More Letters to the Corinthians

Stand Up’s Greatest

The ultimate comedy show would not only host the greatest comedians alive, but the best who’ve ever been. Here’s my attempt at just that.

We’ll start with Scotland’s Danny Bhoy, perhaps the most amiable comic ever to take the stage. (P.S. You might recognize someone in the crowd around the 3 minute mark.)

Next we have Tommy Tiernan, the pride of Ireland. Tommy executes a marvelous piece here. Watch how he sets you up and then uses outstanding callbacks.

You can’t have a great show without the grand master. Here’s George on religion.

My personal favourite is Rocky Laporte. Rocky had a pilot episode for a sitcom that didn’t quite make it. If it had, you’d be looking at Ray Romano.

Okay, another by Rocky.

And last, we have the big man for our closer. This guy really was the best.

I hope you liked the show.

Cartoons

As you know, with modern day technology everything is easy. So I hired a cartoonist to make up drawings and he only charged 75 bucks each. Isn’t that amazing? (Click to make larger.)

Here’s a joke that didn’t work in stand-up because it requires a visual.

A look at Asian drivers.

This one discusses raising kids in a modern world.

One about dating.

And one to help with not taking life too seriously.

This last one was drawn by a different artist. It’s from many years ago when the women’s movement was hitting stride. It doesn’t have the same effect today but is still worth a peek.

Okay, one more. The concept behind In a 50/50 World was to highlight natural differences between the genders by using role reversal.

Hope you enjoyed the cartoons.

The business of education may be exploding but there’s still one avenue yet to be explored—quick, efficient learning at reasonable prices. What would you think of introductory business, politics, or history, delivered to you all in one night for just $99? That’s what education companies do and every town should have one.

The existing system costs too much, takes too long, and information provided gets mostly forgotten. Plus it’s often taught by people who shouldn’t be in the field. Education companies conquer all this by providing high level overviews, which deliver the basics, backed by full bodied learning paths to get you more. Material is continually kept online and everything is delivered by excellent speakers.

We’re in an age of self-learning and many of us just need a push. A three-hour overview with details on how to get more is all you really need. Through in a hot-line for when you get stuck and we’re off. Does this method replace traditional learning? Of course not, if you want to be a doctor you still need med school. This style is for subjects that aren’t your specialty. Let’s say you’re an engineer who’d like to know more about the world, what are your options? Sign up for another three-year degree or take a class.

Since people don’t have the time to wade through billions of textbooks looking for all that is good, education companies do this for you. We summarize thousands of pages to deliver the absolute gist and then provide you with a path to get even more—all for a reasonable buck.

Initially ten courses will be provided so you get some awesome learning for $990. Here’s the list:

Business 101
Economics 101
History 101
Philosophy 101
Politics 101
Psychology 101
Religion 101

Cooking 101
Health 101
Relationships 101

And we tailor for corporate clients to deliver whatever you wish.

By using top-notch instructors who quickly get to the point, this style of learning works well. Granted it’s not appropriate for all topics (like nuclear physics or accounting) but it’s good for those seeking a basic understanding. And it’s great for those who didn’t enjoy school in the first place.

Governments have messed things up by making school too difficult. Traditionally, they force you into a forest when all you want is some trees. And it’s an old boys club when it comes to being allowed to teach. Education companies don’t do this. They quickly take you to the bottom line and then make it easy from there.

Summary

Holding a broad education has big value and is something we all need. But unfortunately, none of us have one. We’ve become specialists in our fields who then remain ignorant on most everything else. Education companies solve this problem. They bring smart people up to speed and facilitate those who didn’t enjoy learning in the first place. It’s a new concept that’s going to bust loose. Everyone knows learning shouldn’t be that hard and many are thirsting for knowledge. So here it is. Say hello to education companies.

Globalization

Back in the 14th century, poet Dante Alighieri made a remarkable statement. He said people need help in order to be good. “It’s too hard to live a moral life if we’re forced to live in evil conditions, surrounded by random violence and rank injustice.” 700 years later, world leaders have this figured out. That’s why we’re going through an important change. Globalization is part of it.

