Gloom and doom...

[The Anvil]

...tired of it?

http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/06/opinion/diamandis-abundance-innovation/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

[FloridaValkRyder]

Great post Anvil, (what is your name anyway?). I have been to TED.com several times. And yes, I am tired of it. Thanks for posting that! 

[The Anvil]

Great post Anvil, (what is your name anyway?). I have been to TED.com several times. And yes, I am tired of it. Thanks for posting that! 

Jamie. And you're welcome.

[musclehead]

what gloom and doom?  I've heard it's just great out there so go get a small business loan today

[alph]

I thought it ment "get a cellphone"!!!!

[gregc]

He is just stating facts to take your mind of the doom and gloom. How about the quality of life for the average person. Ratio of mortage to salary, cost of a car to salary. Go even further amount of taxes taken out of salary for goverment plans now, as 100 years ago.   Guess I don't see any good news in what he is promoting.

[alph]

He is just stating facts to take your mind of the doom and gloom. How about the quality of life for the average person. Ratio of mortage to salary, cost of a car to salary. Go even further amount of taxes taken out of salary for goverment plans now, as 100 years ago.   Guess I don't see any good news in what he is promoting.

well, someone has to pay for utopia, it ain't free you know......  lord knows the poor don't have the money, and the rich think they pay enough!!     guess it's up to the middle class (again)

[Paxton]

Anvil;
I believe that this post / article is the best I've read in a while. Really.  ???

I would hope that the thread does not get contaminated with sarcasm, hopelessness or other self-destructive rants.
Instead, I'd hope everyone will read it with an open mind.

Thank you!

"Judging is preventing us from understanding a new truth.
Free yourself from the rules of old judgments
and create the space for new understanding."
Steve Maraboli

[John Schmidt]

+1, I sent the link on to my girls. 

[Valkahuna]

Thanks for posting that Jamie (or Anvil - whichever you prefer. 

I have sent it  on to my family, and others that I care deeply about. Yes, the problems are out there, but there is also a larger picture to consider.

[Michael K (Az.)]

Thanks Jamie, sent it to my many "newsie" addicted friends. As a fellow news junkie, this was a bit of fresh air, kinda like when we get to jump on our Valkyries and hit the wind!!

[The Anvil]

Jamie, Anvil, Advil, it's all good. 

I have two little girls, 10 and 3. I figure I can either be part of the problem and raise them to believe that the world I brought them into is a lost cause and all hope is gone OR I can give them hope. I know the "H word" is a curse to some people, but it's a real thing. Hope is a fertilizer. Fear is (with apologies to Frank Herbert) a mind-killer. Untempered fear leads to a loss of hope and when all hope is gone you have nothing left but despair. Despair is the toxic, paralyzing agent that stops thoughts, ideas and actions in their tracks. The darkest periods of human history were defined by fear. In isolated incidents today it is the weapon wielded most effectively. It could happen again if people let it.

What amazing to me is that we as Americans are SO cursed FORTUNATE in that what little we have to fear is so insignificant when compared to the way other humans in other parts of the world have to live. If you don't know this to be a fact then I would submit that you're not paying attention. I'll reference Sierra Leone, Sudan, Cambodia, Mexico etc. Violence and tragedy can touch anyone anywhere at any time. But we in the western world are able to go about our day with the knowledge that the odds are overwhelmingly good that we're going to come home alive. Those odds are roughly the same for our loved ones and neighbors. Many millions in this world can not say the same. And yet we STILL complain loudly and often. It's insulting.

I also believe that my country has seen worse days. There was a time not too long ago when this nations future was very much in doubt. There are people still living who can remember this time just before WWII when it could have gone either way. America had a tough choice to make; we could let fear dictate our course of action and issue the order to stand down or we could face the fear head on and make a difference in the world. To hell with fear. America stood up. America WILL stand up again. It may even take the forcing of our hand, but I'm confident we'll do it. WHY am I confident? Because I HAVE to be. Some of you believe in god. I still wrestle with it and I have my good days and my bad days. But as I said, I have two little girls and I want to leave them with a land in good shape. So in the absence of a firm faith in a god I must put that faith somewhere. I choose to put it in the place I call home.

And if I did not then what kind of American would I be??? What argument for greatness would I be able to make on behalf of my home were I so devoid of hope for it's future? An empire that lasts a mere century? That the greatest nation ever to exist on earth created for freedom and liberty should spend so short a time in the sun is unthinkable to me. The answer is that I wouldn't be a very good American at all.

