Why can't we solve our problems?

[OldWiseGuy]

We can identify the big problems that threaten us, so why can't we deal effectively with them.

My thoughts.

We have commercialized our problems. Millions are employed to deal with the effects of these problems. If we solve them these jobs are lost. The healthcare industry is a good example.

Lack of leadership. Most who find themselves in positions of power realize that the profits are in the problems, not the solutions.

Lack of vision. Neither leaders or citizens can visualize a world free of these problems.

Conflicting views of problems that lead to gridlock and inaction.

Inability to muster human resources. Many problems require a large work force doing hard, mundane work. People today aren't disposed to such work.

Attitude that science will solve the problems with miracle cures (or machines) that don't require participation or work by the citizenry.

Conflicting attitudes regarding the problems themselves. Many don't believe (or are confused) that there is a problem.

No time to spend on big problems. Most are beset by personal issues and have little time or energy to spend on problems that don't effect them directly or immediately.

Complacency, ignorance and apathy. "I don't know and I don't care" attitude.

 

[GreekOrthodox]

We have commercialized our problems. Millions are employed to deal with the effects of these problems. If we solve them these jobs are lost. The healthcare industry is a good example.

Complacency, ignorance and apathy. "I don't know and I don't care" attitude.

The apathy comes from the individual side and demand for rights vs responsibility. "It is my RIGHT to eat and live however I choose and it is society's RESPONSIBILITY to pay for it." What ever happened to JFK's "Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country."? I don't mind paying taxes for the common good, but we need to decide on the individual responsibility. I lean moderately liberal and I've been through tough times and have seen the issues of getting out of deep problems that are due to circumstances beyond control. I support a stronger safety net, but collectively, we don't have plans on how to get people back out of the safety net.

 

[Lawrence87]

You make some good points.

I like the question, so I'm going to try to answer it in my own terms.

Firstly, in many instances the root of a given problem is unclear and often politicized. In many cases its often a mixture of the different narratives. We want a solution that is simple, but the problems are perhaps infinitely complex.

Secondly, solving a problem is not solving all problems. You might find a solution to a particular problem which then goes on to cause another problem. Sometimes the potential problems that might be caused by are particular solution are enough to negate solving the initial problem.

Thirdly, responsibility is diffused. A lot of problems would require action to be taken that everyone just passes on to someone else. Take litter for instance, many complain about it, few actually go and pick it up.

Fourthly, democracy stiffles things. Because politicians are trying to win elections, they are trying to keep everyone happy. But few real solutions would avoid alienating voters, especially on controversial issues. Many don't want to risk losing a chunk of their voter base.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

The apathy comes from the individual side and demand for rights vs responsibility. "It is my RIGHT to eat and live however I choose and it is society's RESPONSIBILITY to pay for it." What ever happened to JFK's "Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country."? I don't mind paying taxes for the common good, but we need to decide on the individual responsibility. I lean moderately liberal and I've been through tough times and have seen the issues of getting out of deep problems that are due to circumstances beyond control. I support a stronger safety net, but collectively, we don't have plans on how to get people back out of the safety net.

True. As someone once put it, "The safety net has become a hammock for many."

It is thought that the latest low jobs numbers are the result of stimulus/relief payments that are as lucrative as wages.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

You make some good points.

I like the question, so I'm going to try to answer it in my own terms.

Firstly, in many instances the root of a given problem is unclear and often politicized. In many cases its often a mixture of the different narratives. We want a solution that is simple, but the problems are perhaps infinitely complex.

Secondly, solving a problem is not solving all problems. You might find a solution to a particular problem which then goes on to cause another problem. Sometimes the potential problems that might be caused by are particular solution are enough to negate solving the initial problem.

Thirdly, responsibility is diffused. A lot of problems would require action to be taken that everyone just passes on to someone else. Take litter for instance, many complain about it, few actually go and pick it up.

