Social Control

Politics has always had two sides to it—social and economic. But today there are three because the social piece has been split. We have the old Whig-liberal agenda pulling away from archaic rules of the church and a new entry called postmodernism, which may be something crazy.

The Bible

Britain and America used to be very Christian countries and the church held great power. And though the separation of church and state occurred a very long time ago, much of Christianity remained within legislative life.

In political terms: conservatives argued to preserve the status quo, while liberals fought to break away. Over time, liberals were successful. They brought us things like:

  • Sunday shopping
  • Elimination of school prayer
  • Elimination of censorship in music, movies, and TV
  • The elimination of capital punishment
  • Porn sites and dirty magazines
  • How late bars are allowed to stay open
  • Ease of divorce (a big deal in Ireland)

So when they say the governments of China and Iran are conservative, they’re not talking about economics. They’re talking about this kind of stuff—social rules. And though we’re abound with social freedoms here in CanAmerica, in many countries they are not.

Postmodernism A

Western Civilization was built during the 16-19th centuries based on the ideals of capitalism, democracy, and the values of Christianity. This philosophy was called modernism and it ruled the day up until around the 1950s. Then a new thinking emerged.

Postmodernism arrived after the establishment of the welfare state and during the glorification of communism. Remember Russia, the Soviet Union, and the Eastern Bloc didn’t totally collapse until 1991. Only then were the dysfunctions and social atrocities observed. Before then, many in the West believed communism was just great and romanticized with the thought.

Liberals and progressive conservatives of the day continued their push away from social restrictions, namely those involving religion—just like the commies said. Add to the list:

  • Government sponsored gambling
  • Government funded abortion
  • Gay marriage
  • Doctor-assisted suicide
  • Legalization of pot (if you tie it to the prohibition of booze and then its reversal)

Now you see where we’re headed. Religion, specifically Christianity’s, influence over everyday European and North American legislative life is almost done. (And so is the ethic of hard work.)

Christian postmodernists

Much of the communist blame put on religion stemmed from its view that it only caused wars. That due to its arrogance in serving differing gods, religion only led to conflict. And who needs more of that? But some Christians took note and wanted to join in. They liked the balancing out of capitalism through welfare states and dawned a progressive movement of their own. They questioned why Christianity had to be so strict, opposing rules like not being able to dance or drink. And more recently, they embraced followers of other faiths by abandoning the rule that only Christians go to heaven.

New sheriff

Without question, early postmodernism was seen as good. The idea of getting away from Old Testament punishments like hanging and minimum sentencing and hard spanking your kids was greeted with relief. And now even Christians were dancing. But the theory got perverted when a new sheriff came to town. This sheriff brought with it a new interpretation of the ideal. One you could call post-postmodernism. Its mission is threefold:

  • The further elimination of religion by crushing the Bible, promoting atheism instead
  • Forced political correctness, uneducated social justice, and limiting freedom of speech
  • A “take no prisoners” attitude towards adversaries 

This new crew has no patience for faith and is in a hurry to make change. And no one is allowed to disagree. Opponents are quickly shouted down and labelled as Nazi, fascist, misogynist, or racist, while the left-wing fan base naively plays along. Not only are these warriors relentless they hold positions of power, which shows one hundred people really can change the world. How? While dummies like us are out working this groupthink has overtaken government, the education system, and the judiciary, providing the influence they need to implement their agenda—the new liberalism.

Freedom

So here’s the complicated part. Originally, liberals fought for social freedom—away from the Bible, and now conservatives are fighting for freedom—away from political correctness / social justice / limitations on free speech. So now everyone’s a freedom fighter, albeit for different causes.

What’s funny is that political correctness will soon be re-implementing censorship into music, TV, and the rest of the arts. The same censorship that liberals fought to oust (which puts new meaning on Eminem’s song, White America—where he lashes out at Dick Cheney for criticizing lyrics). And what’s worse is that both sides are now playing dirty—there are no more good guys. For years, liberals were psychologically comforted by believing they were nice. But today there is no blind nice. This new group is just as dirty and intolerable as the far right.

Summary

There has always been two sides to politics and now there are three. When it comes to taxes and money, economists keep changing their minds so no one really knows who’s right. Social factors play a much larger role in life.

Postmodernism was initially good, for why not try to make society better. And truth be told, religion did need a good swift kick in the pants. But it’s a far cry from criticizing religion to eliminating it, and I don’t think we’re ready for a world without God. I don’t think it’s psychologically healthy, and even if it is, I feel it’s all coming too fast. (Nobody is taking into consideration the risks.)

The problem then intensifies as voters get sucked into identifying with brand-based politics. Shouting “I’m a liberal or I’m a con” is exactly what extremists want because they know they’ll eventually get their chance. That’s when they implement their far-winged dream. And even if you’re a lefty, you should never agree with the tact. The freedom to disagree is a tenant to our social system. Nothing works without it.

This new drive for social control has more to come and to be honest, it scares me. I believe it will be successful because Canadians aren’t the type to jump up and fight. We’d rather keep things simple and get back to sleep—living under the guise of being nice. But remember, when you tire of this new social order, it all started with your soul.

Note: Here’s an explanation by U of T professor Stephen Hicks.

Ethics

Because kids are no longer being raised with much for religion, there’s a serious concern going on over the ethics of our youth. In the olden days, we had the fear of God and stories from the Bible to guide us. But how are things working out now? Let’s start with a story.

