The Rebirth of Wonder

The holiday season is upon us, along with all of the rare and beautiful opportunities it brings. No matter what name you choose to assign to it, or how you may choose to celebrate it, it will work its own special kind of magic. For just a moment we will stop what we are doing, we will share gifts, spend time with loved ones. Beautiful lights and ornaments will be placed on display, and we will stop to observe them and appreciate their beauty. It may seem like a small thing, but in reality it is a wonderful opportunity. Most of us have been conditioned to live our lives obsessing over what happened yesterday or what is coming next. We spend our lives trying to achieve this or that, and never stop to appreciate those achievements or the wonder and beauty that surround us every day. Make the most of the opportunity, breathe it in deep and take a moment, a day, a week to appreciate your life. Consider making it a way of life; and just in case you need a reminder the next holiday season is only a year away.

Do you remember the wonder and magic the holiday season held when you were a child? The Christmas tree became a shrine to wonderment, and each light glowed with magical warmth. My play would center around it, I would stare at it for long stretches of time that could not be measured because they were time-less. The smell of pine would take me away to a place behind reality, and the occasional trip to the snow with my grand parents, well that was Nirvana. No matter what holiday tradition you might have observed as a child, there were probably one or more aspects that struck you with the same sense of wonderment. And that sense of wonderment and adventure probably didn’t stop there when you were a child; most likely it accompanied anything new that awoke your senses. It is unfortunate that we tend to loose that as we go in to adulthood.

We worry about things which seem important at a given moment, but which mean nothing when observed against the wholeness of our lives. The traffic, other people’s opinions or impressions, how a project will be received, if the kids are going to do their homework correctly, and a million other things fight for every minute of our attention, and we become the slaves of our own worries if we are not careful. We forget to allow ourselves time to just be, and appreciate our relationships and our surroundings In observing the holidays we are given an opportunity to recapture the magic of youth.

So take a moment to quit thinking about what yesterday held, or tomorrow may hold, and enjoy everything you have right now.

What’s the greatest thing you can do to enjoy the magic of the holiday season?

The Simple Truth About Economics

We have the potential to do great things, amazing things in fact. Each man and women, represents the currency of that potential. Each of us has skills, knowledge, and abilities that can be used to work wonders if given the opportunity.

The economic down turn that we are experiencing represents a failure to tap that potential. As a matter of fact, the solution is quite simple when one boils away the complications, and excuses that allow it to persist. It can be described in the following equation:

Identify needs – put a sufficient number of people to work producing those needs – put the remainder to work producing wants and improvements = healthy economy

If we were to do just that, everything we needed, and much of what we wanted would exist in abundance, and (in a healthy free market) exist at reasonable prices. Unemployment would be practically non-existent in terms of people who were willing and able to work, and we could achieve remarkable prosperity as a society.

Too simple you say?

Why? Does it have to do something with the infusion of capitol, or the circulation of money?

If it does, that is rather revealing of a fundamental problem with our economic belief system. It assumes that we are trying to produce money, and that our wants and needs are a by product of that money. Think about this for a moment. Is money what you really want to produce? Does the money have any intrinsic value beyond the paper it is printed on? Beyond that, money is only as valuable as the general public believes it to be, and in the wrong hands it can be used as a tool to deprive people of the real resources they need to survive, while producing nothing of real value in return.

Don’t get me wrong, money is a great tool to facilitate trade. But money is after all, only a tool. In reading “The Forgotten Man”  Amity Shlaes insightful look at the great depression, I was amazed by the manner in which some communities responded to the onslaught of the depression. As the local banks went dry, or shut down all together, they did not crumble in to despair or stop working all together, but reached deep in to their own innovation and set up small local economies to meet their basic needs. Many of those local economies began with basic bartering, and some even developed their own local currencies. They understood the need for self sufficiency, and went about the work of meeting their needs.

