A Question Without an Answer

A few weeks ago in my Economics course, my professor proposed a simple question, " Is America the greatest country in the world?"  This encouraged a few of the usually quiet, but apparently overly-patriotic students in the back to create a bit of a hoop-la. Roars of American exceptionalism  were mixed together with the normal tone of red, white, and blue dissidents. On the former side of the argument you will hear that due to our cultural, political, and socio-economic histories, our nation has been somewhat of a "city upon hill," if you will.  I use that metaphor for I feel it is a proper homage to one of our Puritan founders, John Winthrop's, original hopes for his future home of Massachusetts.  Essentially this new land would be a beacon, a model for the rest of the world. And I profoundly believe that those philosophical roots have woven their way throughout the fabric of our American identity.  Perhaps such an ideal in itself is necessary to drive a sovereign nation within our somewhat modern nationalistic organization of civilization, but either way, we as Americans have a sense of pride.  Which we should.  But I do think it is fair to state like all things, too much of something may not be good.

On the dissident side you tend to hear the common imperialistic argument.  That is via warfare, economic influence, and other means our culture and beliefs have created a hegemonic like net over the rest of the Western world. Moreover, the issues we now face in areas such as the middle east are fundamentally based off of these cultural struggles.   Some will point to our exceptionally large military, which is stationed all across the world, as evidence.  Others will state that the tangible moralistic depravity has not only corrupted our society, breeding a hedonic, materialistic generation of wantons, but it has also spread throughout the very foundations of our society, as evident within political and private sector corruption.  This is all a tad bit extreme.  But like the other side's argument, there are some points to be made here as well.  Americans do tend to place heavy value on consumption, which to be fair is something rooted within our very biological nature.  As animals we need to consume in order to survive.  There is no getting around it. Still, perhaps rather than focusing on the items that we value for conspicuous or ostentatious purposes, we should more or less value the vessels throughout which the consumption is experienced; ourselves.  

Do I believe America is the greatest country in the world?  I don't think that is a fair question.  Not because I value some other country out there or I am "anti-American."  That is far from the truth, for I love everything about my basic identity, including the nation where I was born and currently reside in.  But I don't find it to be a fair question because I don't think a question such as that is one with a straight answer.  Sure, there are many historical instances or cases we could easily point at and say, "that is definitely not a time and place I would want to live in."  Perhaps it was the Assyrian empire, or maybe for modern purposes it is North Korea.  So yes we can easily falsify this statement, to speak in a scientific tongue, but it is not something we can state as empirically true.  To do that we would need to create a list of criteria which based off the basic flaws of logic and reasoning, would be subjective and bias to our conditioned preferences of Western values. 

Do I think America is the most powerful country in the world? Surely, without a doubt, when it comes in terms of military capabilities.  But I don't think that is the purpose of a nation.  To me you could have many great nations, but neither one would truly be above the other as long as they serve the basic purpose of those who reside within their geographic and political boundaries.   As long as  a nation seeks to assist and offer security of a social group, so that said social group can pursue economic and sociological ventures in order to achieve biological, psychological and internal forms of happiness and peace, while simultaneously offering a breeding ground to support and nourish said groups socio-economic cultural identity and history, then that nation is one that is moralistically sound and legitimate.

Now obviously things such as education, healthcare, economic opportunity, and general infrastructure of a sovereign nation are all factors that will contribute to the greater goal.  And yes these are aspects that we as Americans do in fact have.  Yet if you look at some of our rankings, such as our overall performance in terms of education, there are obviously rooms for improvement.  So I suppose the purpose of this little piece is merely to encourage a tad bit of humbleness. Perhaps you could say I am merely arguing the virtue of humility, American humility.  For while we have obviously had a great wealth  of resources and opportunities in the past, this is not all due to our will and ability alone.  A lot of this merely comes down to the winds of fortune, and sometimes the winds change directions.  Let's make sure we have our sails in the right position.