I'm not stupid either. I'm not blind to any of the forces working against happiness nor am I immune to their effects. I'm a regular working man like most of you who loves his family and wants the best for them. Crooks exist everywhere and it's a constant battle between the average person (us) and the money that controls our collective destiny. But again, we've overcome these challenges before as they have ALWAYS existed. I believe we can do it again.

If you're an American you can play the lottery if you like but I've got news for you; you've already won it once. Pass the numbers on to your kids or tear up the ticket. The choice is yours.




I'll leave you with a little ditty from an Australian band out of the Ronald Reagan era. Pay attention to the lyrics...

Crowded House - Don't Dream It's Over	powered by Aeva

 

[FloridaValkRyder]

I'll tell you Jamie, we share quite a few of beliefs in this great nation. We disagree on some for sure. That last post was very well written and poignant, and not in the bad sense of the word. Many of us believe that our beloved country is in the midst of a slow and pervasive take over that has been going on for years. Reading many of the Socialist journals and writings that have recently been made known to me, I truly believe that President Obama is their first attempt at pushing forward their intentions by using the office of the, arguably, most powerful man on earth. I believe that there are people, George Soros and his Open Society Foundations, the late Saul Alinski and his last book "Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals" ,among others, who may truly feel that the time is right to begin implementation of some of the more radical steps towards Progressivism , which is, to quote one definition " A general political philosophy advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes usually in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies".  This flies in the face of conventional conservatives and results in the fear that you speak of. Many find it hard to believe that such a possibility even exists in this great nation but I, and many like me, believe that it is real, is to be feared and must be stopped by opening the eyes and minds of other conservatives,moderates and open minded liberals before it does become too late. People are waking up to what has been, and is, going on and are starting to educate themselves to the threat. I do not fear the future, and like you, know we have seen worse. There are other parts of the world that would love to share the bountiful opportunities that we take for granted. What we have can be taken away.  I believe that we need to awaken everyone who still cares, apathy being our worst enemy here, to what could happen if we stand by and do nothing. I have such Hope for this country and Hope others see the Change some people want for us.

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

Jamie, Anvil, Advil, it's all good. 

I have two little girls, 10 and 3. I figure I can either be part of the problem and raise them to believe that the world I brought them into is a lost cause and all hope is gone OR I can give them hope. I know the "H word" is a curse to some people, but it's a real thing. Hope is a fertilizer. Fear is (with apologies to Frank Herbert) a mind-killer. Untempered fear leads to a loss of hope and when all hope is gone you have nothing left but despair. Despair is the toxic, paralyzing agent that stops thoughts, ideas and actions in their tracks. The darkest periods of human history were defined by fear. In isolated incidents today it is the weapon wielded most effectively. It could happen again if people let it.

What amazing to me is that we as Americans are SO cursed FORTUNATE in that what little we have to fear is so insignificant when compared to the way other humans in other parts of the world have to live. If you don't know this to be a fact then I would submit that you're not paying attention. I'll reference Sierra Leone, Sudan, Cambodia, Mexico etc. Violence and tragedy can touch anyone anywhere at any time. But we in the western world are able to go about our day with the knowledge that the odds are overwhelmingly good that we're going to come home alive. Those odds are roughly the same for our loved ones and neighbors. Many millions in this world can not say the same. And yet we STILL complain loudly and often. It's insulting.

I also believe that my country has seen worse days. There was a time not too long ago when this nations future was very much in doubt. There are people still living who can remember this time just before WWII when it could have gone either way. America had a tough choice to make; we could let fear dictate our course of action and issue the order to stand down or we could face the fear head on and make a difference in the world. To hell with fear. America stood up. America WILL stand up again. It may even take the forcing of our hand, but I'm confident we'll do it. WHY am I confident? Because I HAVE to be. Some of you believe in god. I still wrestle with it and I have my good days and my bad days. But as I said, I have two little girls and I want to leave them with a land in good shape. So in the absence of a firm faith in a god I must put that faith somewhere. I choose to put it in the place I call home.

And if I did not then what kind of American would I be??? What argument for greatness would I be able to make on behalf of my home were I so devoid of hope for it's future? An empire that lasts a mere century? That the greatest nation ever to exist on earth created for freedom and liberty should spend so short a time in the sun is unthinkable to me. The answer is that I wouldn't be a very good American at all.