Each of our communities today should look to that example, and insure that there is no essential need that can not be met locally. Certainly our lives are deeply enriched through outside trade, and it is difficult to imagine a life deprived of things as simple as bananas or any of the many gadgets, brought to us from over seas, that make our lives simpler or more enjoyable. But we must stop to ask if we really want our lives, not only to enriched, but to depend on that trade? In many ways we have done just that through our dependence on foreign oil, and it has left the United States vulnerable in many respects.

We have the people, the resources, and the potential to do great things. We can create innovative new sources of energy, abundant housing, truly advance medical science in to the 21^st century, or any one of a thousand noble goals. That or we can worry about how to produce more money. Which one would you prefer?

It begins with a vision; it begins with you and me pushing to make that vision a reality, and with leaders who have the courage to point the way and give people the opportunity. We can turn things around by producing real things to meet real needs. It is, just that simple.

What is the Greatest thing we can produce to give people better lives?

Opposition to New Bailouts (An Open Letter to Congress)

Dear Congressmen:

 

I am writing to urge you to vote no on the proposed bailout of the auto industry. 

Prior to the initial bailout being past we heard the following statements: 

“…There is the possibility that there will be no economy on Monday.”

-Henry Paulson 

“..If we don’t get it solved next week, I may have to go back to delivering papers.”

-Warren Buffet 

Despite promises of transparency, no golden parachutes for executives, infusions of money to revitalize the credit markets, we have received none of these things. In fact the bailout appears to be one of the most expensive scams ever pulled on the American people.  Now we want to bailout the auto manufactures? They continued to resist new fuel standards, and safety standards. In some cases they covered known safety defects, and have used their power to destroy smaller, more advanced and efficient newcomers like the Tucker that could have revolutionized the industry. 

Are these companies too big to fail? I would suggest that perhaps they are too big to succeed. 

If these companies truly have something to contribute to our country, they will find the way to reinvent themselves.  Or they will die and make way for smaller more nimble companies like Tesla motors. 

Bailing these companies out is the multi billion dollar equivalent to repeatedly buying an expensive new cell phone for a careless child. Having learned that there are no consequences for the behavior, the will continue to repeat it, and drain the resources of this country. 

I am very aware of the consequences that the death of one of these giants could have.  I would suggest however that bailing them out will be like handing an alcoholic a bottle of alcohol to help them, and us, avoid the immediate pain of having them face facts. The answer to this nations problems lies not in supporting unsustainable industry, but by encouraging smaller industries that are innovative and efficient. 

Please vote no on the bail out (amendment of existing bail out) of the auto manufacturers and focus on the long term good of the country. 

Sincerely,

Tim Snodgrass

Any ideas or comments we should add prior to sending?

Life From the Ashes

As a tragic fire rages just north of Los Angeles I am reminded of another fire (The Cedar Fire) that swept through the San Diego area in October of 2003.  For those who find themselves in the pathway of these destructive behemoths, their lives will be changed in ways that many of us would prefer not to contemplate. Many people will wake up having lost everything they had spent years working to build, homeless, and without possessions, reliant upon the kindness of family and strangers alike.  Life will offer the survivors of this current fire a choice; wallow in the memory of what was, or build a new life, richer and more beautiful than the one that preceded it. The second choice is a daunting one, but ultimately the most rewarding.  In our lives we may never have to face the literal flames of a fire, but there are other events that offer us (individually and collectively) that same choice; wallow in the memory of what was, or build something better than what existed before.

As I picked up the newspaper one day as fire fighters fought bravely to bring the Cedar Fire under control, I recall reading about the desperate plight of a handful of families living in a very rural area in mountains above the Barona Indian Reservation.  Overnight, winds had whipped the fire in to a frenzy, and pushed the flames through the valley below their much faster than anyone would have believed. The families living in it’s path woke in the middle of the night to an oncoming wall of flame with almost no warning. They fled with only minutes to spare, and many found themselves cut off from the main road as the flames cut off their only path to the main road in the valley below. Eight of those people lost their lives on that perilous night. I did not realize it at the time, but I would soon come to count two of those survivors amongst my dearest friends. 

