet we call home.  We need these opportunities for security and profit is not the answer.  The answer is flexibility. 

Imagine a society that offered several jobs in several industries.  By becoming less specialized in one industry, we generate a need for many types of workers.  With many types of jobs, there are many options for workers to find a niche that is satisfying to them.  If we changed the common motto from “bigger is better” (economies of scale) to “better is better”, then we realize the value of a satisfied workforce as well as a satisfied community.  By finding the happy middle ground between complete specialization and “master of none” then we can build a society that has workers capable of adapting to the different work environments.  If one sector of industry becomes less favorable, for whatever reason, workers have other industries with a low learning curve where they can find work. 

Proper Prior Planning

So far, I’ve been making the argument for less globalization and an increased sense of a regional community.  This, I believe, is a key to sustainability, but in addition, I think we can do better for the people of our societies.  I think we can help them feel safe and secure, not be afraid of losing something, but by proper motivation to be a part of something positive.

How about, as part of their payment, workers would receive an appropriate form of housing, food and health care.  Yes I’m talking about a planned community that provides employment, housing, food and health care.  I’m talking about being purposeful in the way our societies meet the needs of the people who live in them.  What a novel idea.  When we have a society that is focused on security for the people instead of profit margin, then we have a society that focuses on all of these basics of life, not just a currency that can be used to buy them (but may not). 

Imagine this…

A society where there are multiple industries to choose from as a contributing worker.  In return, we as a society will guarantee you an opportunity to live in provided housing throughout the community.  Food rations, or some other approved method, will be distributed to each worker to trade in for quality local food that is grown by local farmers.  Universal health care will be available for all members of the society.    Since everything is localized, there is less need for individual automobiles and people are able to access all parts of the society via a light rail and public bus system.  Among the necessities would be public parks, libraries, groceries, etc.  All of the essentials of a happy and healthy life need to be accessed via some form of public transportation. 

The clear advantages are a stress free life.  There is no need to worry about your industry going belly up and being without a job.  There is no need to worry about fixing the car when you don’t need one; no need to worry about financing a car when you don’t need one.  There is also no need for home maintenance and repairs when you don’t have to own one, let alone find a mortgage.  No worries about being declined health insurance or being able to pay the astronomical premiums. 

What you have gained is time and flexibility.  You have freed your mind of all the daily worries that plague the average person and have allowed it to think about the things you want to think about.  Whatever floats your boat is what you can spend your conscious hours on.  Maybe you want to read a book…or even write one.  Maybe you want to pick up mountain biking but never have with the lawn to mow, gutters to clean and oil that needs to be changed on the car.  You have time on a daily basis that is now freed up to focus on whatever makes you happy. 

You also have the flexibility to change your mind.  Instead of being stuck in a dead end job, but can’t leave for fear of living without an income, you can pick up and move at the drop of a hat.  Whether you want to stop making push brooms and start making solar panels on the other side of town or even if you want to move from Chicago to Vancouver, you can do this in a flexible, regional country.  Imagine if all regions were set up with light rail and public bus systems as well as the infrastructure laid out above.  You can have all the basic necessities of life and live in the region of your choosing.  You have flexibility of time and location.  You have true mobility in life that can never be had by our system of mortgage owing, car owning, job dependent families of today’s global economy.   And societies have gained a flexible workforce.  If one region needs more workers, we have a flexible society to meet that need.   

Ramifications worth mentioning

A few minor things do need to be accounted for in this “ideal” society.  There still needs to be a relative hierarchy of income levels.  No one wants their doctor to be a hobbyist.  We need good education for positions that require it and we need to be willing as a society to pay these people more.  If they’re willing to gain more education and expertise to learn how to treat me when I’m ill, then they deserve extra compensation.  I don’t think they need several magnitudes more in income, but they do need noticeably more. 

There needs to be some sort of balance of how much someone works and how much they are compensated.  Perhaps citizens earn their different services (housing, food, etc.) based upon sufficient contribution to the workforce.  Citizens qualify for these services as long as they work a minimum throughout the year.  Maybe it’s something along the lines of 9 months of work equates 3 months of vacation. They can also qualify for a sufficient form of Social Security if they work enough years in their lifetime.  Maybe 30 years in a lifetime is sufficient but these are things that would be hashed out over time and consideration.  

These could be baselines, but there can be incentives for people who would rather more money than time.  Those willing to give up vacation time for work should be allowed to make more money.  Those people could then afford nicer things, like the big TV or the nicer apartment.  Different people are motivated by different things and they should be allowed to pursue them, within reason. 

What does that mean?

Well, it’s really just an idea.  I personally think it’s a great idea that needs tweaking, but it’s a great conversation starter.  Will it happen in our lifetime?  I don’t see it, but I hope I’m wrong.  Will it ever happen?  Maybe, but only if enough people talk about the things that really matter in life. 

If it does, however, it would mean that people would be ensured of a quality job, a quality lifestyle and a society that focuses not on profit, but on meeting the basic needs of us, the people.  We would have less excess waste, less motivation to buy and consume as much as we can as we generate more and more profit.  With less consumption, we can come much closer to living not just a personally sustainable life, but a societal sustainably life. 

So yeah, a great place to start when talking about living sustainably as a society is to address proper labor economics.