There’s little doubt that the Depression we’re in is testing the global economy. What may be less obvious is that the very nature of our global system might be increasing volatility, making downturns more likely in the future. Preventing this will test the ability of this entire planet to act in ways that further both our own long-term interests and the interests we share together.
In short, it’s been a helluva ride, sure, but the scary part may be yet to come.
The Superbowl is over, and the Packers won a great game. I couldn’t have asked for much more, except a Steelers win, but that wasn’t coming to a team that managed to cough the ball up three times. For many people, however, the game was just the setting – the event that got them huddled around the teevee with friends with a little bit of everything for everyone. That obviously includes the ads – aired at a cost of $3 million for every 30 seconds.
But do these ads – big single events on what is increasingly called “old media” – really sell anything?
Should it be easier to become a teacher? An simplified alternative licensing procedure for Minnesota has been outlined by SF40, a bill introduced to our newly Republican State Senate. The core of the proposal is that school districts must have in place a system for bringing in anyone who has a four-year degree, make their way through at least 200 hours of intensive training, and can pass a test. It’s something that caught my attention because I’ve often thought about becoming a High School teacher – but the current system is arduous and very expensive for those of us who want to change mid-career. Is this a good idea?
It’s become a staple of The Daily Show lately. A Democratic Congressman works down the list of talking points by Republicans on the Health Care bill and compares it to the “Big Lie” of Joseph Göbbels and the Nazis. Jon Stewart pokes at the hyperbole, saying, “You don’t have to go there. There’s already a perfectly good word for liars … liars”. But this is far from the only example of excessive use of superlatives.
It’s become a total epidemic that threatens to end life as we know it!
When is no decision actually a policy? In government it’s often the default position, a deliberate plan to stay the course and keep things the way they are. Bureaucracy has a tendency to be conservative, punting whenever it can and allowing things to stay as they are. But in a time of great change or even crisis, is this acceptable? Increasingly there are signs that Minnesota has become a state mired by diffuse responsibility and an inability for the government to respond to the situation at hand in a way that is effective.
No action can be very dangerous. But there is increasing evidence that it is become a serious problem – and I doubt that Minnesota is alone.
Barataria - The work of Erik Hare 