The years that immediately followed the fire were difficult ones for them, but they never gave up faith. Thanks to the efforts of wonderful organizations like the Salvation Army they were able to return to their mountain home a couple of years later. I went to visit them on their property shortly after they were able to return. Bushes and shrubs were sprouting up amidst the fire stained landscape and leaves were beginning to shoot up from the burnt oak trees. The occasional bird flew past, and from time to time a squirrel would stand upon a rock to survey its surroundings.  Like my friends, nature was beginning to make a comeback. Today humming birds flit to and fro, squirrels and rabbits dot the landscape, and the blackened husks of oak trees have resurrected with thick green foliage. An afternoon on the property is enough to erase every care in the world, as though to say everything is right in the world. It is a magical place.

It is not fire and the resilience of nature that I wish to discuss however, but the resilience of mankind, and the lesson that nature offers to us. Death and rebirth is a theme in nature and in history as well. Sometimes the flames that we face are not actually flames at all, but a personal tragedy, or sometimes they are a global economic breakdown that causes people to lose their homes, their jobs, or both.  It is likely that the global crisis we now face is the tip of a much larger iceberg that will sweep through the global economy like a wildfire.  It was made possible by the dry brush of greed and failed economic policies, and it is likely that it will tear down whole institutions as it sweeps across the global economy.  The immediate consequences are tragic, and we must find the strength to unite behind those who find themselves in its path. At the end of the day however, we have a choice; wallow in the memory of what was, or build a new and glorious future, free of old dry brush. Are we going to cling to our burning institutions, point fingers and complain, or are we going to clear them and build something better. We can be the burnt out structure that never gets torn down, or we can be the oak that reaches skyward with new life from an old burnt husk. 

What is the greatest thing you can do to build a better future?

Observations from the Voting Booth

As I left the voting booth my mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts. This election was different, not just because of the historic ramifications, but different for me as well. For me it carried with it a sense of great importance, like no other in which I have participated, and I sensed that many people felt much the same way. I was struck by three thoughts in particular:

1. Voting requires the courage to say yes and the wisdom to say no.
   At least one of the propositions (dealing with criminal justice) on my ballot expressed (in essence) reforms that I have long felt are needed in this country. I was surprised to find that it was very difficult to vote for. There were of course, the typical concerns about the implementation, and if it would be done correctly. What would the consequences be if it were not implemented correctly? I hesitated, and then asked myself, will change ever occur in this country if we are not brave enough to take the first step, and voted yes. The proposition failed, and I may never know for sure if my decision was the correct one, but sometimes positive change requires the courage to say yes.

   In yet another case, one of the propositions on my ballot (dealing with alternative energy) attempted to enact reforms which I feel are vital to this country, and I found the opposite approach to be necessary. I agreed in great detail with what the proposition was attempting to do, but I felt the cost was much too high in a time of economic crisis. I looked at it over and over, trying to find a realistic justification that the benefits which would be derived would more than cover the cost, and for all my effort, I could not. Ultimately (for me) it required the wisdom to say no.

   One person’s courage to say yes may be another’s wisdom to say no. What is important is that we vote with courage and wisdom, regardless of how we might feel that they apply.

2. Know what you vote, vote what you know.
   It is of vital importance that we exercise our right to vote. It is the first step in alerting our elected officials that we care how the country is run, and we are a voice that should be listened to. Beyond simply voting however, we need to be informed and to know what we vote. The political process preys on the uninformed with brief descriptions that hide the real intent and cost of the propositions we vote for. When I first started to vote, I felt that I had to vote in every category, no matter how informed or uninformed I was. I have since come to understand the subtle damage that comes from voting in that way. While it is important to vote, and preferably on a wide range of issues, there is wisdom in passing on those issues in which we feel we are largely uninformed and letting more informed voters control the outcome on those particular issues. Know what you vote, vote what you know.
   