Bad Rhetoric

About a week ago this statement and image set fire to facebook via the status updates of many libertarian and conservative friends of mine.  At first glance, it seems to be one of those "yes" moments for any strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment.

But I myself have a problem with rhetorical tools such as this, and it has nothing to do with personal or political sentiments towards the 2nd Amendment of the United States Constitution under the Bill of Rights.  Rather, my qualms with this statement stem from the lack of logical analysis regarding the comparison he makes of the items involved. Lets break this down.

Chuck Woolery states that blaming assault weapons for killing someone is the same as blaming airplanes for the atrocious events of September 11th, 2001.  Essentially, he is stating that just because an assault rifle was involved with the act of murdering someone, you can not blame the rifle itself, but rather the person who holds the rifle.  He then compares this to airplanes, since the airplane itself was merely the tool used to commit the egregious tragedy of 9/11.  Again, this makes some sense. But there are some issues we must discuss.

First, we must get down to the identity of both of these tools, airplanes and assault rifles, and we must reach a conclusion regarding their purpose. Basically, what utility were they intended for in our modern society.

Let's begin with airplanes.  Specifically, let's discuss those he refers too, commercial airliners.  These vehicles serve many roles.  The most prominent is a means for transportation.  They act as a way from people to get to point A and point B, either for personal or business related reasons.  In a large market economy, fast modes of transportation such as airplanes and other ground based motor vehicles are necessities for supporting the economy's fundamental need for mobility, whether it is social or economic. They also serve as logistic tools for large industry.  By transporting goods across the globe, they are a major part of any supply train.

Now let's discuss assault rifles.  What utility where they intended for?  In essence, they serve as an advanced technological means of self-defense, or, at times of conflict, weapon in order to complete whatever strategic mission may be at hand.

But assault rifles do have an economic role.  Since industries provide such tools, people or organizations consume these goods for either one of their intended purposes.  Moreover, they also serve a role for sporting.  Many individuals travel back and forth to firing ranges using multiple different firearms simply to practice and improve their skills. Also, hunting is still a large activity in many states such as my own of Pennsylvania.  All of these actions have economic impacts.

Now that we defined the original utility of these two items it becomes very clear that it is fallible to make such a comparison as the photo above states.  Both situations and items are different.  One must be wary of reading such rhetoric and consuming it for the intended political purpose no matter if it serves your cause or not. In this case the rhetoric ends up being a failed attempt at blurring the two situations with faulty semantic analysis.

When I originally posted a more succinct statement like this on one of the libertarian organizations Facebook pages, many were quick to attack me and merely focus on the economic benefits of such rifles.  While I completely agree their statements are valid, they still ignored the intended point which I stated above. More so, economic arguments can only go so far in my opinion.  You could virtually justify the legality of anything and everything when viewing things through an economic paradigm.  I'm sure there are many things people would cringe at with the thought of it being legal, but would truthfully have an economic impact. Therefore, any issue impacting the greater society should come down to a much broader analysis which includes discourse regarding the social and ethical implications of said matter, not just an economic viewpoint.

Personally, I respect the 2nd amendment.  I believe it is not only a Constitutional right, but a natural necessity in human civilization.  While we have become extremely advanced sentient creatures, sociological and psychological factors produce situations where one may need to protect themselves or their family.  While it is easy to state one can do this without an assault rifle, it all depends on what the aggressor in the situation has as well.  If such advanced weapons such as firearms are banned, it is reasonable to assume that the aggressor may have better access to these tools than the innocent law abiding citizen who may be placed in such a situation. Therefore we must have a fair and open market to prevent any unsafe disadvantages, since these events are usually fueled by criminal activities and criminals have an easier way of accessing black markets where outlawed or illegal items could be obtained.

But I do believe there are many steps any society should take to ensure such powerful weapons don't fall in the hands of unstable individuals.  Thorough and fair background checks must exist for these reasons. Furthermore,  we must also ask ourselves what we want our economy to consist of.  As the saying goes, it is either ,"guns or butter."  But lets save that topic and the underlying issues I have with the military industrial complex and the economic distortions and inefficiencies associated with it for another day!