Nations have been exchanging goods for centuries and international tariffs have always been with us. In fact, tariffs were the original source of government income. But globalization isn’t just about free trade. It comes in three sections: political, social, and economic.

Political

Make no mistake, the world isn’t run by 35 people living inside a castle. It’s run by aristocrats, bureaucrats, and politicians. And they recognized early in the 1900s that mankind was in a race. A race between the good and civilized people we can become and the idiots we are born. Like it or not, humans come into this world pretty animal-like. We can then be civilized into wonderful citizens or left to live more like dogs. So the horrible truth is: if not for education and positive culture, we turn ignorant, selfish, horny, and crude. Not much different than an elk. Yes, most of our animal friends are fine creatures but many are miserable bullies that bite. And herein lies the problem. Nobody wants an unruly neighbour.

After surviving two world wars and the widespread threat of communism, it became apparent to the first world that democracy must be installed everywhere. Our planet is too unstable without it. So giving crazy-assed dictators the boot was priority number one, especially if they had money. Rogue nations were slated to be tamed and pushed towards democracy, which of course has three components: economic, educational, and infrastructure. You can’t just suggest it at a dinner party.

Economic

Once you remove natural resources from the equation, an economy is built on three things: hands, minds, and money. Hands represent simple (repetitive) manufacturing jobs, minds are those really cool brain jobs, and money is the investment necessary to get things going. Poorer nations have always had the hands—they just needed a push.

Students of Adam Smith will remember that capitalism requires everyone to act in their own best interest. That selfishness betters the welfare of all. Well, the business side of globalization works the same way. At least, the first parts:

The first world needs new customers
We can exploit cheap labour from developing nations to increase our standard of living

These are obviously selfish reasons. Coke gets to have more customers and Walmart buys easy-made products on the cheap. First world nations host additional head office jobs, while enjoying better profits and more competitive pricing. But these kinds of benefits didn’t require a concentrated effort—they would have happened anyway. Clearly, there’s more:

Provide startup capital and know-how to get things going
Become the large customer to ensure success

Things change dramatically when Reebok not only gives you the capital to start your business, they also guarantee the purchase of your product. That’s the concentrated effort that turned poorer countries into developing nations. As a result, economic globalization has lifted billions out of poverty and granted societies the ability to progress in many more ways.

Social

The last dimension is social support. From UNESCO to the World Bank to Doctors Without Borders, international institutions have been seeded and continue to grow, all in an effort to better the Third World.

From the Gates Foundation to U2’s Bono, thousands of organizations have helped better the living standards of the poor. No one is forced to eat American hot dogs or listen to Madonna sing, the plan is simply to better the health and education of all so people can progress. And no, it doesn’t include telling them how to live religiously. They’ll get there on their own.

Summary

The ugly truth is we’re not born that impressive. Humans arrive in this world sorta dumb and it requires a process to bring out our potential. We’re also born a little mean but again, given the proper teaching and decent living conditions, we can become civilized. At least, well enough to live together.

The first world didn’t care if certain nations lived down by the river among nature. Live how you wish as long as you don’t bother anyone. The problem came when some places were attracted to communism. Taking money from the rich seemed like an easy fix. Things intensified with the advent of nuclear weapons. Now any leader could build a way to threaten the world. So like it or not, selfish or not, politically correct or not, for the sake of security it was deemed that all people must be civilized according to first world standards.

And sure, there was a social cost to countries like ours. Giving away all those easy jobs left a number of people stranded. But nothing is easy, especially when tackling world peace. So stop thinking of globalization as a coup put on by business—it’s not. Globalization is a world system for people to live together. Everyone needs food, shelter, and health to be good, so grant them this. And though it may seem selfish of certain countries at first, I think Dante would be proud. (He was Italian, you know.)

Democracy

Over half the world’s countries now operate under some form of democracy. But things haven’t always been this way and most places had to host an uprising to get it. So let’s take a look at the status of voting.