3. Democracy doesn’t sleep between elections.
   The greatest thing about the electoral process is that it inspires people to stand up and be counted like nothing else. The more heated or passionate the election, the greater the number of voters. Far too often however, we (as a society) cease to exercise our democratic rights in the wake of those elections. We let the process run itself, content to wait for the next election, frequently ignoring the lesser elections that do not involve a presidential candidate. Democracy does not sleep, and we should not sleep in our exercise of it. As we move in to a new chapter of history, make sure your elected officials know what you want.

   Now is the time for revolution! A revolution, fought not with weapons, but with words and ideals. Fire the first shot by making sure your elected officials know what you expect of them.

   Many of you have seen Will’s letter to President Obama, or perhaps you have seen my previous post If I were President. I will be sending the contents of that post out to my elected officials as well. Whether you choose to copy and paste, or write your own, I urge you to do the same. Write your President, your Congressman, even your city and county officials and let them know what you expect.

What is the greatest thing you can do to influence the direction of our country?

If I were President…

There is no job in all of the United States as closely scrutinized as that of President of the United States. Even the celebrity scandals with which much of the country seems to be so completely obsessed at times, can not compete with the scrutiny on this one job. Leadership is the glue that binds us together. Whether or not we realize its value, the effects of its absence are unmistakable. Leadership is more than a title, and there are many who have held the title but failed to lead. Since I, like many others, will be closely scrutinizing the actions of the next President, it is only fair that I answer the question.

What would I do if I were President?

Domestic Policy

The establishment of an aggressive national energy policy.

1. An aggressive national energy policy would be the keystone to my administration. Americans believe in and want clean renewable sources of energy that can be produced here in the United States, but the government needs to create an environment that is friendly to innovation and provides incentives to buyers and producers to make this happen. Up to $700 billion dollars a year would be brought back in the U.S. economy (potentially more with the sale of clean energy technology overseas), jobs would be created, the environment would be cleaner, and we would eliminate the threats to national security that are inherent to depending on foreign nations for a vital resource. Perhaps, most importantly of all, however, is that this is really something we could use to energize the country to work towards a common goal. For more information about the need for a vital new energy policy consider Will’s post Oil Dependence and the Energy Crisis.

2. Formation of a service for education program.
   America has earned its economic standing in the world through innovation: electricity, the automobile, the computer, and the Internet to name a few. We also have a need for educated individuals to serve the community as doctors, nurses, and teachers to name a few. Throughout the years, many young men and women have turned to the military as a way to build a future for themselves. Service to country has prepared many of our youth to become responsible citizens and instilled in them a love of country that is necessary in a healthy society. Education, when offered openly to all who will take advantage of the opportunity, has the potential to be the keystone to balanced equality in our nation. Expanding the definition of service beyond the military and creating structured opportunities for community service in exchange for education would be a priority in my administration. For other great ideas about expanding education, see Will’s “Free Education for All.”
   

3. The establishment of a state/locally run national health care program.
   In a country like the United States, it is inexcusable that working men and women are unable to obtain quality medical care for themselves or their families. If a man or woman works to be a productive member of society, surely they have earned the right to real medical care. We are not talking about taking from the rich and giving to the poor; we are talking about giving people what they have justly earned. Such programs have met with tremendous opposition because we have lost faith in the government to spend our money wisely. I am very sympathetic to this argument.  In order to ensure that people have the kind of medical service they deserve without another bloated federal program, I would work to ensure that the program was implemented at the state or local level. The federal government would require a program meeting basic standards and would provide oversight, training, and support. There would obviously be expenses associated with such a program, and extensive research would be conducted to ensure that they would be minimal and fairly divided. It would replace the Medicare program, and the expenses which currently go to that program would help defray the cost. Participants in the service for education program listed in item 2 would also play a key role to keep expenses down.