I hope you enjoyed reading this!

Best wishes,


Mark

6 Simple Rules

 I recently decided to play a little thought experiment regarding sound values to live by.  I thought what would I say if I only had a few moments to live and I had the opportunity to address the entire world, or at least those who had access to technology that made this address capable, and I also had their undivided attention.  I came up with 6 things.

1. There are very few things you can be certain of in life.  Understand and accept this, make this the lens for which you view the world through.

2. As life goes by, we sometimes find ourselves in rather ill-tempered moods which may lead to us taking it out on those we care about, or perhaps that guy who sits in the cubicle next to you. Rather than blaming and lashing out on others, look deep within yourself and you may find out that what truly ills you is something of your own bidding or fictitious imagination.

3. Forgive, learn to forgive others and learn to forgive yourself, but don't do it simply to gain back something you lost.  If a branch breaks in a storm, you can not have the same one back.  You can only learn from what happened and eventually grow a new one.

4. Don't live everyday like it's your last, but rather, live everyday like you want to make the world a better place for all.  Spread laughter and smiles, show compassion and understanding, work hard, and be sure to give opportunities to those who are willing to work hard for them.

5. In some way shape or form give someone else all of your love and accept theirs back.  Treat it well, for it may be the most precious gift within existence.

6.  Finally, to steal a quote from someone you may have heard of, " Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans," - John Lennon.  Whether or not your childhood dreams come true, if things happen for a reason, or we simply make reason out of things that happen, the only thing that truly matters is that you make sure to take the time and enjoy the beautiful aspects of life itself.

Be true to yourself, follow the above steps, and things should fall into place.


It's been a while since I posted something last, but I hope you all enjoy this and have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

Best,


Mark

My Beef with Indie Kids

Tonight I had a dinner conversation with some friends regarding what it means to be an “indie” kid.  Now I am sure you can search and find a plethora of different descriptions on the web.  But I am not here to define what it means to be an indie kid, I am here to tell you about the problem I have with these people and the high-minded views they have of themselves.  You see, I take issue with people who think since something has become “mainstream” it no longer holds the same quality.  Whether it is music, film, or any other artistic expression, the idea of something being solely “indie” doesn’t exist.  I also have a problem with these people believing that by them being indie, they are not “mainstream.” They may not be what you see on television every day, but I assure you, these people are a set cultural group within our society.  This means they represent a collection of values that are apparent based on behavioral and cosmetic traits.  I also assure you companies and manufactures directly market products and services to these people.  As an MBA student, if a company can market something towards you, you’re not that “indie”.

Here’s my beef with indie kids.  They go around acting like they are some bleeping paragon of knowledge when it comes to good music, and whenever a band they once loved becomes popular, they instantly attack it for going mainstream, and they boast to all of the new fans about how, “well, I listened to them before they were big!” Great, that’s awesome, and in my opinion, in regards to music, nothing could be a better compliment then to have someone you discovered before they were big become popular.  That’s basically saying you have great taste in music, and rather than acting like a turncoat, appreciate the compliment.     

On top of this, they cease to see the big picture.  If it wasn’t for advancements in technology, we wouldn’t be able to have so many micro-cultures of music.  Thanks to the web and social media sites, and the wealth of our nation, any Joe Schmo can afford a guitar, start a band, get some recording equipment, and start a web page.  And you know what; sometimes you find some great bands this way.  But most of the time these people are simply living within the paradigm of what others believe to be creative, and they try to channel that same spirit.  This isn’t being creative, this is being redundant.  Still, every once in a while you get a spark of uniqueness to mix in with the monotony, and you end up with something novel for a change.  Once this happens the “indie” kids pounce on the delicious piece of meaty music awesomeness like a vegan suffering from willpower depletion. Watch out !