Initially

Initially the world was inhabited by cave people and the toughest guy became boss. After they left, we were ruled by various forms of monarchies. Britain had its kings and queens, Russia its czars and czarinas, Austria and Germany had their kaisers and kaiserins (though women weren’t allowed to rule), and of course China and Japan brought us all those dynasties (with emperors and empresses).

These systems lasted throughout most of history until people finally got fed up. Sure, some of them were good but one-family rule came with two inherent problems: How to kick the bums out? And what if the kid’s a fool?

Democracy

Democracy lets us pick leaders, which is great. It also lets us choose representatives and which ideology we’d currently like to employ. No more incompetent, ruthless bastards for 30 years followed by some idiot kid. So hurray for democracy. But there’s another blessing that comes along—it’s safer for the neighbours.

In a popular interview, President Obama admitted something that’s exceedingly well known. “The longer a dictator stays in power, the weirder they get.” Not all of them. Thailand lost its king a few years back and the country is still in mourning. And the reign of Queen Elizabeth I has gone down as a wonderful time in history. But most of us know that if you’re not continually forced to earn your position, one tends to get kooky. And this weirdness can lead to deviant behaviour, like wanting to go to war just to honour your name.

Alternatives

Anyway, once the monarchy was overthrown not every country acted the same. Some banished them forever, some kept them in a ceremonial position, and some reduced their powers gradually until they became a ceremonial position. But once the crown was gone, nations had only four choices:

Democracy
Military Dictatorship
Dictator-style Communism (e.g., Cuba)
Party-style Communism (e.g., China)

Democracy is obviously what we love in the West but remember it’s still new. Part way through the 20th century there were only twelve—with Britain, America, and France making up the big three. (Note: Canada, Australia, and New Zealand were on the list thanks to the Brits.)

Dictatorships are either military based (generally through a coup) or founded on a leader who gains support of the military. These were popular in Central and South American plus Mexico. Dictators would then either leave the economy alone or convert it to communism.

The last option is what Russia did. Host an uprising to bring about a more formal version of central rule. Within party-style communism, the next leader is chosen by the party (what China used to do). Within dictatorial, it goes to a relative (e.g., Cuba).

Note: You also hear the term fascism. It’s supposed to be a dictator supported by the corporate elite but many times it’s just a dictator who didn’t switch to communism. Technically, there have been only three: Hitler, Mussolini, and Franco in Spain. Franco’s story is least known but the best one. When the democratically elected government decided to switch to communism, Franco led the charge against it. Now that’s different—a capitalist dictator fighting elected communists.

Challenges

Anyway, the problem with democracy is it has many requirements. Like, all parties have to be decently qualified. Why? Because people don’t put much effort into their vote so virtually anyone can win. And if elected officials are of poor quality, they can really screw things up. So all parties have to be somewhat good, or at least decently qualified.

Second, adopting countries must learn from the pros. Older democracies have already figured out you need to separate church from state. This means you can’t have a religious party that wants to implement a faith-based constitution. It’s too restrictive for when you educate your people. Third, you need established parties who fight like cats and dogs. Democracy is an exercise in exhaustion. Ideas have to be totally thought out and battled over, and a significant chunk of the population must participate. (That’s why we have lousy dinner parties.)

Plus you must instill a general mindset. People have to go from “Billy’s the boss” to majority rules. Both are natural but “majority rules” is definitely the step up (just watch kids play in a schoolyard). And there’s an established protocol for getting there. First you must get your economy going, then educate the people, and last, build the political infrastructure. But unfortunately, that’s not the way it always works out—most nations have to fight for it.

Summary

If there’s one thing I know it’s that people will fight for freedom. We humans have an internal calling for better. I also know that power doesn’t transfer easily. That’s why attaining democracy repeatedly involves violence. It’s the ugly side of progress (and Canada got lucky).

The easiest places have already been converted. Take Poland—one tribe, one language, one religion. They went from A to B in an historic jiffy. The rest will be more difficult. Like Ethiopia—90 tribes, 88 languages, and 3-4 major religions. Certainly, a tougher situation.