Foreign Policy

1. Push for massive reform in the United Nations.
   The U.S. can no longer afford to be the world’s police force. Our adoption of this role has placed an unfair economic burden on U.S. citizens and has done unnecessary harm to our relationship with the global community. Although we can not, and should not govern ourselves by foreign opinion, we should try and maintain fair and amicable relations wherever we are able. We need a global body that attempts to resolve disputes between countries, and that when required, can act to enforce the peace between them. These actions need to be a community decision and need to respect the sovereign status of each of its members. I do not believe that the U.N. is currently up to the task, but I believe the answer is to push for reform that puts reasonable bounds on their authority and seeks to remove corruption from that body. A well run United Nations will free us to focus on making a better life at home, while discouraging the types of aggression that led to World War I and World War II.

2. Heavy reduction in non-humanitarian foreign aid.
   According to the National Debt Clock, the current debt of the United States government is $10, 542,780,984,853.05 or approximately $34,563 per person. I have intentionally left every digit in the sum to convey just how enormous that debt is. Foreign Aid spending adds approximately $15 Billion a year to that sum, with the Cato Institute estimating that number at closer to $50 Billion and heavily opposed by the American people. The United States should be a good neighbor, particularly where disaster relief is concerned, but it is irresponsible to spend such a large sum of money on foreign aid while we are so deeply indebted. This is especially true in those situations where the aid is being used to buy influence. I would not eliminate foreign aid, but I would cut it deeply.

3. Heavy reduction in U.S. military presence abroad.
   The purpose of the military is to defend our way of life. It protects our freedoms, and in a larger sense, our prosperity. Its ability to perform these actions is vital to our well being. Economic vitality is also of fundamental importance to our well being and we must be careful to balance these two competing priorities. $644 billion was requested for military spending in 2008, more than the next 10 highest spending countries combined based on a Reuters release and can be seen clearly on this Wikipedia chart based on the 2006 budget. The military plays an important role in protecting our economy, but we must avoid the danger of the military becoming the economy. Economic instability poses a serious threat to our national security. Heavy reduction in U.S. military presence abroad would be a good start at bringing these numbers under control.

Government Reform

1. Tax Reform
   Taxes should be simple, and loop holes found in fine print should not exempt people from paying their fair share. One solution which has been proposed to this dilemma is the implantation of a flat tax. A true flat tax seems like a good idea on the service but lacks fundamental fairness. Taxation should never cut in to the ability of a person to provide for their most basic needs, and those who are fortunate enough to reap the greatest benefits from our economic system should have a greater share of the responsibility. In accordance with this I would seek the implementation of a three tiered flat tax. I would also seek to identify non productive behaviors that distribute wealth upward, not by productivity, but through control of markets and money flow. The non productive upward distribution of wealth takes hard earned money out of the pockets of working Americans and needs to be stopped. Special taxes, not applicable to most Americans, would be applied to those behaviors in order to discourage them and repair the damage they cause. Every American deserves a chance at the American Dream, and our taxation system should help, not hinder, their efforts. Check out Will’s Voting for the American Dream and Business Model for Corporate Social Responsibility. I would also commission comprehensive studies to look for innovative ways of taking income tax out of the hands of the federal government while still allowing it to function effectively and meet its obligations. I do not know if a workable strategy could be found to do this, but it is worthy of exploration.

2. Massive reform to the U.S. banking system. The current Federal Reserve System gives private banks far too much influence over U.S. monetary policy. Thomas Jefferson so feared the role of banks in the U.S. economy that he uttered the following words:

   “The [privately-owned] Central Bank is an institution of the most deadly hostility existing against the principles and form of our Constitution…if the American people allow private banks to control the issuance of their currency, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all their property until their children will wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.” Current events are bearing out his words.

   There are those that would like to return to the gold standard, but I do not believe this is an accurate reflection of our productivity. Our money supply needs to be tightly affixed to a set standard that allows it to maintain equilibrium in the world currency market, thus protecting the buying power of private citizens. I suspect that government and private banks are guilty of abuses in this area. Our currency needs to be released in a manner that provides strict safeguards to keep private banks, corporations, and the government itself from skimming off the top. I would assemble a team of visionary economists to advise me on how best to go about this reform. Also check out Will’s ideas on the Financial Bailout and Slaves to Debt.