Fourthly, democracy stiffles things. Because politicians are trying to win elections, they are trying to keep everyone happy. But few real solutions would avoid alienating voters, especially on controversial issues. Many don't want to risk losing a chunk of their voter base.

Good points.

Problems and solutions do 'grow up' around problems and solutions. If done over time people and the economy have time to adjust without too much upset.

 

[GreekOrthodox]

Good points.

Problems and solutions do 'grow up' around problems and solutions. If done over time people and the economy have time to adjust without too much upset.

Unfortunately the speed of progress has accelerated so fast that we cannot keep up. It took 45 years for the 50% of households to get a dishwasher, but less than 10 for 50% to get a smartphone. When I got into IT in 2000, the top certification was issued by a company that was bankrupt 10 years later.

 

[GreekOrthodox]

True. As someone once put it, "The safety net has become a hammock for many."

It is thought that the latest low jobs numbers are the result of stimulus/relief payments that are as lucrative as wages.

Well, when all you are going to pull in is minimum wage, makes it hard to justify going back to a poor job. The other thing is the worth of a particular job. We've been blessed that my wife did not have to work but she would only be qualified for just above minimum wage jobs. So when we had kids, it did not make financial sense for her to work so I worked a second part time job because I could make more than she could. As I recall, with child care expenses and the additional taxes, her net would have been about $1 per hour.

 

[d taylor]

Simple people do not elect politicians to solve problems, they elect people to give them what they want.

And people certainly do not want problems solved it would cost them to much.

But one day God is going to solve them and it is seen what it will take in Revelation, pretty costly.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Well, when all you are going to pull in is minimum wage, makes it hard to justify going back to a poor job. The other thing is the worth of a particular job. We've been blessed that my wife did not have to work but she would only be qualified for just above minimum wage jobs. So when we had kids, it did not make financial sense for her to work so I worked a second part time job because I could make more than she could. As I recall, with child care expenses and the additional taxes, her net would have been about $1 per hour.

The problem (as proposed lately) is that if many of those low wage workers don't go back to work those small businesses will close and when the stimulus money runs out they won't have a job to go back to. And this is a widespread problem.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Simple people do not elect politicians to solve problems, they elect people to give them what they want.

And people certainly do not want problems solved it would cost them to much.

But one day God is going to solve them and it is seen what it will take in Revelation, pretty costly.

Happily the individual can manage his or her life to avoid the general problems that mostly plague us.

 

[GreekOrthodox]

The problem (as proposed lately) is that if many of those low wage workers don't go back to work those small businesses will close and when the stimulus money runs out they won't have a job to go back to. And this is a widespread problem.

So by the principle of supply and demand right now be, shouldn't businesses be offering higher wages?

I've also seen reports (and I cant find them, and Ill be honest too lazy to google as I'm building my smoker ) that the business landscape has changed. For example, we may see high gas prices because so many truckers who had permits for gas trucks had to find new work over 2020, that they don't want to return to that work. Not only do you have to have a CDL but haz mat training to haul gasoline.

 

[d taylor]

Happily the individual can manage his or her life to avoid the general problems that mostly plague us.

I just wonder will government make that harder to do in the up and coming years. As government grows and begins control more of the lives of its citizens. I live in a small town so i have not felt to controlling hand that much, but from what it seems like in these large cities government is really controlling.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

I just wonder will government make that harder to do in the up and coming years. As government grows and begins control more of the lives of its citizens. I live in a small town so i have not felt to controlling hand that much, but from what it seems like in these large cities government is really controlling.

I don't think Americans will take kindly to a lot of government control. Of course some control can't be avoided. We have to get past the present madness that threatens our freedoms.

 

[GreekOrthodox]

Okay, so what do you mean by "control"?

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Okay, so what do you mean by "control"?

Control by micromanaging through various regulations.