Of the 80 remaining countries most will experience some sort of civil war on their path to the polls. Toss in modern day weaponry and you can picture the rest. And with all the uprisings, occupations, and wars, it’s reasonable to question the worth of it. Are the benefits of democracy worth the costs? Well, when the dust settles it sorts out to this: people get freedom, a higher standard of living, and the ability to live in fairness. Plus every other nation gets to have a friendly neighbour. Which is why you’re having it, like it or not.

Israel

Without a doubt, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been the dominant news of our time. Not so much lately, but we’ve gone through long periods when this topic constantly occupied the major headlines. So what is it that makes this conflict so special and why hasn’t it been resolved? Well, it all starts with the Jews.

The Jews

If you stood up a Jew beside an Arab you couldn’t tell them apart. That’s because there’s no physical difference separating these two ancient neighbours, not even the nose. What sets them apart is their way of life. Jewishness (or being Jewey) is based on four principles:

work hard
be a good person
go to school
save your money

Perfect rules for anyone that build not only strong individuals but entire civilizations. What’s unique about Jews is that they’ve had this figured out for thousands of years. So even when wandering around a desert they were essentially first world people living in undeveloped space. That’s why their stars didn’t shine until they migrated to Europe.

Jews brought serious talents to industrialized nations and success followed. So much so they were admired by elites but loathed by the masses (like foreign students taking good medical jobs over here). Back then people weren’t so polite and this jealousy-hate thing grew to where discrimination was common against these should be role models. (Hitler didn’t start it.)

Christianity

Christianity played a significant role in building Western Civilization and it’s no secret Judaism had a hand in making Christians. That’s why it’s called Judeo-Christianity. And many Western leaders take this to heart. Much of their tradition is entrenched in our system and their history is partially ours. That’s why pro-Christian nations strongly support the Jewish homeland. And why America, the most Christian of all, is heavily involved.

The British

Right after WWI, the allies came into possession of the Middle East. The Ottoman Empire was on the wrong side of the war and this area became part of the spoils. Back then nobody knew there was oil so the territory consisted of regular farmers, living in villages, identifying with tribes, being administered by Turks.

Anyway, Britain got the land they called Palestine and that’s when the party started. They decided Jews were to be rewarded for contributions and compensated for woes by welcoming them back to their home. Immigration soon followed and people moved in by the thousands. Interstate conflict began. (You see, Arabs don’t like immigrants either.)

Now moving these folk in wasn’t like expropriating land for an airport. Nor was it like forcibly transplanting people from Eastern Oregon to the coast. In all cases, you simply write a cheque. In this case it was damn principle. Countryside conflict continued until the British got sick of it.

In 1948 they turned matters over to the UN, who declared a two-state solution. Palestinians didn’t agree and neighbouring Arab nations immediately attacked. Of course, Israel won the war because they were armed to the teeth but these sorts of battles continued for some time—often resulting in border changes. As of 2019, there were peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan, and other than Palestine, all Arab nations had lightly acknowledged Israel’s right to exist. In 2020, four more agreements were signed. Which brings us back to the start.

Palestinians

Jews have a lot to brag about. Scientists who’ve set records (theory of relativity) and in business they’ve done well. But when Canada sends 21 players to bring back hockey gold, it doesn’t mean we can all skate. So lots of them are knobs like the rest of us. And truth be told: none of us are anything if not for our leaders.

If Gandhi was an Arab and Oprah a Jew, this whole thing would have been settled. But that’s not how it’s played out. Palestinian leaders stubbornly implore violence and Israeli defenses always freak out—leaving the region without the stability it requires to implement a 50-year plan. And if you take the Israeli-UN position, it’s mostly one side’s fault.

Before striking oil in some places, the Middle East was a collection of poor nations. Sure money is great but this area was never brought into the first world. And Palestine isn’t a resource rich nation (no oil, just lemons) but Israelis have managed to bring their part up to par. How? They used the system they helped to create.

This battle is between the first and third worlds—and it’s all in the head.