3. New ethics rules to eliminate special interest money from the political process. Money and politics do not mix. A system that requires candidates for Federal office to raise millions or even hundreds of millions of dollars from private contributions, compromises them from the very start. A system would be set up whereby candidates are blind to the identity of their financial contributors, and strict penalties would be imposed if a candidate took money directly from a contributor. Tight limits would also be imposed to the total amount of money a candidate would be allowed to receive as an added precaution. In light of the strict financial cap, Presidential candidates who are able to demonstrate broad based support for their candidacy, based on pre-determined criteria, would be given a forum upon which to make their case to the American people. The parameters on this process would be constructed so as to insure that leading candidates from independent parties are included in the process and are able to run on a level playing field against Republican and Democratic candidates.

4. Establishment of new vehicles to remove ineffective politicians.
   The voice of the people must be first and foremost on the minds of our elected officials. We honor them with the offices which they hold to represent our needs and our dreams, and they must be held accountable. We deserve not only good leadership, but great leadership, and I would work to make sure that happened, but giving people the ability to get rid of ineffective leaders. For further information on this subject check out my earlier post, Removing Ineffective Politicians from Office.

5. Reform the Electoral College to give citizens a greater voice.
   I do not believe that the Electoral College works as intended. The number of electoral votes that is carried by powerhouse states such as California, Texas, New York, and Florida dwarfs that of most other states in a winner takes all contest, with no consideration of those who cast the losing vote (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:US_Electoral_College_Map.PNG) . The electoral system was initially implemented to keep the voice of smaller states from being overwhelmed by their more populace neighbors. The voices of the smaller states have dimmed as our population as migrated toward coastal states and large population centers. I believe that we might be better served by constitutional reform that breaks those votes down into their respective congressional districts. Smaller states and individual voters, would have a greater voice in government as a result of this action, and events such as the 2000 Florida recounts would have had significantly less effect. In light of the fact that this would be a Constitutional reform, it would have to be considered with great care, and with great attention to the voice of the people and the states.

6. Establishment of a decentralization program.
   The federal government has an important role to play in the well being of its citizens, but it was never intended to wield massive power over the states. Centralized power in heavy concentrations is an ideal environment for waste, inefficiency, and corruption. The federal government should lead, but it has no business managing the states. I would carefully examine each federal program, cut wasteful programs and spending, and return the implementation and management of several of them over to the states, provide training, and ensure that they had the resources and skills to do so. In a decentralized environment, some states would develop innovative ways of dealing with problems that centralized control does not allow. Effective strategies could be observed and taught to other states and the government as a whole would benefit.

   My administration would be one of innovation, guided by the people, visionaries, and philosopher kings. It would seek to make sure that the voice of the people was heard above all others. Each committee and cabinet would have a citizen’s advocate who could be depended on to be strong and impartial, who would interface with real people and represent their voice in each meeting. It would not be afraid to take bold new steps, but would do so with due caution. It would lead through inspiration and post these words prominently throughout the walls of the White House, so as never to forget its responsibilities:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.” – The Declaration of Dependence

What is the Greatest thing you could do, if you were President?

**Special thanks to the Dan Carlin’s common sense podcast Episode #136 Confronting The Hydra for his insights on Medicare and military spending.

Four Qualities of a Great Elected Leader

As we look out across the panorama of world events, it is easy to feel that the world is out of control like a derelict ship with no one at the helm. In such times as these it is easy to look around and focus on what is wrong. It is time to ask, what kind of leader do we really need? Who can take the helm and successfully lead us through the storm of human events?

Listed here are four of the qualities that I believe to be hallmarks of a great elected leader.

1. They see leadership as a position of responsibility, not entitlement.
   Great leaders understand that they are one piece of a greater whole and are careful not to put their needs ahead of those of the community they serve. They understand that the greatest benefit to the individual comes from the success of the group and are willing to make personal sacrifice towards that end. I recently ran across a quote from Ken Blanchard that expresses this concept beautifully.