Cain and Abel

Adam and Eve had two sons. Cain, the oldest, farmed wheat while his brother, Abel, tended to the flock. One day, each brought an offering to the Lord and He preferred the one from Abel. God said wonderful things about the sheep and dissed Cain for his lousy wheat. Out of anger, Cain killed his brother and God punished him forever.

Let’s embellish things by saying Abel was one of those hard working, talented people who are successful in life. He had lots of friends, girls liked him, and he enjoyed doing a great job. Cain wasn’t nearly as gifted and didn’t put in the same degree of efforts. When God praised Abel for his gift, Cain got mad—finding it unfair. He bitched and griped so much that jealousy got the best of him and he committed murder.

People still do this today. We see a successful person and sometimes resent them, discounting his or her efforts by calling them lucky or preferred. And though some of this may be valid, the moral of the story is you shouldn’t resent. If you want something (like money), get out there and work for it. You’ll never get anywhere by complaining. Anyway, God punished Cain.

Billy and drugs

Let’s imagine an example more modern in nature. Billy has a friend who sells hard drugs. This guy pockets 10K per month, cash money, by simply driving around and delivering crack. He says, “Look man, it’s not me who gets them addicted—I’m just delivering a good. And bro, it pays big.” Billy is now thinking of getting in.

There are three ways to address this decision:

  • Old Testament (where you get punished by God, like Cain)
  • New Testament (a love-based interpretation of the Bible)
  • No God (where you care about others simply because we have to get along)
Styles

The Old Testament one is obvious. Billy, if you commit a serious crime, you’ll burn in hell forever. And this ruled the day for a very long time. Then Christ came along and spoke of a loving father. He said we should be good just to please the Lord, and that pious people go to heaven and spend eternity with Him. So Billy, do you really want to hurt your loving father and mess up a gracious afterlife?

The third option is different because there is no God. It doesn’t mean God doesn’t exist; it just says we don’t know much about Him. So the reason we should be good is because it makes sense. “Hey man, this isn’t anybody’s planet—we all need to get along.” It’s like we’re stuck in a boat together and must make the best of it. So Billy, if you were a drug addict, would it be nice if people sold hard drugs to you? Is this the best way of living together?

I don’t overcharge the jeweller because I don’t want him to overcharge me. I do a conscientious job for the doctor because I want her to do the same for me. And I don’t mistreat the elderly because one day I’ll be one. It’s the best strategy we’ve got.

Summary

Morality is essential for any society to succeed and not something to be taken lightly. We need a code of ethics for dealing with one another and everyone must comply. So regardless of motivation, Billy has to get on board.

Christians take offence at the sight of two gods. They say God is always loving and defend the Old Testament as being appropriate for the time (i.e., the only way people could know Him back then). Regardless, all parents know there comes a time when punishment wears out. It works well with small children in the form of a timeout but not when kids are older teens. And that’s when everyone needs to grow up.

Young people are in the process of learning to be good and part of the justification is “just because.” Parents don’t teach you all that stuff without a purpose. It’s to build a moral conscience designed for living with others. So ponder your actions and consider the whole, or I’ll show you hell. Bottom line: don’t sell hard drugs.

Minimum Wage II

(The first article on minimum wage explains how we got one, Unions describes Canada’s healthy middle class, and this article says minimum wage is basically a trade-off between inflation and ethics.)

The standard argument against minimum wage is that it causes unemployment but that’s not the point. Higher minimum wage is a question of ethics that always results in inflation, which may cause unemployment—that’s the point.

For example, take food. If restaurants suddenly increase their prices by 20%, people will initially eat it and thereby have less money for everything else. This “less money for everything else” indirectly affects employment in other industries. But in time, people will stop eating out so often, which affects restaurant employment directly.

Elasticity

The difference between direct or indirect unemployment is elasticity. If the price of water goes up, you’ll continue to buy the same because you can’t avoid the usage. So direct employment within the water company remains the same. Unemployment only shows up in other industries. But based on elasticity, the example could look different. For example, if the price of balloons skyrockets, you’ll probably avoid the extra cost by going after some party favour that’s less expensive—putting balloon makers out of work.

In theory, this “less money for everything else” gets offset by those receiving higher minimum wage. Extra money earned gets spent creating new jobs in other areas. And in theory this makes sense, but it depends on the industry and the economy in general. Raising wages into a strong market usually results in only inflation. Doing it during a downturn typically causes job loss. Governments must be strategic over when they pull the trigger. (And cost changes can’t be done too fast. Consumers need time to adjust.)

Ethics

Minimum wage was initially legislated in the early 1900s because of worker uprisings and the global threat of communism. Back then, it was designed for the middle class. Today, minimum wage applies more to young people entering the workforce and low-skilled workers happy to get by. Currently, it’s being reinterpreted to reflect society’s values. Sure cheaper burgers are great but not if those cooking them have to suffer.

There’s always been a balancing act between wages for the few and prices for the many. If we lower the cost of teachers, doctors, nurses, and the military, the entire population would pay less in taxes. If we increase those salaries, everyone has to pay more. This balancing was initially left to the market but that’s now been abandoned in some cases for two reasons:

  • Ethically, society doesn’t want anyone to earn below subsistence wages.
  • Salaries for occupations like teachers, doctors, nurses, and the military are provided by government so, in these cases, there really isn’t a market.

Who and how much?