George W. used to say “I don’t know much about Muslolalism” but Islam isn’t to blame. Central and South America are just as screwed up. The third world is whacked for a number of reasons. They’re mired in strict religion, corrupt institutions, poor education, and a non-ambitious culture that can be easily stoked into violence. And that’s always the difference between “us” and “them.” Move a Haitian baby into Canada and he or she grows up fine. It’s not our features that make up the difference, it’s the system.

And you can’t get there by just schooling and hard work, you need rule of law, private property, and a department for transgender rights. So if the PLO and Hamas would stop lobbing bombs, Israelis wouldn’t be so tight. And if they’d change their tactic from “Israel has no right to exist” to “let’s talk land and money,” chances for success would be far greater.

Summary

It’s never the people, always the politicians. Because all babies are born good. There are 15 million Jews in the world and six of them live in the States. Israel has seven million. If you apply modern day birth rates and the melting pot in New York, you’ll see truly Jewish people have at best 100 more years. In that time, they’re the gateway for Arabs to join the first world.

Judaism has never tried to inundate the planet, it would rather be left alone. No one tries to convert you and they don’t go knocking on doors. They simply live a principled lifestyle, which they’re happy to share. This whole conflict reminds me of two kids wrestling in a yard. The little guy has fight but the other is too big. It only ends when the little guy says “uncle.” Wake up Palestine, you don’t have to be poor (no country does). You have a first world neighbour that’s internationally bound to play fair. Take advantage of this opportunity to move yourselves up in the world. It might be the last gift from the Jews.

Then again, one could disagree with the UN resolution and say it never should have been implemented in the first place. Israel could have become a province with special cultural provisions like that of Quebec or sent up north to tell jokes to the Inuit. And why do Jews need a homeland, anyway? Didn’t they leave the Middle East for Europe? One step further, and you could say that based on behaviour, namely the disproportionate suffering borne by Palestinians always in the name of defense, Israel doesn’t deserve to be a nation.

Long story short, history is easy to summarize when you’re talking about the past. This conflict is still going on.

Note: For a good book on the details see Jimmy Carter’s Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid (remember, Jimmy was there). You can also view Wikipedia or this card presentation from Vox.

Stormy

Stormy Daniels entered the press lately for indiscretions performed by the president, but she’s much more of an example of what not to do. Why? Because voluntary prostitution is simply part of society and there’s an established way of doing it.

At some point in their lifetime, 15-20% of men will use the service of a prostitute and over 90% will visit a strip joint. For ladies, these figures are less than one percent—so let’s stop pretending we’re the same when it comes to sex. We’re not.

The service of sensual massage or full-fledged contact is fundamental for getting men to work. Because if there’s nothing in life for me, why bother? And let’s be honest, not all wives are into it. There’s a movement going on for governments to step in and subsidize the industry. It says men should be able to receive such a service, from a reasonable technician, in a reasonable location, at a reasonable price. And these folks might be right. But regardless of outcome, voluntary prostitution is with us and as such must conform to certain standards.

Like medicine and money, it’s an intimate industry. Financial advisors know all about your assets and doctors have heard everything about your cysts. But they don’t go around telling the world—discretion is implied. The same goes for the sex trade. Service providers know about you sexually and this information must stay classified. So what Stormy did is inexcusable.

If you’ve got a big one or not, or whether you like to dress up in drag is top secret information. And every hooker out there knows it. Plus you’re not supposed to go on TV and say “Ya, it was that guy.”

Stormy Daniels undermined basic human decency and set back her sister profession by a hundred years. All for the sake of money. Are you kidding me? He gave her $130K. So make up all the porn videos you want—when it comes to being a hooker, I’m scratching you off the list.

#MeToo

There’s a scuffle going on these days over the #MeToo movement. What started out as a protest against gross sexual misconduct and abuse of power has turned into a general discussion over sex-based attitudes. What’s appropriate and what’s not. Many men are offended by what they feel are phony claims and even some women are saying allegations have gone too far. But politicians aren’t sexy enough to lecture us on any of this so we’ve asked our favourite personality to come forward and lay down the law.