I'm not stupid either. I'm not blind to any of the forces working against happiness nor am I immune to their effects. I'm a regular working man like most of you who loves his family and wants the best for them. Crooks exist everywhere and it's a constant battle between the average person (us) and the money that controls our collective destiny. But again, we've overcome these challenges before as they have ALWAYS existed. I believe we can do it again.

If you're an American you can play the lottery if you like but I've got news for you; you've already won it once. Pass the numbers on to your kids or tear up the ticket. The choice is yours.




I'll leave you with a little ditty from an Australian band out of the Ronald Reagan era. Pay attention to the lyrics...

Crowded House - Don't Dream It's Over

 

Truly an excellent post Anvil. I too, beleive the good guys will win as long as we help each other keep our eyes open.

And, I gotta say "thanks" for reminding me of a couple of things I hadn't thought of in years.

One is Dune and the all to true quote concerning fear. The other is looking at the "TV pages" in the newspaper with my Dad whose been gone since Dec. of 1977.

Some great thoughts to start my day with.  Thanks again man.
Mike

[ricoman]

Not really a gloom and doomer either.
I buy very little of the piece.
Convince me violence is down when the 70 yr old ladies/men are no longer mugged in broad daylight in some pretty good neighborhoods around here. I wonder where the crime statstics from 500 yrs. ago were found.
Convince me that the shopping at Salvation Army or Goodwill stores has not increased dramatically in the past 6 or 7 years. Is that folks being "chic" or because they can't afford otherwise?
Convince me that the income tripling over the last 50 years has resulted in less people living at/below the poverty level worldwide.
Convince me that the Massai warrior on his cellphone with apps he cannot use (or even read)
can benefit from that. Actually I would like to see hard evidence to support that statement.
Convince me that the growth in the GDP from cellphone use (wtf is that about?) will help if the users don't have a job.
Not  a gloom and doomer, more of a realist. This "feelgood" message does nothing for me.

[solo1]

Excellent post Jamie.  We have become used to "If it bleeds, it leads"  news mediia.   We do need more positive stories but I'm not sure if that will change soon.

However, there are big problems to try to solve and most are based on man's quest for power.

[The Anvil]

Not really a gloom and doomer either.
I buy very little of the piece.
Convince me violence is down when the 70 yr old ladies/men are no longer mugged in broad daylight in some pretty good neighborhoods around here.
I wonder where the crime statstics from 500 yrs. ago were found.

I shouldn't really need to convince you. If you don't know how or why it's an overall less violent world now than it was 500 years ago. It's just that you're bombarded with it in the current 24 hour news cycle. Mass media magnifies EVERYTHING. 500 years ago a person could disappear without a track. Read the accounts of city life in turn of the century America. It was not a pretty picture. And not just intentional violence either but the workplace alone was a real hazard to the average laborer's health. H.H. Holmes could not exist in America today.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._H._Holmes

Convince me that the shopping at Salvation Army or Goodwill stores has not increased dramatically in the past 6 or 7 years. Is that folks being "chic" or because they can't afford otherwise?

Well both places are overrun with hipsters. I know because myself and my wife both shop there. Not really because we need to but we both grew up on shoestrings and old habits die hard. Is it all due to people who WANT to shop there? Absolutely not. Again; not ignoring reality here because it's tough out there. I'm also looking for a good full time job to take the place of my two part timers and it's not easy.

Convince me that the income tripling over the last 50 years has resulted in less people living at/below the poverty level worldwide.

Don't believe it if you don't want to. But here's the thing; that stat is not necessarily a good thing for Americans. A rising tide lifts all ships UNLESS that ship is anchored to the harbor bottom. We sort of find ourselves there now. Whether the world's poverty level is decreasing is not in doubt. It's how that's going to affect America that is. So you may or may not even see it as a positive for America. But first you must accept the fact.

Convince me that the Massai warrior on his cellphone with apps he cannot use (or even read)
can benefit from that. Actually I would like to see hard evidence to support that statement.

Maybe you missed the part where it said global literacy is way up. So odds are increasing dramatically that they will be able to read them. And why could they not use them? That's not really how the technology works. I have an absolutely BITCHIN' scientific calculator app on my Droid. There's no reason why the Massai warrior can't use that or any number of other applications. The technological world is not all in English either. Advanced translation software make it possible for me to share information with anyone anywhere at any time in any language.