So let’s imagine you have this new band.  They played a show for one of those bigger named artists, and you liked them.  It turns out that they aren’t that popular, but they have an amazing sound!  So like anyone who enjoys something, you tend to tell people about it. All of the sudden, more people are listening to them, and one day you find their music video playing on MTV! For some reason this strange thing happens; the people that originally listened to them and supported them get upset whenever they become successful.  Now not everyone turns their back, but many do.  And when this transpires, they do it with an air of snobbery that is so rude, egregious, and stupid; you sometimes just want to punch them in the face.

Okay, I get it, their sound changed.  Well, I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to listen to the same sound from the same band for some unknown number of years.  I like it when a band experiments. Sure you have winners and losers, but part of being an artist, and hell, a human in general, is growing.  Your perception on the world tends to change with this process, and what influences an artist more than their perception of the world?  There have been many bands that I have loved who have become extremely successful, and good for them! Isn’t that what we should want for everyone? They risk a hell of a lot by pursuing such a lifestyle, an existence that doesn’t have any soft cushions to fall back onto if you don’t make it.   So if this ever happens to one of your artists, even if their music begins to suck, be happy.  Because they are able to make a living by following their dreams, something we all want.  And if you ever meet an “indie” kid who says Mumford and Sons are no longer good because they are too mainstream, while he or she slowly inhales a hit from a self-rolled cigarette, do me a favor and punch them in the face.  By doing so, you made the world a better place.

Thanks,

Mark


PS - I do not actually condone any of the violence mentioned in this post. 

American Hubris

The Republican Presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, has made headlines with his proclamation that he will, “not apologize for being an American.”  Now, by stating this, he is saying he truly believes in American ideals, moreover, he will not apologize for any acts committed by citizens of the country or the governing bodies themselves as long as they were means used to achieve a pro-American end.   I feel like this is a fair analysis of the statement, but if anyone disagrees, I am open for discourse.

Now keeping this logic in mind, let’s examine another much broader argument.  I feel most people will agree that humans themselves are fallible creatures, meaning we are by no means perfect. Being this way, it would follow that we will make bad decisions from time to time.  And in a society, in order to preserve a level of civility, subsistence, order, and humanity, we must learn from these mistakes, and at times, we must apologize whenever they are of the up most egregious affair.  By apologizing, we are displaying another most essential aspect of humanity.  We are growing, progressing, and learning from past follies in order to better ourselves as individuals and thus improving the greater social group we live in.  So in essence, making mistakes and thus apologizing for them have been quintessential aspects to humanity for quite some time.  While it’s moral justification may have been more secular than ethereal throughout various points of history, and vice versa, what only matters is that it occurs.  For without it, we would not be at such a state of enlightened civilization. And while I am sure many of you would proclaim we still display barbaric tendencies, the truth of the matter is that things are much more humane than they have been at times. 

We should now break down what it means to be an American; I would say it is a human being who lives within a set geographic boundary under the guise of specific political factors, who also contain a definite, yet in our case, diverse set of cultural values dependent upon the socioeconomic environment the citizen comes from.  To summarize, an American is a particular individual living within a particular social group.  Thus, they would be subjected to the previous paragraph’s argument.  Furthermore, since humans are fallible, and are capable of making mistakes, and social groups are made up of humans, would it not follow logically that nations at times would thus make mistakes?  I feel the answer is obvious.

I could easily twist Romney’s words here and posit that by him stating he will not apologize for being an American, he is ultimately asserting he is not subjected to the various characteristics all other humans possess.  Ultimately, he is not a human.  While I am sure there have been and will continue to be many people we meet throughout our days who we feel are mere wantons vicariously going amongst their lives without a care for how their actions impact others, they are still human.   We don’t respect these people because we know, in terms of the grand level, they are not acting how a civilized, and thus, efficient individual should behave in society.   And while I do not believe there is a specific way an individual should behave to be efficient, I do believe going amongst your life claiming there is no need to apologize is both foolhardy and arrogant, and that is how one shouldn’t act. 