Jennifer Aniston

We met up with Jennifer Aniston at her home in Bella Luna Del Ray and here’s what she had to say.

“Guys have crazy drives—they never know what they want. Half are horny as billy goats and some are deviates that girls should stay away from. That’s how the movement got started. Then it expanded into other areas, which made some people upset.”

When asked about Hollywood she replied, “Look, there are lots of good looking people down here and who wouldn’t want to jump their bones. But it comes down to sexual propriety. No matter what someone wants, it’s my body. So hands off, unless I say so.” After admitting that most people will never meet a Hollywood exec (and Spielberg is nice), Jenn said there are two parts to the movement: calling out predators (sleazy guys in power positions) and hosting a discussion about appropriateness. She then offered three general rules for those of us stuck in ordinary lives:

Sober guys can’t sleep with drunk girls
Girls can’t use their sexuality at work
Everyone needs to respect the difference between valid complaints and frivolous claims

“Sober guys sleeping with drunk girls is plain wrong, especially when it’s the first time. If you’ve been dating a long time, that’s different. But when you see a young woman smashed out of her mind, be a gentleman and get the lady home. You might only get a thank you in the morning but you’ll earn a reputation that’s important among women. And the workplace is simply for that. Ladies shouldn’t cheat by showing a little cleavage in the boardroom. This doesn’t mean you can’t have a drink after work but true sexuality should be reserved for when everyone’s gone home. Save it for friends, husbands, husbands of friend’s, and boy scouts who come to the door.” (She then smiled and I couldn’t help but wonder if my uniform still fit.)

Lastly, those fostering frivolous claims only water down the movement. Sure, everyone is entitled to an opinion but making a big deal out of regular events disrespects the seriousness of the message. Every crusade is intended to change the world so be careful what you ask for.

In general

Jennifer says acknowledging predatory men is certainly an issue that needed to come out. “We should know about this, but men and women have never gotten along so well. And though we still have things to work out there aren’t 17 million predators (postings on #MeToo).” Sexual appropriateness is then the second side of the cause. “Ever since we left the culture of the 1950s, there has been confusion over the roles of ladies and men. Not everyone is clear how it all works. Sure, we’ve had sexual revolutions but that doesn’t mean everyone sees things the same way. Plus a lot of this revolves around booze. It’s well known that alcohol lowers a man’s inhibitions and brings out his horns. It also makes girls vulnerable. So the rule is: if she’s drunk, take her home; if he’s drunk, don’t let him in.

Jenn adds, “Women don’t understand the male sex drive—that’s why so many find this surprising. Maybe it’s time for fathers and daughters to have a discussion about men. Because when it comes to overtly aggressive guys, we still live in a jungle.” The interview ended as I watched her drive away in her white corvette. Thanks Jennifer.

Note: The #MeToo movement is predominantly real and we’re coming to a new understanding between women and men. Here are the links to their website and Wiki page.

What’s Up with Green

Back in 2006, Al Gore told the world about climate change. The planet was warming and it was all our fault. He said both nature and man put up greenhouse gases—and though nature puts up more, it brings down its fair share. What man puts up, stays up. So the idea was for man to emit less, until we get to none.

Citizens of the world united and along with industry and government, we began to make change. New methods of generation were invented and we became creative in lessening our needs. So how are we doing at controlling this mess? And where’s the report on getting us green?

People generated greenhouse gases (GHGs) come in two forms: making energy and using it. Making energy is the process of generating electricity and things like exploring for oil. Using it includes light bulbs, transportation, and heat.

Electricity

Other than veal parmesan, electricity has to be the greatest invention yet. Unfortunately, it’s also a major cause of GHGs. Here’s where your power comes from:

coal-fired plants
natural gas fired plants
nuclear
hydro (e.g., Quebec’s Churchill Falls)
wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, and other

Coal is dirtiest. Natural gas is 50-60% better, but still not green. Nuclear is green, but in decline. So only the bottom two are viable non-emitters. Hydro is great, but can be hard to get to. Wind is now real (no joke), solar is selling, and some of the others are showing results.