Now that we’re dealing with ethics, who is minimum wage for and exactly how much are they allowed to spend? Is it teenagers living at home? If so, make it low to get the buggers out of the house. Single people living on their own? Is it to support a family? And if it’s to support a family, is the mom allowed to colour her hair? at a salon? Can dad join a gym? Are the kids expected to attend the high school trip? Can they own a pet and go on fancy vacations? Hard questions needing real answers.

The government doesn’t provide expected household budgets but the figure can be ascertained using a reasonable number of working hours per week. If minimum wage is $12 per hour and you work 35 hours per week, you’ll be grossing around $22K per year. Great if living at home; insufficient for a family of four (let alone a dog).

Cultural inflation

Everyone’s heard of the consumer price index. The basket of goods that tells officials whether prices are going up or down. Does it take into account cultural change? Like when cellphones were invented, did the government add in the extra cost? How about internet charges and cable TV, or pets and vacations? If the price of essentials remains constant, do we factor in the societal pressure to not buy everything on sale?

And there’s a difference between essentials and luxuries. What’s best for lower income people is to keep the price of essentials down. If you chose some $800 designer purse, great, but increases in the price of food and shelter are killers for those trying to get by. In theoretical countries, workers in essential industries act like volunteers to achieve this goal. It’s like joining the military or signing up for missionary service. Youth donate time to work at the gas plant so everyone can live on the cheap. Then if you want more, work more.

Summary

No matter how you cut it, raising the minimum wage isn’t a slam dunk. Higher labour costs lead to inflation and economists have always known this. This means customers get less for their money. And when business makes less it affects employment—either directly (if goods are elastic) or indirectly.

Raising wages into a strong economy has no ill effect since prices are going up anyway. Plus people already have a job. It just keeps low-paid workers on pace. Not an increase in standard of living. But if the collective wish to better one group’s quality of life for the sake of ethics, they’ll have to eat the inflation this causes by continuing with their purchases. That’s the deal.

And there will be winners and losers. Winners include kids making french fries and immigrants who save money. Losers are the classes affected by consequential inflation, those in need of any ol’ job, and businesses dependent on price. Staying the same are folks who waste their paycheque anyway. Their excess will only go to inflated items like fast food and things they still can’t afford—not RSPs.

The left resolves the argument at the sight of ethics. They never consider the harm, only the good. But low wages allow the marginally skilled to hold jobs and not every company can raise its prices. Plus, minimum wage can be destructive when the economy tanks. But no matter how you vote, society has to answer the big question: who is minimum wage for? If looking at numbers, it’s not for raising a pet loving, trip minded family. It’s for immigrants, young people entering the workforce, and low-skilled workers happy to get by. And just so you know, government already subsidizes those who can’t earn more. (I know a guy who gets $2-700 per month based on what he makes. He’s been to Vegas five times.)

In the end, it’s a complicated issue that shouldn’t be ignored. Lefties have decided to go with benefits over costs and they may be right. We just shouldn’t be naïve about it.

Note: Here’s a discussion on C-SPAN. The bearded left-winger is useless but the French lady is good once she gets going. I also liked the first caller.

Education TV

Ever notice how a film based on a novel never gets into all the details? It’s because the book is usually over 400 pages while a script is only 120. But many people don’t have the time (or the inclination) to read. That’s why we also have video to provide for learning.

Though there’s nothing like the written word, video gives a good synopsis and provides viewers with emotional gist. In fact, video is now part of any educational program and instructors have begun replacing some class time by sending students home to eat popcorn.

Not only do we have documentaries, there are interviews, online lectures, TED talks, podcasts, and movies / mini-series for those wishing to know more. Here’s a list of what I’ve found to be useful.

History

  • The Tudors – mini-series on the life of Henry the VIII
  • John Adams – mini-series on the formation of the United States
  • The Roosevelts – documentary on the lives of Teddy, Franklin, and Eleanor Roosevelt
  • Genius of the Ancient World – Buddha, Socrates, and Confucius
  • Genius of the Modern World – Marx, Freud, and Nietzsche

World politics

  • My Way – story of Italy’s president, Silvio Berlusconi
  • Among the Believers – story of terrorism in Pakistan
  • Charlie Wilson’s War – film about the Russian-Afghan War
  • Last King of Scotland – film about Uganda’s Idi Amin
  • American Factory – shows the difference between manufacturing in America vs. China
  • Inside Bill’s Brain – how the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is changing the world

Canadian politics

  • Danny – National Film Board’s portrayal of Newfoundland’s premier, Danny Williams

American politics

  • Get Me Roger Stone – the strategy behind electing Trump
  • Race for the White House – CNN’s expose of six presidential elections

Summary

Many documentaries deal with social life. I enjoyed Hoop Dreams (following the lives of two young basketball stars) and the Life of Riley (the BB King story which gives a realistic view of segregation). Human Planet is also cool.

Some are only propaganda films designed to show just one side. I shy away from those until I find another highlighting the alternate position. In any event, it’s good to keep a list.

Note: Many of the above can be found on Netflix.

Monogamy

A previous article said we’ve had two female sexual revolutions over the past century. One where women began to take pleasure in the act, and a second, when they started acting as aggressively as men. So is there another we should be aware of? Specifically, have we seen the end of monogamy?

History

Let’s start with why monogamy was created in the first place.

Long ago, leaders of the village noticed that intercourse was causing babies. And though wild sex was tons of fun, it was weird for the raising of children. So they decided to lay barrels of guilt on anyone doing the pony dance before engaging in the act of marriage. And if you think of it, this made sense.