In fact, I believe one of the most dangerous things that could ever happen to our nation is for us to adapt what I declare to be an, “American Hubris,” a perspective that  states we, as citizens of this grand country, are invulnerable to the many realities of humanity and the world in general.  This type of certainty is short-sighted, irrational, and pernicious to the overall health and stability of our nation.  By believing that sheer will  has been the deliverer of fruition, wealth, and prosperity, we ignore the various variables that have been delivered by fortune and fortune alone.   While might and action can to some degree, “bend” the arc of history, in many ways the path is already set, and we can only act within the parameters in front of us.  By not apologizing and acknowledging mistakes, a nation lacks the ability to see what has and has not worked. Therefore they cannot employ such an analysis in order to choose the necessary step regarding what actions we need to take.  And for the many people who are quick to state that apologizing is the number one sign of weakness, I completely disagree.  By identifying mistakes, you are preparing your nation to face certain realities of the geo-political realm, and thus examining the right actions to employ necessary means for a truly prosperous, yet still temporary end, while simultaneously encouraging the undying, eternal flame of humanity amongst your citizens.

America's Epidemic

I should probably be doing homework right now, but the Steelers are on and I am thoroughly engrossed with a new book I just picked up. "Republic, Lost:  How Money Corrupts Congress -- and a Plan to Stop It," by Lawrence Lessig has to be one of the best works of political criticism I have read in a while.  From what I have gathered so far, the author shows no sign of bias and is completely objective, or as objective as one can be, with his argument.  Moreover, he cites ideas stemming from Libertarian, Conservative, and Liberal ideologies.  I am pretty sure this only works because the issue at hand is grand and impacts all sides of the political spectrum. Still, I finally feel there is someone out there with a sound head on his shoulders.

But this isn't just about the book; it's about something the author touches on, something that I personally have strong convictions for.  This has to do with our obesity epidemic and its correlation to the government subsidies that perpetually exacerbate the woes our country finds itself in today.  Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) is one of the country's biggest agricultural companies. It is a conglomerate of organizations that handles the production and supply of foods such as grain, rice, corn, and other products.  In 2009, their total revenues exceeded $69 billion. According to a Cato Institute study by James Bovard called, "Archer Daniels Midland: A Case Study in Corporate Welfare," at least 43 percent of those profits are from products "heavily subsidized or protected by the American Government."    What does this mean?  Well it means thanks to tariffs imposed by our government to protect American production of certain goods that on top of it, are subsidized by us, the tax payers, ADM is able to produce foods such as high fructose corn syrup at low costs.

Have you ever wondered why you see a link between obesity and individuals in low socioeconomic classes?  That's because our government assists in the production of cheap foods that are extremely pernicious to our health.  Now anything in moderation is fine, in my personal opinion, but here we have a nation that consumes prodigious amounts of foods thanks to the economic distortions committed by our government.  Moreover, not only does the cheap production of corn allow for an abundance of soda pop, chips, and gum drops, but it also increases the ability to feed more cattle on large industrialized farms.  So while government subsidies kill off the smaller farms, we also continue to feed cows more corn.  Cows evolved to ingest grass, not corn, and while they try to digest it, they also become victims of bacteria brewing inside their stomachs.  But don't worry, we can just fix this by increasing the amount of antibiotics we feed our cattle.

Wait a second, isn't there reason why doctors don't prescribe antibiotics to us every single time we have a cough or a cold? Yes, there is, and that is because the more antibiotics we take, the more we encourage the development of drug resistant diseases.  Did you ever wonder why e-coli is such a big problem if all of these animals are taking antibiotics? 

Not only do we have a market that allows individuals to consume price distorted, unhealthy products, but we are also more at risk for disease.  You may think that I am just some health nut who wants everyone to be healthy. Well, you're right, I am.  But there is more to it.  What happens when we have the health issues we do, especially the ones that are encouraged by the recent obesity "epidemic?"  They impact the health care system, and thus increase the cost of it.