To make dirty better, coal-fired plants are being replaced by natural gas and carbon recapture is being developed for both. Canada is number two for hydro and we’ve been at it a while. In fact, we get 60% of our power this way. Denmark generates 42% of its electricity from wind. And solar is being used for remote locations and in much of the third world.

In total: coal is being phased out and much more power is coming from green.

Oil and gas

Other than the above, natural gas is used for heating homes and olive oil isn’t what drives your car. So though Canada can boast about power, we still have long winters and travel pretty far.

Our fuel industry has taken flack over how they capture their goods, especially in Fort Mac. But extraction methods are now better and the oil sands is a different place than when Leonardo first visited (causing such fuss), but it’s not the same as digging a hole. In terms of regular production, lots of improvements have been made and the future looks bright.

Long story short: whether for power generation or personal use, the harvesting and burning of fossil fuels is getting cleaner.

Consumption

We’ve also been working on use. Between fancy light bulbs, putting on a sweater, and taking the rickshaw, we’re actually gearing down. Over the past 10 years, energy use in the first world has remained flat, despite population growth. This means the increase in people is being offset by per capita reductions, and there are some really cool stories. For example, 39% of Norway’s cars are now electric (and this figure will be 100% in seven more years).

Closer to home, Edmonton just bought 40 electric buses and three provinces (ON, QC, and BC) have incentives to buy green cars (hybrid or electric). Insulation in new homes has been improved greatly and every furnace and appliance is much more efficient. So conservation is up.

And it’s no secret higher density areas were the quickest to act. Why? Because though a truck in Iowa spews the same GHG as a truck in LA, the one in LA causes pollution you can see. That’s why many supporters didn’t need science to believe—they were sold by the smog.

Carbon taxation is another way to entice people into doing more. It raises the price of home heating and gasoline so you’ll turn down the thermostat and get a smaller house. Then maybe use transit or buy more efficient wheels. It worked in BC because they lowered provincial tax at the same time (so it was a shift). In Australia they made it an additional cost and voters revolted. Tossing the party and policy after only two years.

Deniers

The media still hosts one-sided debates over the validity of the cause. Crusaders say it’s a crisis while doubters call it a hoax. But that’s not what’s happening on the street. Regular people are never so radical. Most of us know it’s best to leave the campsite clean and that air quality counts.

And for the most part, the fight appears to be dead. It never made its way into boardrooms and the most maligned players are leading the charge. Every country is sensitive to global warming and each company has a plan. So what we’re really talking about is speed.

Most of this is normal. Whenever we face change there is one group in favour and another to resist. Modern day battles are louder because more people get involved, but no matter what delusion your party has you under, green energy is happening and we’ll get there when we can.

Summary

Understanding energy isn’t easy, but it comes down to electricity, transportation, and heat. One plan is to get all power from clean sources and then use it for everything. And in the short term, use fossil fuels the best we can. Here’s how we’re doing:

Wind is now real. The US gets 6% of its power this way, up from zero just twenty years ago. In Germany it’s 13%, India 10%, and you already know about Denmark (42—going to 80 in a few years).
Electric vehicles are also real. Not only in Norway, but now that technology is improving it’s sure to succeed. Already a number of countries have indicated they’re going this way and if Edmonton can buy these sorts of buses, it’s gotta be real.
And solar is being put into the craziest of places. Why? Because powerlines don’t run everywhere. So if it’s a crew in the boonies or some guy in a hut, you need a TV. And believe it or not, Italy is leading the way with 7% of its power coming from sun.

Of course, lots of this gets subsidized and many projects have failed, but that’s normal for new innovation. You don’t hit a home run your first time out. So solar and wind simply needed some breaks (no different than older resources). And remember, hydro has always been good.

Bottom line: the decision has been made and we’re headed for green. Leaders aren’t taking us back to horse and carriage, they just want lower emissions. And though some saw the election of Trump as a major setback, he didn’t tell Tesla or GE (because there’s no stopping this).

