Dr. No

Ron Paul is growing on me.

Scott Adams on the Budget

Here are the thoughts of Scott Adams (creator of Dilbert) on the new budget plan. Pure genius.

Congress allegedly agreed on a budget plan last night. The great thing about this plan is that both sides can blame the other when the economy continues its long march into the crapper. Conservatives will say we didn't cut the budget enough. Liberals will say the decrease in government spending will choke off growth and make things worse. Who's right?

Democrats like to point to the Clinton era as proof that the economy can flourish even as taxes are increased. But how would things have fared in the Clinton years without the Dotcom bubble? Beats me. You don't know either.

Economies usually find their direction from large, unpredictable events, such as wars and other disasters, moving from communism to capitalism, huge demographic shifts, and irrationality that leads to economic bubbles. For any given ten-year period, luck is the biggest driver of a nation's economy. But what single factor is most predictive of, say, a nation's fifty-year economic direction? I think it's the L-to-E ratio (lawyers-to-engineers).

My hypothesis is that the best indicator of long term economic health is the number of engineers a country produces relative to the number of lawyers. A country that is cranking out more engineers than lawyers will trend up. A country that is moving toward a lawyer-heavy economy will grind to a stop.

This idea is nothing more than a wordy way of saying, "To a man who only has a hammer, everything looks like a nail." Engineers build stuff and lawyers sue people. If we assume both professions like to stay busy all the time, you need more engineers than lawyers to create net growth. And I think you'd agree that the countries with the best engineers also win wars and survive disasters the best.

I tried and failed to Google some statistics to back up my hypothesis. Anecdotally, the idea seems about right. I can't think of a country with a strong economy that isn't also known for its engineering prowess.

Some of you will argue that education in general is the biggest predictor of success. But I think you'd agree that if everyone started majoring in English, we'd all starve to death with impeccable grammar.

My take on the budget compromise is that any budget that doesn't kill us right away will be good enough. Our economic fate is primarily in the hands of engineers. And when our collective cynicism reverts back to its baseline, maybe we'll be lucky enough to have another economic bubble. I hope so. I enjoy those while they last.

Bill of Rights

I bumped into a guy last week while working my landscaping job. He was putting in new flooring at a cabin and we got into a conversation. I discovered quickly that he was a product of guys like Rush Limbaugh who make a living tell people what to be afraid of and who to blame for that fear. He was convinced the United States was on the verge of collapse and would soon be controlled under the regime of a guy like Hitler. Although I was not impressed with his theories, he did bring a valuable point in terms of the Constitution. He asked whether or not I could name all 10 amendments in the Bill of Rights. I did not answer him but truth be told I was not sure of all ten. The more I thought about it that day the more disappointed I was in myself. After all, the Constitution was only ratified by the original states because of the limitations on the National Government specified by the Bill of Rights. In other words, these ten precious amendments were required before people would even consider allowing the national government to form and replace the Articles of Confederation. If we do not know what they are, how are we suppose to know when/if the federal government violates them? So without further ado...

1st: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

2nd: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

3rd: No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

4th: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

5th: No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

6th: In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

7th: In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

8th: Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

9th: The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

10th: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Objects of Confidence

But Nathanael Greene was no ordinary man. He had a quick, inquiring mind and uncommon resolve. He was extremely hardworking, forthright, good-natured, and a born leader. His commitment to the Glorious Cause of America, as it was called, was total. And if his youth was obvious, the Glorious Cause was to a large degree a young man's cause. The commander in chief of the army, George Washington, was himself only forty-three. John Hancock, the President of the Continental Congress, was thirty-nine, John Adams, forty, Thomas Jefferson, thirty-two, younger even than the young Rhode Island general. In such times many were being cast in roles seemingly beyond their experiences or capacities, and Washington had quickly judged Nathanael Greene to be "an object of confidence."

David McCullough, 1776, (New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2005), 21.

It has been my experience in life that more often than not things that are deemed a "young man's cause" are often derided as foolish, naive, and not based upon sound judgment. With age comes experience & a better ability to make decisions the rationale goes. As a result, young people must "wait their turn" before getting heard, approached or in some cases considered. How many ideas of youth get flushed down the toilet as a result of this harsh treatment? Now to be fair, many ideas or causes of today's youth are roiled with rashness, stupidity and are clearly not well thought out. Despite this, though, we must remember how many times history has shown the idealistic nature of young minds and their impact on the shape of the world today.