Initially guilt was laid evenly, but it quickly became apparent that it worked best with girls. After all, they were the ones who got stuck with the baby. And how could any parent hope to marry off a daughter if she already came with another man’s child? So the brunt of cultural and religious stigma hurled towards young love-makers began to fall on women.

Then one day we invented birth control and culture began to change. Stigma started to lift and the floodgates opened to where we’ve arrived today. Birth control is what spawned both female revolutions and without it, we’d still be stuck with guilt control.

The tradition of frowning on premarital and extramarital sex is (and was) totally due to the lack of birth control. And the notion that marital infidelity is a betrayal is mostly in your mind because old time culture put it there (initially, for good reason).

Nature

So is monogamy still warranted now that it’s no longer required?

The answer lies mostly in nature. If you placed 100 people on an island without any external influence, how would they act? Probably monogamously. Why? Because after you make love and it’s good, you want to do it again. Then you want to talk and hang out, call each other during the day, play silly games, and go for something to eat. We’re not animals. We’re emotional beings. The reason most folks want an affair isn’t that they need to be physical with other people, it’s because they’ve lost the intimate connection they once had with their partner. So for most of us, monogamy is completely natural.

But if you as a couple consent to extramarital carousing or partake on your own without consent, that’s okay. You won’t be punished in the afterlife because of a cultural stigma that’s out of date. Monogamy has become an option. Applicable for most, but not compulsory for all.

Affairs

So then why do people have affairs?

There are plenty of reasons—both traditional and modern. Traditionally, extramarital affairs occur when someone isn’t getting enough at home (so they go to McDonalds) or they’re feeling emotionally ignored (so get tangled up with the cabana boy for the sake of attention). And these reasons still make up the majority of cases today.

But these days, there are even more excuses. Happily married people are now cheating because they’re bored with what they’ve got—many times with open consent. And because of both female revolutions, we have way more women interested in discovering what they’ve been denied. There are loads of babes who feel they married too soon and candidly wish for another crack at singledom just for the sake of better sex.

Add in that we still have way too many hang-ups (especially among males) limiting what most of us can experience at home and you’ve got motive. Many a lady would love to don stilettos and a wig only to witness her husband call her a hoar. So her only escape is infidelity. (And men can face the same problem—for example, she won’t wear the George Bush mask.)

Sex today has become totally redefined. It’s no longer regarded as an intimate act exclusive to marriage. Single people do it all the time—just watch TV. Every family show is talking about it and sex is constantly being promoted as the most fun thing to do. No wonder teenagers are so active. And though we’ve said it’s unnatural to have physical relations without first feeling some sort of a connection, life practice is showing us exceptions.

But the bottom line is: affairs are primarily caused by spouses intimately giving up on each other. The life principle that we can’t live without intimacy is real. And most people do what they must in order to survive.

Summary

Couples start off monogamously because we’re in love. Most infidelity is caused by spouses giving up on each other for lack of intimacy (whether physical or verbal). They’d rather be with their partner but feel it’s not an option—so they search. Some infidelity is natural, for example, high drives open to experimentation. This group needs to realize that a purely physical relationship is dangerous because it’s only natural to want more. And having more can lead to home wrecking.

In the end, all everybody wants is someone to hang out with and have sex with. That’s what you initially had with your spouse. That’s what you want again.

Note: This excerpt comes from the book, Marriage Figured Out. You may also like the articles on Intimacy and Love.

Well Raised

Being well-raised is what separates people from animals. Because, to be honest, we’re not all that different. Sure, mamma bear shows basic instincts to her cubs but she doesn’t bitch at them to get to school or brush their teeth. And it’s this list of civilizing characteristics that we’re here to discuss.

It’s not that some families are bad, we just don’t all come from homes that enforce the way you’re supposed to act. In most cases, it’s because they didn’t know any better themselves. And because we don’t all grow up the same, some of us are short on skills that would serve us well in places like the business world. So let’s make a list for everyone to know (at least, my two).

Dress

Don’t wear cut-offs to a barbecue and never wear anything issued by the military (pajamas are fine). Dressing like this shows you’re low-end and it’s embarrassing to those around you. Yes, others should accept you “the way you are,” but don’t make them stretch. You too can bend by respecting social norms. Everyone needs a pair of nice slacks, dressy shoes, and a good set of gloves. There’s more to life than denim and Italians have designed more than just the golf shirt.

Grooming

Boys, clip your nails and everyone should shower every day. Long nails on men are creepy and perfume only goes so far. Trim your eyebrows when need be, and if there’s a hair hanging from your nose—pluck it. Upper-class people aren’t that demanding. They simply wish you wash and try your best.

Table Manners

Eat with two utensils and never lick your knife. Wait until everyone is seated before starting and acknowledge the effort by complimenting the cook. (Ask your mother for everything else—I’m not good at this stuff myself.)

Language

Use clean language—even when telling a joke. And never tell dirty stories in mixed company. Yes, boys have a dark side, but try to hide it from ladies and the kids.

Cleanliness

Well-raised people take responsibility for their messes and never wish to be called a slob. This extends to general cleanliness, like keeping a nice yard and washing behind the fridge.

Timeliness

Famed football coach Vince Lombardi said “if you’re ten minutes early, you’re five minutes late,” alluding to the fact you should always be fifteen minutes early for everything. Mature people are organized and don’t need much forgiveness in this area. It just takes practice and concentration.