One day we might invent a spaceship that goes up with a carbon broom to clean, but until then we’re watching the planet. Industry and government make up the plan, our job is to support it. And if you’re still really confused, pretend we’re fighting air pollution—with a twist.

Note: A shout out goes to people who bought the first generation hybrids—those things were ugly. And how about all the potheads in Holland? Who would have thought they’d come up with such an invention?

The Politics of Faith

A previous article on faith says there are four types of believers: fundamentalists (who take things literally — declining), progressives (those committed to faith while open to interpretation — growing), “lights” (attend church but don’t get too involved), and God-only deists (believe in God but not religion — also growing).

Throw them together and we have a diverse congregation trying to figure things out. Add in rising education levels and exposure to almost everything (thanks to the web) and you see why change was about to happen. Here’s what’s up inside the church.

Progressives

This gay marriage thing has largely affected the institution. Not so much in “light” countries like ours but in the States it’s tearing churches apart. American Christians are now being faced with choosing between Christ and the rest of the Bible. Christ’s message was “love thy neighbour.” How do you reconcile that with “gays are no good?”

Tensions are so tight that young-minded, educated, socially immersed members are redefining what they believe. Sayings like “put Christ back into Christianity” and “if the Bible conflicts with love thy neighbour, then the Bible is wrong” are appearing everywhere. So much so that a new movement to look for divinity elsewhere (and everywhere) has emerged within the community. Pretty strong stuff for a bunch of Ned Flanders people.

Simply put: they’re arguing over the Bible and what’s appropriate for church behaviour.

Two parts

Religion has always had two parts: socially control the masses and bring meaning to life through philosophy. The simple-minded have always been happy with authority; the educated now want to talk meaning. And it’s this last group that’s growing.

Buddhism and Confucianism provide philosophies without naming a god. Neither attempts to claim divinity over doctrine and say, regardless of what you believe, let’s all live together. Classic religion is different. Not only does it name a god, it claims all rules and philosophies come from Him (the boss). This may have worked in the past but you can’t keep educating people without expecting them to think. The educated and free don’t like spiritual rules, especially when imposed upon them. They strive for feel good, do good, disciples on Earth stuff.

There’s a revolution going on inside the church today. Clergy is losing control. And this whole thing might come crashing down like the fall of communism. Not personal belief or the desire to connect with a god, but the assumption Christians will vote as they’re told. A big deal in the US because, down there, Christians can be counted on to vote right.

US Politics

In terms of attitudes and types, Canadians and Americans aren’t far apart. We’re similar people but there’s a difference in how we vote. In the US, they’re equally divided between left and right, where in Canada we’re two-thirds lib and one-third con (that’s why we have four left-wing parties). Church is a big part of that.

The article Who Votes What describes how politicians view demographics. On the left we have government employees, tree-huggers, low-income earners, and naive do-gooders. On the right there are serious businesspeople, hard-working blue-collars, seniors, and social Christians. In the States, this amounts to 50-50. Once Republicans can no longer depend on large margins coming from faith, they won’t be able to keep up. So the liberal yin won’t have a sufficient yang, which doesn’t bode well in a two-party system. Enter Trump.

Whether by fluke or by design, the president has taught the party a thing about marketing. He’s always focused on the working class. Those making $20-45K / year without a fancy education (e.g., renters). This group is who the Republicans will target to replace Christians—by keeping their taxes low and ensuring they always have a job.

Summary

It goes without saying that voters are never this simple but I’m sure you get the point. There is truth in demographics. The American right constantly talks about abortion because it keeps the troops in line. (Something that would never work in Canada because we’re not that Christian.)

Does the US need to expand its system beyond two parties? No, their way is better. It aligns closer to what is real life. Throw in some compromise and you arrive at what the University of Toronto calls integrative thinking (a third way coming from two). The system is good. They just need to redefine the teams. And after all the changing is done, it’ll come down to the rich and poor against the middle class. A much more Christian combination.