The key then becomes learning how to become, like General Nathanael Greene, "objects of confidence" for the world around us. I struggled with this concept when working at the church, and became embittered by the lack of trust or dependency upon my ideas. My experience & capacity were deemed to be small and I was never really trusted to do or lead beyond the small realm of seemingly indestructible ministry. Looking back I can see where blame might be needed for those leaders with small vision above me, however, even more I can see my own failure to become that object of confidence. If I believed in myself as not being just an 'ordinary man' - I needed to make sure those around me (and especially above me) saw the same thing. My skills, character, and attributes needed to be honed, developed and then allowed to shine. Certainly this would not (and even today will not) guarantee success. Older people have a sense of entitlement that they have paid their dues, have their experiences and trust their 'sounder' judgment. So it is my duty to not get acrimonious but instead show an example in all I do and say that develops confidence.

The world is a broken place. Many systems are breaking down and confidence is waning in every sector. What is needed is for the capable to step forward and show their ability. It is then, despite the potential obstacles of longevity in experience or proven capacity that trust will be developed or at the very least initially bestowed. And when that happens, much like Nathanel Greene, we will become objects of confidence.

Dilbert

I happen to think that Dilbert is one of the funniest comics of all time. Much like an episode of Seinfeld, it feels as if Scott Adams is able to illustrate scenarios straight from life. He has a blog on his website that is pretty darn good as well. If you feel as if you just need a laugh from your typical life - check out the site & blog. Well worth your time.

Germany Invades Belgium

On August 4th, 1914, Germany invaded Belgium. Although not the technical start to WWI, this action would help plunge Europe into the Great War. Eventually all of the world's major powers would be involved and over 9 million people would be killed. Europe would never be the same again. The world would never be either. And even in the aftermath with the Treaty of Versailles & the rise of the League of Nations; we could not find peace and had to fight yet again.

"Never, never, never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes he will encounter. The statesman who yields to war fever must realize that once the signal is given, he is no longer the master of policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events." -Sir Winston Churchill-

The Forest

But Victor Frankl whispered in my ear all the same. He said to me I was a tree in a story about a forest, and that it was arrogant of me to believe any differently. And he told me the story of the forest is better than the story of the tree.

Donald Miller, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2009), 198.

I finished reading Miller's book this morning. I had bought it when I went to hear him speak at my church down in Arizona, but had never taken the time to actually read it. [Side-note: Its ironic how many books I have purchased but never gotten around to reading.] It was a quick read and pretty enjoyable. I have always thought Miller has the ability to tell a solid story, so a book about life in stories makes sense for him. My personal favorite from his remains Searching for God Knows What. Not sure why really, I just really loved it at the time I read it.

In regards to this book, I think the part that stuck out to me the most was his idea of the story of humanity being compared to that of a forest. A forest is made up of many trees - each being unique in and of themselves but still being part of the overall forest of trees. The story is about the forest. It has to be about the forest. No matter how tall, wide, green, or strong a particular tree might be - the forest as a whole is still more important. This speaks so strongly to my tendency to get caught up in my own world & life. I fall easily to the false belief that the forest (humanity) is not as critical to God or myself as the individual tree (myself). Its selfish & highly egotistical and often causes me hurt & frustration as I lament over God "letting me down" when things don't go my way. How much easier would life be if I didn't get so focused on my own journey and realized the larger story God was trying to communicate through everyone else? Its as if God is whispering the classic "don't miss the forest for the tree(s)" in that He desperately wants me to see the larger picture. My journey and the details of my life are very important to Him (what is man that thou art mindful of him) and yet the larger story is of far more importance. My story as an individual tree should be focused on contributing all that I have to offer to overall story of the forest. Its in doing that, that I will find joy & contentment in life.

Miller's book is certainly not a "life-changer" type work. However, I think it communicates some great ideas on story & life. If for only one illustration, the book was highly worth the read for me.