Conversation

You don’t always have to agree but respecting another’s opinion is a virtue (especially if they have a better education on the topic). Asking questions is certainly an act of high standing and it’s always good not to interrupt.

Self-control

Public anger is for dumb people and babies. Never get caught exposing primal impulses in public. It’s just not how to act.

Thank you and sorry

Classy people say thank you because they’re appreciative. Sometimes they even send little notes or call. And they apologize for their mishaps by using the Scottish expression “Forgive me. I must have forgot my manners.” They also take responsibility for being wrong—it shows integrity.

Having a job

When you have a job, show up on time and appreciate the fact you’re working. Employers don’t like it when you come in late or illegitimately call in sick. They also don’t like when you quit without giving notice. If you’re not happy with your position, discuss it with your employer and, if things don’t work out, find another job. But don’t walk away in a storm. Remember, personal references are important, especially as you get older.

Money

Everyone knows you should always have money in your pocket and pay your own way, but a good person also lives within their means and saves. You don’t want to burden friends or throw yourself on society because you’re financially inept. Get it together when it comes to money.

Summary

There’s more to adulthood than how you act at the table.

Growing up means you consistently move towards becoming an adult. Kids are irresponsible, adults are not. Kids are unreliable, adults are not. Kids are takers, adults are not. Somehow you have to make the transition. And it should be done by the age of twenty. Why? Because there’s even more to know and this list isn’t that hard.

Generally speaking, a well-raised person comes from folks who are decent people. Kids draw from the blueprint their parents have made. So if the parents don’t know how to act, so goes the child. And the subliminal secret is: if you want well-raised children, you have to act this way yourself.

Excuse me while I clean up my language and trim my nails.

An Idea Company

In horse racing, the term for picking four winners in a row is pick 4. In Vegas, it’s called a parley. In business, it’s how you get something started. There’s a difference between running a company and getting one off the ground. And that difference lies in people. It takes unique people to generate and implement ideas.

The book, A Kick in the Seat of the Pants, says there are four parts to an entrepreneur—the artist, the explorer, the judge, and the warrior. The artist develops ideas, the explorer researches them, the judge decides whether they’re good or not, and the warrior takes them to market. To relate this to everyday life, the artist is the part of you that’s creative—the one who fantasizes, dreams, and generates thoughts. Your explorer seeks knowledge. It asks questions, reads books, and surfs the net. The judge is your decision-maker and your warrior does all the work (e.g., cleans the house, goes to the office, and drags your ass to the gym).

To start a business, you need to sparkle at every corner. In other words, you need a dynamite artist, a compulsive explorer, a strong judge, and a great warrior.

Operating companies

Today’s companies are all operating companies. They have three divisions with three types of people: sales, product, and admin. Any idea company has four: creators (artists), researchers, judges, and warriors.

Idea companies develop new concepts for existing industries. Sell these concepts to operating companies within applicable industries. Who then, with assistance from us, implement and carry them forward. Make sense?

The world doesn’t need more operating companies. We already have lots. What we need are great ideas brought into existing corporations. Why? Because big business is weak at being visionary (and lots can’t see the forest for the trees). They really are designed to simply operate and their workers are operators too. That’s why they need us.

With only 10-12 staff, idea companies earn most of their revenue from customer success and only deal at the top. Consulting firms and advertising agencies do some of the above, but they’re still just operating companies waiting to be hired. An idea company sells to an industry according to an order. When one company says no, they move to the next. Implementing with the first taker.

The next level

Over recent years business has figured out it needs to be in the community. That’s why they support public charities and things like the Olympics. Society feels better about spending its dough when they know some is being put to good use. But another level is on the horizon and that level is love. Business will soon learn they must also love the consumer.

Imagine a grocery store that thought of you in terms of what they provide (food). Imagine them offering a free cookbook (online), developed by them, supported by easy to learn videos (produced by staff—also part of the program), fortified by their prepared foods section (which includes these items), and a taster bar to assist in deciding what you’d like to make. Then add in in-store cooking demonstrations, a commitment to always stocking the base ingredients (one-stop shopping), and a great line of cookware available at reasonable prices.

They can even offer food service to supply items like meatballs, chili, and soup to restaurants, institutions, and people wishing to cater their own affairs. It all goes together. Eventually one of them will get it. Food stores are in the ingredients business and customers really need help putting these things together. Then as a society, we go up a level.

That’s what idea companies do—they take us to the next level. They develop ways to make an industry better and then shop them down a list. If company A doesn’t bite, they go to company B. When someone finally says yes, and things work out, the idea company’s reputation builds. So the next time they call, everything is easy.

Summary

It’s a different approach that fits in many ways. For example, we have great musicians who need great songs, we have comics who need powerful material, and just think what we could do for the education industry.

Operating companies have three main VPs (sales, product, and admin) and a president who reports to a board. By definition, the president is an administrator because of the job description. Startups do it differently. They make VP of product, supreme.

These visionaries then bring new concepts to market (e.g., Chipotle). But artists are never good at the workings of biz (e.g., admin, production, logistics, safety, H/R). It’s not their skill set. So why make new companies when we already have lots—Chipotle should be a division of Wendy’s.

It’s a different way of looking at things that will turn commerce on its head. There’s tremendous talent out there being wasted. We simply need to do the linking. Idea companies do this and more. They find the ideas, research them, judge them, and only bring to you what’s good.

I can’t wait for my son to graduate. Can you imagine? “Hi. It’s Alex from What’s Next—the idea company. I’d like to speak with your president.” “Good morning, Alex.”