   “Too many leaders act as if the sheep, their people, are there for the benefit of the shepherd, not that the shepherd has responsibility for the sheep.” –Ken Blanchard
   

2. They have a vision based on the needs, dreams, and desires of their constituents.
   Great leaders understand the needs, dreams, and desires of the people they lead. They also understand that these things do not create themselves. Great things may be inspired by one man or women, but they are created through cooperation, and cooperation requires a blueprint. They envision the goal and surround themselves with the types of visionaries and experts that can help to create that blueprint.
   
3. They inspire people to adopt the vision.
   Although great leaders follow the will of the people, they are not passive. They understand that each man and woman represents the energy to accomplish great things. If that energy is left untapped it can become stagnant or even destructive. They avoid stagnation by capturing the attention of the people and focusing it on their shared greater potential. Because the leader is unafraid to sacrifice, he or she can ask for sacrifice in return. The leader does not ask the people to follow his or her personal agenda but to reach for their own shared dreams, and he has a plan to guide them in that quest. By communicating his vision with passion he breeds confidence and lights the fires of inspiration.
   
4. They adapt, improvise, and overcome.
   “Adapt, improvise, and overcome” is a long held mantra of the U.S. Marine Corp, but it is also a quality of the great leader. They understand the types of obstacles that can arise in the pursuit of great things. They are not inflexible, listen to advice, and adjust their strategy as necessary, while keeping focused on the goals of the people whom they serve. They create an environment in which challenges can be met with innovative solutions. Innovation is encouraged, allowed to progress with minimal interference, and rewarded. The great leader is not constrained by the status quo but seeks to transcend it, and society benefits as a result.

We need such leaders today. Just as they must have the courage to lead us boldly, we must have the courage to choose boldly and to insist upon the kind of leadership we need and deserve.

What is the greatest thing we can do to get the kind of leaders we deserve?

Removing Ineffective Politicians from Office

There are many problems facing us today, but the power is in us to create real change. In this post I will examine a possible solution to one of those problems. Like the prototype that an auto manufacturer might use, it is intended to provoke the imagination and provide a platform with which to produce a more refined idea. Whether it survives the test of scrutiny and becomes polished by the process or dies while giving birth to other innovative ideas that solve the problem, it succeeds. Its success is dependent on you however, so please provide your feedback, refinements, or alternative solutions.

Problem: Our elected officials do not listen to their constituents.

Nothing illustrates this as clearly as the recent bailout plan approved by Congress. Although some data does suggest that 78% of Americans were open to some form of bailout, Americans were overwhelmingly displeased by the bill as passed by Congress on October 3^rd. According to a CBS News Poll taken from October 3-5, 51% of Americans disapproved of the plan while only 31% approved. Despite such overwhelming disapproval, Congress overwhelmingly passed the bill with a vote of 263-171. Is it any wonder, that a July Gallup Poll put public approval of Congress at a record low of 14%?

Solution: Yearly confidence votes.

We live in a government which was designed to be “of the people, by the people, for the people” as so eloquently stated by President Abraham Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address. We elect our representatives to be our voice in government. If you owned a company and no longer had any confidence in one of your employees to do the job for which they had been hired, would you maintain him or her in that role? If an employee’s job was guaranteed for at least 4 years regardless of their performance, how might that affect their actions?

If “we the people” are to take control of our destiny, we must make it clear to our elected representatives that they serve at the pleasure of those whom elected them. Admittedly, the voice of the people is not always right, but our leaders should have the conviction, the courage, and the wisdom to persuade us to take a different path if they believe us to be in error. They should not simply supplant our desires with their own. To ignore the voice of the people breeds distrust, opens the door to corruption, and leads to anger. If our elected officials do not listen to our voice, whose voices are they listening to?