I cut firewood in a state forest. I am prohibited from cutting standing dead oak trees (from March until July) to prevent the spread of oak wilt disease. Many of the standing dead oaks have been there for several years, have shed their bark, and harbor no spores or vectors for the disease, and are therefore perfectly safe to cut down. However by mid July it's too hot, too many bugs, and the brush has grown up around them. So they stand there and dry rot away. I could cut them in the winter but it's too cold, too much snow.

 

[GreekOrthodox]

Control by micromanaging through various regulations.

Totally understand!

That's mainly because we have idiots that try to pass a general law and then bureaucrats who come up with the minutia to justify their existence.

Years ago, (and I dont have the info anymore as it was in one of my chemical engineering classes), there was a case that a law that said something along the lines of 2/3 of all organic waste need to be removed from water sources. Okay, great idea. UNLESS, you are getting your water from an pure Alaskan spring. Some bureaucrat said essentially, "The law is the law", so the town started dumping fish so they could remove 2/3rds of the pollutants.

My dad recalled an incident, probably with the Clean Water Act, where someone was saying that potable water needed to be within a certain range of pH. One brilliant lawyer began arguing that water should have NO pH... sigh... when will they let us engineers start running things.

 

[chad kincham]

We can identify the big problems that threaten us, so why can't we deal effectively with them.

My thoughts.

We have commercialized our problems. Millions are employed to deal with the effects of these problems. If we solve them these jobs are lost. The healthcare industry is a good example.

Lack of leadership. Most who find themselves in positions of power realize that the profits are in the problems, not the solutions.

Lack of vision. Neither leaders or citizens can visualize a world free of these problems.

Conflicting views of problems that lead to gridlock and inaction.

Inability to muster human resources. Many problems require a large work force doing hard, mundane work. People today aren't disposed to such work.

Attitude that science will solve the problems with miracle cures (or machines) that don't require participation or work by the citizenry.

Conflicting attitudes regarding the problems themselves. Many don't believe (or are confused) that there is a problem.

No time to spend on big problems. Most are beset by personal issues and have little time or energy to spend on problems that don't effect them directly or immediately.

Complacency, ignorance and apathy. "I don't know and I don't care" attitude.

You missed the agenda of the globalist cabal to crash economies worldwide to get the reset they’ve admitted they want - and other aspects of a very sinister agenda for the world.

They’re behind the problems, so obviously they block solutions, and have corrupted all three branches of our government.

 

[chad kincham]

Control by micromanaging through various regulations.

I cut firewood in a state forest. I am prohibited from cutting standing dead oak trees (from March until July) to prevent the spread of oak wilt disease. Many of the standing dead oaks have been there for several years, have shed their bark, and harbor no spores or vectors for the disease, and are therefore perfectly safe to cut down. However by mid July it's too hot, too many bugs, and the brush has grown up around them. So they stand there and dry rot away. I could cut them in the winter but it's too cold, too much snow.

Which is what causes the raging firestorm fires that break out regularly now - by design, they quit taking out the extremely flammable, dry dead trees, stopped clearing underbrush and other fire hazards, and don’t make firebreaks anymore - guaranteeing fires will spread very rapidly and wreak vast destruction, then blame it on man caused global warming.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Which is what causes the raging firestorm fires that break out regularly now - by design, they quit taking out the extremely flammable, dry dead trees, stopped clearing underbrush and other fire hazards, and don’t make firebreaks anymore - guaranteeing fires will spread very rapidly and wreak vast destruction, then blame it on man caused global warming.

The dead trees and brush could be used as fuel wood (where practical), which would replace some fossil fuel use, while reducing the severity of wildfires. It could also get some prisoners outdoors for some useful work. We could even reduce their sentences, such as a week reduction for every day at work cutting and chipping brush. We could also get the school kids involved.

 

[1rreducibly Complex]

The forces of darkness are working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to further their plans.

While the forces of good feel entitled to never educate or inform themselves on important issues. In order to defend their own rights, standard of living and freedoms.

This imbalance leads to crisis multiplying to further negative agendas. While people in general remain complacent and illiterate to comprehend relevant problems. Much less fix them.