The Past 100 Years

A lot has been said about our progress over the past 100 years. And though this article may seem to state the obvious, it’s good to have a recap. Progress has come in two forms: social and economic. Since much of social has been fueled by economic, let’s start there.

Economic

Economist, Robert J. Gordon, says that before the Civil War (1860s) the average American home was completely isolated. But by 1940, it was connected in five ways:

  • electricity
  • gas for heat
  • running water
  • waste disposal (sewage)
  • telephone

Before electricity, food was cooked on a coal or wood stove. There were no refrigerators, washing machines, or dryers (so groceries were bought often and laundry took forever), and air conditioning was out of the question. Not to mention electric light, electric fans, or anything else we plug in.

Before hot water tanks and gas furnaces, buildings were heated by coal or wood stoves. Running water saved the hours of lugging it from river or well. Indoor plumbing was not only more convenient than shuffling to the outhouse, it saved us from waterborne diseases (like cholera). And telephone allowed people to speak with someone not in the same room.

The internal combustion engine along with cross-country highway systems got vehicles on the road and air travel, radio, and television really made things cook. Why? Because feeding all those horses took one sixth of all agricultural output and they left residue on the street (which stunk). Air travel allowed us to move faster than by ship or rail, and radio plus TV were remarkable means to educate and entertain.

These advancements affected more than personal convenience, they greatly enhanced economic productivity. For example, hand tools to power tools—can you imagine? Equipped with electricity and the motor, industry could now pump it out. So rather than making your own clothes, one could buy them. And instead of employing 50% in farming, we freed up many to create new industries.

Social

As living standards increased, we started to feel better about ourselves. Much of which led to social change. Here are the major steps:

  • mass education
  • freedom from strict religion
  • the women’s movement
  • birth control, divorce, daycare, and retirement
  • gay rights
  • combating racism
  • health care
  • democracy, communism, and the (hopeful) end of imperialism
  • society’s focus on children

The industrial revolution (early 1900s) forced society into mass education. No longer was a man able to earn a living by being taught by his father. And the same went for ladies. Primarily because of productivity, we went from 25% living in urban cities to 75%. These new jobs involved all sorts of things that required various forms of learning (and they’re still expanding).  

Educating the masses brought about a release from structured religion. No longer were followers willing to accept unnecessary laws in order to be spiritual. Former preachers taught that life was to serve God and only through suffering could one attain paradise, but that notion fell as believers began to think for themselves. And though many of today’s youth believe women were constantly held down, that wasn’t the case. Prior to the past 100 years, women were kept in domestic roles out of necessity. Just think of it. You lived on a farm. No electric appliances. No birth control. No disposable diapers. How could any woman join the labour force when she was so busy working? It wasn’t until we moved into cities (thanks to productivity) that women working outside the home was even possible.

Birth control not only allowed for smaller families, it empowered the sexual revolution. Prior to, society pushed abstinence because, as everyone knows, the pony dance makes babies. But once we got the pill, floodgates opened. Divorce came with the movement of women into day jobs. Now that both sexes no longer required each other for survival the quality of marriage became important. Daycare then followed to accommodate single parents and really took off when grandparents claimed their child rearing days were through. Once everyone got past the guilt of leaving kids with strangers, daycare was fully embraced and is now government subsidized.

Before the modern concept of retirement, seniors simply lived with their children, contributing what they could (domestic skills, child care). But thanks to health care and personal savings, old fogies started buying places in Phoenix. Another major shift. And without getting into detail, people are now allowed to be gay (also against old church rule).

Racism in first world countries was combated and mostly overcome. There are over 160 instances of slavery throughout history. Britain abolished theirs in 1807; France in 1848. But ending slavery was usually followed by forms of racism (since former owners were still convinced of superiority). Slavery in the US ended in 1865, with blacks getting the vote in 1870. But less than 30 years later, the Supreme Court ruled racial segregation was constitutional, paving the way for repressive Jim Crow laws in the South (remember, not all states were slave states). These laws legalized discrimination and stayed in effect until the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Along the way, activists supported entertainers like Nat King Cole (1943-1965) and baseball’s Jackie Robinson (1947), to make public opinion change. Within 45 years, America elected its first black president.

In 1917, almost every country was ruled by a monarch. Only 12 were democracies. Also in 1917, communism was born in Russia. Sure it failed, but progress sometimes involves making mistakes. In the words of Boris Yeltsin, then president of the falling USSR, “Communism was an experiment that should have been tried on a much smaller country.” And since the 1970s, there’s been a huge focus on our youth. People were obviously not happy with how they were raised, and together with smaller families and better economics, kids today are being treated differently. No longer are they viewed as takers to be seen and not heard. Instead, they’re regarded as social responsibilities and the role of being parent is revered.

Summary

It’s important to understand our place in history and that modern civilization is not complete.

In Canada, 64% of adults between the ages of 25-64 have a degree, college diploma, or trades certificate. A lot more than ever before. Education, along with inventions, have unleashed human potential the likes we’ve never seen. It’s easy to see this economically but don’t forget the social changes. And though it’s possible to still witness prior times right before our eyes (since not all countries enjoy the same standards), living in a developed nation has never been better. Bottom line: much of the world is brand new. Remember this when citing history—sometimes it doesn’t repeat itself.

Note: See Robert Gordon’s presentation at TED (the above references start at the 6 minute mark).