Convince me that the growth in the GDP from cellphone use (wtf is that about?) will help if the users don't have a job.

It's economic growth that (in theory) will create jobs for them. Again, not ignoring reality here because theories are just that; theories. It may work that way and it may not. But if everyone sat around saying "it's not gonna work, don't try!" then nothing would have ever gotten done and civilization would have died in the womb.

Not  a gloom and doomer, more of a realist. This "feelgood" message does nothing for me.

Well I'm genuinely sorry for you. I don't mean that in a dismissive, condescending way either. I generally do. I know the realities as well as anyone here because I grew up in the 70's and 80's as the child of a single mother on welfare who didn't know from week to week where we would be living or if we'd be eating. But most importantly the high school I attended was a pit of despair with a dropout rate of well over 50%. When I was there it was chaos. Teachers didn't care and it rubbed of heavily on the students. I recently went back and found that it is now a school that gives kids a chance to succeed. Not everything's better but some things definitely are.

[ricoman]

Well I'm genuinely sorry for you. I don't mean that in a dismissive, condescending way either. I generally do. I know the realities as well as anyone here because I grew up in the 70's and 80's as the child of a single mother on welfare who didn't know from week to week where we would be living or if we'd be eating. But most importantly the high school I attended was a pit of despair with a dropout rate of well over 50%. When I was there it was chaos. Teachers didn't care and it rubbed of heavily on the students. I recently went back and found that it is now a school that gives kids a chance to succeed. Not everything's better but some things definitely are.
[/quote]
[/quote]





No need to "feel sorry", Anvil. As non-condescending as your statement is.
I'm sure it is a safer world today. We have made it safer by locking all our doors and windows, not letting our children walk to the bus or even play outside, not going out after dark (whether 30 or 70). Sure does make it safe.
The Massai warrior cannot use his apps because he has not learned how. Just what would he do with your "bitchin'" scientific app?
I would hazard a guess that thousands disappear "without a track" every year in this country.
I, too, know about tough times. I ate meatless meals before it was a cool thing to do.
I am glad your high school has turned around. My daughter teaches in a school where 10% of her students live in shelters and the school meals are the only ones they get. That's way better than back in my day. Your school should be an example- perhaps others with butt crack showing students could learn from it. Perhaps other schools with students who curse/threaten the teachers could learn from it.
Yes, drop out rates are less than 50%, now maybe 10-15. But the totalnumber of students has increased 20 fold or more. Too many do not feel any benefit in the scientific advancements that should keep them in school. They may embrace it if they had free phone and free service.
A rising tide lifts only the ships that are cabable of floating (want to?), not all ships.
Still not a doom and gloomer, still a realist.
Look at the audience in the clip-see any bottom tier Americans in the seats? Nope.
Those are the ones who need to embrace the technology he espouses and want to believe it can/will work for them.
Again, no reason to "feel sorry" for me. I'm a happy camper, great wife, great daughters- just a damn good life actually.

[Michael K (Az.)]

Excellent post Jamie.  We have become used to "If it bleeds, it leads"  news mediia.   We do need more positive stories but I'm not sure if that will change soon.

However, there are big problems to try to solve and most are based on man's quest for power.

Human nature, ain't it great?

[czuch]

I've always maintained a positive outlook will get you through. Not to say my powder isnt dry.
The lotto of life that we most assuredly have won is lost on too many who dont embrace it.
Excelent Anvil, Excelent.

[The Anvil]

Well I'm glad some people liked it.

I bought a gun today so my outlook on life is particularly sunny right now. 

[Paxton]

Well, today I feel "SEVERELY" POSITIVE that Obama will win a second term... just saying... 

It goes to show that our differences are behind the differing views each of us professes... and I like that.
I enjoy rational / objective debate with people who think different than I do....  passionate, minus the mean-spirited,
sometimes ill informed arguments presented as the gospel truth.

In the broader context, it shows that in spite of our political, religious or philosophical differences, we all love our country
and we are each others' countrymen.
I wish that some day we could be agents of healing and positive change. A uniting force without compromising our values and principles. ???

Let's be good and ride safe.

"I belong to no organized political party. I am a Democrat!"
Will Rogers