High five for Christmas, ya'll!

So, as my brother and sister-in-law conveyed to us the story of the high-five statue of Christ, the table burst into conversation about religion, the good and the bad of it. Yes, the humor in the story, particularly my brother's chuckle and his wife's admonishment of the same, is certainly amusing. It is amazing that the story of a high-five Jesus statue could indeed create such a stir, particularly tonight, Christmas Eve.

At a table surrounded with the religious and not-so-religious, one would imagine that a combustible environment was close at hand. As I imagined writing this next blog entry, I almost desired it, willed it even, to be full of entanglement, animosity, and comic antagonism. However, as I think about the image of the high-five Jesus, I am stirred by the vision having blessings delivered to the followers. I am in awe of what has been constructed all around us – the people, the trees, the oceans, and yes, the roads, power plants, and all the items we openly berate, but passively, almost subconsciously, hale as minimal requirements for the better life. There is no doubt in my mind that God exists.

But why is there such a loud, often painful running polemic about God? We constantly debate various things about God – his or her existence altogether, the “right” God, and worst of all, the “wrong” God. If I had a dime for every time someone said “your God,” I could buy God. More importantly, everyone tends to argue more about the path to God than the ultimate deeds to honor God and to benefit our fellow human beings and the planet we inhabit. So, on this Christmas Eve 2008, I shall speak more about God and why I think we should give him or her or it a break, high five all around, and pray for peace, humility, and a better human race.

Serving God has long been an issue for me. Does God really sit around counting deeds we complete or don’t complete; deeds that amount to nothing more than idol worship and God brown-nosing? I think it better we honor God by doing good deeds, working hard, taking responsibility for our own actions, and enjoying life but without the most recent excess. I truly believe God is not looking for sacrifices to serve God. Rather, God seeks for us to make sacrifices for our fellow men and women and for the preservation of this vessel we call Earth. All of us, including yours truly, need to make these sacrifices. In these sacrifices, we shall find peace. This is yet another high five for us all.

The path to God has always been an interesting discussion for me. I have obviously been on the wrong path according to many around me. How could a polytheistic religion like Hinduism compare to our beautiful and completely pure monotheistic religion(s) that shows a direct path to God? “Our path is the only path,” they say. I honor these individuals and their corresponding faith in God, regardless of the path. I am, however, in disbelief at the arrogance inherent in their rhetoric, particularly given that their respective religion(s) preach humility as a virtue. Take God’s blessings, the ubiquitous high five, to heart and leave the proselytizing aside.

Finally, on this Christmas Eve, pray for a better human race: a race that seeks greater knowledge and wisdom, a race that desires to be fair to those that live and breathe, and a race that takes only what it needs from its members and invests in a better environment for us all. This is not a political conversation, folks. This is not about right or left, red or blue, Congress or Labor, socialist or capitalist. This is God’s conversation. This is God’s desire. God gave us dominion over the garden. Let us honor God by cultivating it to the highest use and greatest yield.

As always, be thankful for what you have, take only what you need, and work diligently for peace. I shall try to do the same. From the subzero, riverside hamlet that is Iowa City, IA, I bid you all a good night and a very Merry Christmas.

Rocks, plastics, and a seat next to Al Gore

Many of my friends know that I travel the country and do so often. In a recent cross-country dash, I met two young Americans that had studied hard, and, at a seemingly young age, reached some fairly stout heights in terms of affluence. We'll call one "Rocks" and the other "Plastics".

Rocks

On a recent leg from Syracuse to Atlanta, I had the pleasure of sitting next to an individual that is a geologist. Rocks works for a petroleum refining firm. He provides testing of rock samples, water samples, and the like as the firm looks for oil in California. Rocks, as made clear by his description of his work, loves what he does. He is energetic, focused, and tireless about his work. Regardless of what many of us think about the petroleum cartel and its various affiliates, there are wonderful people doing exceptional work for these companies.

What was even more interesting about Rocks is that he embodies the career choice my daughter might pursue. My daughter's interest in geology, mainly in rocks such as diamonds, grows every day. In talking with Rocks, who graduated high in his class, it is a great deal of work and has a supply/demand imbalance. How many people do you know that pursue a career in geology? Not many is my guess. I know of only one other in my own network. The pay, therefore, is very good as are the choices of location and type of position.

Ultimately, what did I gain from my 2-hour plane ride with Rocks? There is still a great deal of energy, passion, and intellect left in our public/private school network. I was beginning to lose faith. My faith is now stronger than it was prior to my trip and is further buoyed by my conversation with Plastics. Mind you, it's not completely confirmed, but it is stronger.

Plastics

On my next leg - ATL to DAY - I sat next to a gentleman that worked in polymers. Wow, polymers, I thought. He confirmed that he did work with plastics. A PhD in Chemistry, Plastics traveled the world working with his clients on various products issues. Plastics was a pretty straightforward young man - hybrid vehicle, independent views, and plastics research. He even sat next to Al Gore on a plane ride back from India, so he claims, and discussed, after much courage was mustered, global warming and the former Vice President's work on climate control.

By now, I'm in a bit of a dilemma. Which individual, Rocks or Plastics, did I admire less, even though both of them seem quite accomplished? Which did I admire more given their relatively young age and my perceived sense of their financial and career stature? At the end of it there is no dilemma really just a different reality.

Though we all begin our professional careers with the hope that we end up doing something noble and something to better the communities we serve, it doesn't always end up that way. Money is a wonderful motivator to do something else other than the noble. How often is it that we come across someone working in the field they studied? Are they happy? How often do we find ourselves working on something that truly serves nothing but the machine in which we all spin? Woe is us.