Racism

The word racism has been tossed around lots lately, especially in the US. So I decided to dig deep into the issue and find out what was going on. I started with the most unbiased news organization I could find. The call went like this:

  • “Good morning, CNN—you’re a racist.” 
  • “Hi. Van Jones please.” 
  • “Van Jones, CNN—you’re a racist.”
  • “Hi Van, I’m doing some research on racism and figured you’re the man. Is there a definition?”
  • “Sure, there are three levels. Level 1 is when you physically hurt people—it’s the worst. Level 2 is old time discrimination—denying people a fair shot at employment, education, an apartment, or access to a club. Level 3 is when you verbally trash people in public just to keep them down.”
  • “Cool. Then why have you called people like John McCain a racist?”
  • “That’s Level 4—they’re conservatives. You see, in American politics they call us commies and we call them racists. Folks down here get it, but sometimes it scares people from other countries.”
  • “Okay, so then what’s all this stuff about white nationalists and white supremacists?”
  • “Even I don’t understand that, you’ll have to ask David Duke.”

So I called David Duke:

  • “David Duke—I’m not a white supremacist.”
  • “Hi David, I was just calling to ask about your story?”
  • “We believe white people are no better or worse than anyone else. We simply host an organization that opposes affirmative action because it discriminates against whites from getting jobs or gaining acceptance to colleges and universities based on the colour of their skin.”
  • “That sounds almost reasonable. Anything else?”
  • “Yes, we advocate for immigration to center around keeping America a predominately white, Christian nation. We believe there’s nothing wrong with Africans living in Africa, Chinese people living in China, and white people living here in America.”
  • “So you’re like the Japanese who believe in homogeneity?”
  • “Yes, and we believe all liberals are communists and we have a real conspiracy hard-on for the Jews.”
  • “Okay, so you do have some weird ideas?”
  • “Right. And that’s the point. Just because Hitler was a bad man, doesn’t mean he was a pedophile. And just because he wasn’t a pedophile, doesn’t mean he wasn’t a bad man. So just because I’m messed up as a nationalist, doesn’t mean I’m a supremacist.”
  • “Thank you for clearing that up. Lastly, is it true you were once a member of the KKK?”
  • “Yes, but that was 40 years ago and the KKK isn’t what people think”

So I called up the KKK—and a Chinese guy answered the phone.

  • ”Good morning, Kru Krux Kran.”
  • “Excuse me, are you Chinese?”
  • “Yes, I think so.”
  • “You gotta be kidding. How did a Chinese person get a reception job at the KKK?”
  • “Well, first they don’t want me because I can’t say their name—Kru Krux Kran. But then I charge them with racist and judge say they got to give me the job. So now I work here for five years.”

I didn’t ask any more questions because I sympathized with the employer. (It’s like ISIS having to hire someone with a lisp. Can you imagine? “Good morning, Ith-ith.”)

Nationalists

So what’s the difference between a nationalist, a supremacist, and everyone else?

Nationalists believe what David Duke says and their websites claim they’re against violence. They simply want to make their point. One which very few people support and that’s going absolutely nowhere. Supremacists take it to another level.

Supremacists

Being a supremacist gives you all the benefits of a nationalist with two additional features:

  • Whites are genetically superior (because of how nature makes our genes)
  • Whites are God’s chosen people based on some twisted interpretation of the Bible

The first may have flown years ago before we started to screw each other, but now that the cat’s out of the bag, I don’t think we can make this claim. My guess is it’s an old argument meant for an older time because if immigration has taught us anything it’s that we (people) are all the same. But before experiencing today’s living proof, humans believed all sorts of things about each other.

As for God, the world is filled with twisted interpretations of scripture and it’s true that supremacy is part of all religious order. But when it comes to modern day America, this type of thinking is out of date (i.e., supremacists aren’t on the rise).

Note: Other than to populate the new world, immigration was devised to show the world we can all live together. And Jesus would have been proud of that. 

Summary

Deciphering racism is like having a transgender pick a pronoun—it’s complicated. And the world is so crazy these days I heard a single mother of nine say she doesn’t want any more kids.

When you use the word racism you need to define exactly what kind. Generally, it means one group being mean against another (nothing to do with race). Violent racism is common throughout history. A good example is the Rwandan genocide. Hutus and Tutsis looked so much alike the government had to issue mandatory identity cards to tell them apart. Discrimination-based racism is like the one between the British and the Irish, which lasted for 400 years. Both of these types still exist in the world but not in the US.

Realists know that John McCain is not a racist and neither is ol’ Mitt. The left needs to grow up in this regard (and maybe righties could curb their use of the term “commie”). There’s also no doubt about the ugly side of left. They use violence without condemnation, lie without conscious, and fight like a girl. This doesn’t mean their causes aren’t just, but they’re certainly not a bunch of fine people.

Neo-Nazis are on a different page and skinheads are just disgruntled punk rockers who hate that everyone now dresses like them. So they shave their heads to show that nobody loved them. And if you think about it, probably nobody did.

In order to be effective social justice warriors, people need to understand their adversary’s side and put together a relatively solid argument. For example, if you’re interested in the issue of statues and the confederacy—without being punched in the face—watch this episode on C-Span. It gives real history and the story from the last caller is beautiful. There’s also a series on CNN called the United Shades of America. Here are some clips (clip 1, clip 2, clip 3, clip 4).

Note: All research for this article was done using my wife’s browser. 