So while everyone sits here moaning about health care, maybe we should take some preemptive steps to mitigate our dependency on the drugs and doctors.  Maybe we should encourage policy that eradicates this corporate welfare, policy that will allow foods to be produced at an actual market price, and give a fair chance to goods that are truly beneficial to our health. 

For those of you who align with the Democrats or the Republicans, I respect the fact that you choose to be politically active.  But these subsidies are the result of both parties being easily swayed by lobbyists on Capitol Hill. Now there is a difference between campaign contributions and straight bribery, but even without an obvious agreement of quid pro quo, it still occurs due to a gift based system of reciprocity.  Think about it, a friend gets you something, and even though they say its no big deal, you are socially bonded to the norm that something must be given back in order to show gratitude. And that's what happens on Capitol Hill. Subconsciously or not, we remember favors. 

Now I do not believe our government consists of a bunch of evil people who reap the wealth while all of us get  sick.  That is ludicrous, and if you know anyone that thinks that you should probably slap them. It is a simple as this, our leaders are good people.  They all, or at least, most of them got involved because they cared, because they wanted to make America a better place.  But we have a system that is corrupt, and no matter who enters that system, the corruption will take over.  It's similar to how many of us become dependent on family at times of need. It’s all a matter of how things are structured, and where the power lays. 

I believe in our government and I believe in this countries foundation and ideals.  We have potential to become a nation full of brilliant, hardworking individuals that follow the cause of our founding fathers.  We have enough wealth to make this world, our world, a better place.  But before we go off and try fixing problems that you can't fix with guns and bombs, let’s take care of the issues we face at home first.  Only then can we be true leaders within this global civilization.

Okay, that's it, that's my rant.

Enjoy your Week,

Best wishes,

Mark

The Magic of Reading

One thing stands out whenever I think about my childhood.  I have this memory where I'm laying in bed next to my mother.  We were both under her big white quilt.  I had to be about 4 years old.  She was reading to me.  Slowly, so I could follow along and learn the words.  She would turn each page and go through it with gusto unparalleled by anything I saw on the television.  I remember this one book.  The tittle alludes me, but the images glowed in the dark. I thought it was the greatest thing. She would always keep it open underneath her lamp all day, so whenever night came, I would be able to enjoy its magic. Pages were literally lighting up in front of my eyes.  My imagination took flight.

Now, for a large part of my life I didn't have much guidance.  My parents raised me, they clothed me, fed me, took care of me when I was sick, but at times where I think it was very important, they weren't there.  But something was,  my parents gave me something, something that has the ability to change one's life.  All those nights my mother spent reading to me, she was teaching me as well.  And without those nights, I wouldn't be who I am today.

The power of reading could be captured, I'm sure, with a million different words. But in my personal opinion there are no words that can truly capture its magnificence. For it has the ability to heal, to make someone laugh, to teach a lesson.  It has the ability to persuade, to change you, to make you remember, to make you forget.  It has the ability to bring peace to any soul. It brings a satisfaction, a sense of knowing, by making shapes out of the foggy world we live in. Through reading, we find ground to stand on.   Through stories, we relate, we feel, we empathize. We become human.

I believe that whenever you read to a child, you give them an opportunity.  You grasp the world and you place it right within reach of their tiny hands. And in a sense you say to them, "The world is yours now. Go get it."  For all that has happened in my life, my parents did something that I will always be thankful for, they put the world right in front of me. That is the reason why I can stand here today, and say with a smile, that I feel on top of it.

In the end, all of my success stems from what they gave me. The time they dedicated, the love they shared. That is why one thing that  will always manage to put a spark in my step, a flame in my spirit, is whenever I see a man or woman intensely lost inside a book. The will to get lost in the pages and engage, to be apart of a different narrative, will always be one of the most quintessential aspects of the human experience.  And I dare say, if there ever comes a day where it stops, then I proclaim we have lost our humanity.