Be it rocks, plastics, or the seat next to Al Gore, the social contract compels us to do something...anything...to serve those around us. Be it a hamburger, a rock sample, a plastic mug, or strategic planning for financial institutions, we make the machine spin. The real question is the whether or not the machine is worth working for given all of the rust, the corruption, and the out and out lack of responsibility. I don't know. This is why I write. I hope to make some sort of difference. Add some new thinking to the overall conversation. When that spirit dies in all of us - whether we are made of rocks or plastic - all is lost.

Alas, be thankful for what you have, take only what you need, and work diligently for peace. I shall try to do the same. From the arctic hinterland that is Iowa City, IA, I bid you all a good night.

Under an efficient national government

Amen.

John Jay argued that the American people would best be served by "an efficient national government." He argued this point strongly in the third Federalist paper which dealt largely with the influence of foreign powers. I believe he was certainly correct in his assessment that all of us would be better served by this efficient, central government. I daresay it extends beyond the concept of foreign powers and their influence, but more importantly, takes center stage in our own national economic, social, and political frameworks.

It is because of this lack of efficiency, closely followed by the unintended state of ineffectiveness, I can support neither of the candidates or the parties that sponsor them. Reform, true reform, is so terribly different from what the candidates are currently proposing that I simply cannot let either of them have my vote. They have no desire to limit the size of neither government nor its role in our day-to-day lives. I have heard nothing about a reorganization of government - employees, processes, or the various secretariats - that leads me to believe that true reform is up for debate. They both simply want more of the same - bigger government, larger loopholes, and vaulted power without constraint and no true check and balance. Mobilizing the true intent of government, demanding the proper structure and billet of resources, and maintaining this through the act of limiting the power of the elected will go a long way in serving our republic.

Let us begin with the true intent of government. We must redefine, within the context of the constitutional republic we inhabit, the true role of government. We must also begin with the end in mind: simple is better and less is more. The current reality is in stark contrast with this desired future state. I believe that government plays three crucial roles: national defense, regulating lawful activity and ferreting out fraud, and upholding general welfare without the welfare state.

National defense is a key element in this new model. We must not waiver in our desire to keep our nation free of international and domestic terrorists. This does not mean we should enter foreign shores to infringe upon the sovereign territories of other nations. This does not mean we should support various governments in their pursuit of a style of government that we uphold. As I believe government should meddle less and less in our daily lives it should restrain itself from the lives of our fellow global citizens. Now, this does not mean that we should not support efforts through coalitions we have collaborated with in the past and spent countless dollars to support. Also, I believe we should continue to provide intelligence and counter-intelligence services to our allies and insure that threats, once revealed, are quickly squashed by the local government or regional coalition.

The current administration vehemently opposes this sort of focus on national defense. Why? Self interest is the underlying driver. More war, more conflict and more engagement keeps them in power, our tether inextricably tied to their misdeeds. Ladies and gentlemen, it is not because we are trying to save the world. It is the opposite: we simply influence the rest of the world with our culture, our religion, and our form of government. National defense should be about protecting our citizens, our borders, and our natural resources. It should not be evangelical in its execution. It should be about defense and not offense.

A final word about defense is needed here. We must work harder in terms of diplomacy, economic sanctions, and galvanizing worldwide coalitions (without a heavy handed approach and without dispensing countless dollars). There is no worse leader than a leader that leads through bribery and coercion. This is not a leader at all. It is merely a bully, a self-aggrandizing fear monger. This should not be the United States of America.

Our second action item is the creation of a more streamlined system of regulating lawful activity, finding those that abridge the laws of our fair republic, and swiftly and with great resolve moving against them with the appropriate sanctions. As I mentioned, this needs to be a streamlined process. It is beyond comprehension the level of waste, the layers of management, and the bloated gravy trains we have created in our country when it comes to government. Neither of the two candidates will do anything about this. They cannot. The elected officials that work alongside them in congress have much too much to lose by dismantling the Christmas tree.

I would start with the tax system. All of us, rich and poor, black and white, and smart and not-so-smart have lived too long on the teat. Government is not the great equalizer. Government is not the last stop for those that abuse the system, do not study, or do not get off their dead asses and work. Everyone must pay their fair share. Whether you earn $1 or $1,000,000, you must pay the same amount of tax. I believe we should dismantle the entire tax system as we know it. You earn a $1, you pay 3 cents. You're done. Simple is better. Less is more. We shut down the IRS. We redistribute accounting resources in our companies to do other work. This entire system is a waste of money, time, and energy. It is fabricated to serve the needs of a monster that can be killed in one slice of the sword - utilizing our own courage and determination to make true change in our national tax and accounting infrastructure.

Finally, a critical assessment of "general welfare" needs to be made. We need to stop carrying those that do not seek out their own shelter of responsibility. Those that do not study, or work, or move into public service through Obama's new civilian work corps, must not be given the funds for nothing. Fraud is the number one perpetrator here. The same can be said of corporate welfare. Subsidies, earmarks, and general pork barrel spending must cease and desist. Means tested, measured, and monitored fiscal policy and execution must rule the day. I am all for the general welfare of our nation, but not at the expense of the greater good and not for special interest or for those citizens unwilling to seek out a better, more responsible way of life.

Efficiency must come from within and from outside of our government. We must all try to understand process, work flow, and organization in such a way that we seek to minimize waste and create cost savings while all the time enhancing effectiveness of service and service delivery throughout our government. Moreover, we must seek to make more efficient our state and local governments by minimizing the replication of school systems, municipal bailiwicks, and departmental fiefdoms. This is the call to action. This must be part of our national, strategic framework.

Alas, be thankful for what you have, take only what you need, and work diligently for peace. I shall try to do the same. From the frozen tundra that is Iowa City, IA, I bid you all a good night.