World War II

There were two components to WWII: Japan’s aggression in the South Pacific and Germany’s in Europe and North Africa. Germany and Japan became allies, and together with countries like Italy, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania, were called the Axis. Japan’s attack on China (July 7, 1937) could be considered the beginning of the war but being Eurocentric, we say it started two days after Germany invaded Poland (when Britain and France declared war).

The war in Europe had four phases: German advances prior to Poland, the German invasion of Europe (starting with Poland), the German offensive against Russia, and American involvement.

Early advances

Germany made four moves before the official start of the war.

  • March 1936 – Sending military troops into the Rhineland
  • March 1938 – Annexing Austria
  • October 1938 – Annexing the Sudetenland
  • March 1939 – Annexing the rest of Czechoslovakia

The Rhineland was an area of Germany designated as a demilitarized zone after WWI (part of reparations). When Hitler’s troops marched in, Britain declared it a violation of the Treaty of Versailles but said it wasn’t to be met with resistance (map of Europe, 1936).

Austria and the Sudetenland (the north-west part of Czechoslovakia that borders Germany) were both taken without firing a shot. Austria by way of ultimatum and the Sudetenland by means of negotiation by French and British officials, without any Czechs at the table. Both had a long association with Germany. Bavaria initially included much of these areas, the Sudetenland was formerly part of Austria, and the Austrian language is essentially German. So when all this happened, there was no great uproar (e.g., regarding Austria, many locals welcomed the move and the US recognized it in less than a month).

The negotiation of the Sudetenland is called, The Munich Agreement. It highlights Britain’s policy of appeasement (attributed to Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain). Taking the rest of Czechoslovakia was not greeted as warmly. Germany wanted its manufacturing capability and due to Hitler’s pre-negotiations, little resistance was met. (P.S. it should be noted that Hungary and Poland helped.)

Europe

The war officially started after Germany invaded Poland. One month prior, Germany signed a non-aggression pact with Russia. Among others, this included the sharing of Poland.

  • August 1939 – Germany and Russia sign pact
  • September 1, 1939 – Germany invades Poland
    • Britain, France, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada declare war against Germany
  • September 17, 1939 – Russian troops enter Poland
  • September 27, 1939 – Poland surrenders, Nazis and Soviets divide up the spoils

In April 1940, Germany started invading its neighbours. In May, Italy aligned itself with the Axis and Winston Churchill was appointed Britain’s PM. The Battle of Britain and the Blitz began in July that same year. (Knowing the difficulties of a seaborne attack, the Germans tried to get Britain to agree to a negotiated settlement by bombing British cities and towns for over a year.)

By June 1941, Germany had successfully invaded 11 countries (Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Denmark, Norway, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland, Yugoslavia, and Greece); most of them falling within weeks. They were basically kicking ass.

Russia

Germany invaded Russia in June 1941. The code name was Operation Barbarossa. For more than a year Germany had its way, recording numerous victories, but in August of ‘42 they invaded Stalingrad and The Battle of Stalingrad became known as one of the bloodiest in the history of warfare. Between them, nearly 2 million people were wounded, killed, or captured, in a ratio of 1:1. (Amazing since, up to that point, Russia had been losing 3 to 1.) Many regard this as the turning point of the war.

The Germans got off to the early lead but the Russians launched a massive counter-offensive and after a few months, the Germans were forced to surrender. This marked a major defeat for Hitler’s forces and the Russians continued their gains until marching into Germany, two years later, and leading the fall of Berlin.

Sure, Russia picked up a few countries along the way and went on to terrorize the world with communism, but don’t kid yourself—when it came to Europe, Russia did the heavy lifting.

Americans

Before entering the war, America instituted a lend-lease policy to deliver equipment and arms to the allies. Once the party started, they helped Britain’s Montgomery against Rommel in North Africa, assisted with the bombing of Germany, and led the liberation of Italy. (Once the Italians saw their beloved country invaded, they quickly disposed of Mussolini and surrendered within two months, but the Germans fought on in Italy until the end of the war.)

They also led the allied invasion to open the much promised western front (starting with D-Day on June 6, 1944) and did most of the heavy lifting against Japan.

Summary

The Japanese and German aggressions were completely different wars. They just happened at the same time. The war in Europe ended on May 7, 1945. War against the Japanese waged on another three months and, of course, included the dropping of two atomic bombs.

Military deaths, civilian deaths due to military activity, plus civilian deaths due to war related famine and disease, total over 70 million. Among them, 20-25 million Russian, 15-20 million Chinese, 7 million German, 6 million Poles, and almost 3 million from Japan. The British and Americans lost over 400 thousand each, and Canada lost 45,000.

They say it was a war of technology. The motor and electricity were now well established so factories could really pump it out. And it was the unveiling of new mechanisms like military airplanes and panzer tanks. It was also the first time radio was used to speak to the public. WWII will be remembered for Britain’s determination to “never surrender,” the Luftwaffe’s inability to crush the RAF, and the tremendous civilian war effort that included daily sacrifice, rationing, and the buying of war bonds. It will also be remembered for the thousands of concentration camps.

Before America entered the war, FDR and Churchill met to draw up the Atlantic Charter. In it was the formation of an international body to ensure that nothing of this nature could happen again. It was called the United Nations and its primary mission is to bring about an end to imperialism. So far it works.

Note: For further reading you might enjoy the Battle of Britain, the Battle of Stalingrad, the Italian Campaign, and the French and British policy of Appeasement. You may also like this video.