By implementing a confidence vote with the power to remove ineffective politicians from office we would give them a very real reason to listen. The persuasive whisperings of special interest would lose their seductive appeal in light of the constant reminder that a confidence vote would provide. Promises would need to be kept since they could not be swept aside for 2-6 years.  Confidence votes would ensure that we controll our destiny as never before.

Many details would need to be sorted out before confidence votes could be enacted. Even a good leader can have a bad year, and the criteria for a vote of no confidence would need to be considered very carefully. Each office has subtle differences such as term length that would need to be considered when defining the criteria. The removal of an elected official can be a very difficult event on many levels and should not be triggered casually. Issues of succession would need to be considered very carefully and mechanisms would need to be put into place to ensure a smooth and simple transition of power. Despite the challenges that removing an elected official from office could cause, I am convinced that the cost of maintaining a bad leader in power is a much higher one.

The destiny of the country is in your hands. Do not give your birth right away. This is your country, and you have the right to choose the course that it will take and the responsibility to choose wisely. I have the faith that given the opportunity, you will do so.

What is the greatest thing we can do to ensure we are listened to by those we place in power?

I look forward to hearing your solutions.

Awaken To The Possibilities

The drama of human existence is ripe with the darkest of tragedies and the noblest of dreams. Frequently the tragedies feature people blinded to a particular ideology and conditioned to obey. World War II and September 11^th provide two striking examples of the kind of tragedy that is made possible when people are blinded by the ideology of hate. The dreams however, feature heroes with the courage to see things from a different point of view, unrestrained by the limitations and conditions placed upon them by society. Our founding fathers shrugged off the belief that we were dependent on the protection of the British Empire, and dared to establish a bold new form of independent government unlike any other in existence. A visionary scientist by the name of Albert Einstein dared to question the very laws that govern our existence and rewrote the laws of physics that had stood unchallenged for over 200 years. Like the heroes in those noble dreams, we must learn to open our eyes and discover our own truth.

The choice to live life with open eyes and question accepted standards is not an easy one. Humans, by instinct, seek the safety of the pack, and the pack seeks the safety of the status quo, as defined by its leaders. Who among us has not seen an individual face ridicule for not adopting the accepted standards of a group? In those instances where the behavior poses a clear threat, the response can be understood. But even behavior which is non-harmful or even potentially beneficial can evoke the response. A style of dress that differs from the group or a progressive idea intended for the benefit of the community, can result in derision and ridicule.

My own awakening occurred as a young man serving in the U.S. Navy. Shortly after completing training at the Presidio of Monterey and San Angelo Texas I was sent to the Republic of Panama. The prospect of living abroad filled me with excitement, and I took it upon myself to learn a little about the history of the place I would call home for a brief time. Even before I arrived however, a conflict was in the making as Manuel Noriega tightened control over the country in response to a drug indictment by the U.S.  The heightening tension could not restrain my thirst for adventure however, and I traveled far and wide throughout the country upon my arrival. In doing so, I discovered an interesting thing. The attitudes and opinions expressed by my fellow Americans (many of whom rarely left the base) did not match what I was seeing as I traveled throughout the country. Even the stateside news I watched about the events unfolding in Panama, while not directly dishonest, created a perception that did not match the reality that I was observing.  Even my own values and ideas about what makes for a happy society were challenged as I watched life conducted in a way that was somewhat foreign to what I was used to, but which served its people equally as well, if not better.  Internally, I began to question everything that I was told, while simultaneously opening myself to the fact that there were other possibilities.

The open-mind and the skeptical mind are not mutually exclusive. Together they can allow us to open our eyes and see the full range of possibility spread out before us. It is a path that requires courage, but it is also the path of freedom. It allows us to control our own destiny and weakens the control of those who may not have our best interests at heart. We live in historic times and we must seize control of our destiny or risk having that control taken from us. We must have the courage to journey forward into a brave new world of our own making and our own dreams, and it all begins with the willingness to see life in new and exciting ways.

What is the greatest thing I can do to be of service to you… as we explore that great frontier?