Posted by
Nelson Hart on Monday, June 23, 2008 9:28:50 PM
The economics of our world has progressed beyond the price of milk, cattle, or cheese. Every one of us contributes to the economy, but it is difficult to understand how our contribution of value and purchasing power makes a difference. There is one economy in which we participate - and we can all understand it. We participate in the "Stupid Economy."
An economy has certain characteristics. There has to be a medium of exchange by which we establish value and a value that is widely understood and coveted. Sometimes the value is less than lofty. For instance, in the Arcade Economy, time on a video game is the value for which some give up significant quantities of the media of exchange. In the Stupid Economy, credibility with the electorate is the value for which the candidates strive. That is where honor stops in the exchange. The rest is a constant shuffle of that one thing from which our Stupid Economy draws its name. We pass Stupid back and forth faster than Frogger can cross the street.
In the beginning, candidates assume that the electorate has plenty of Stupid. They are right, and they multiply it with their own Stupid. For example - knowing that the electorate has so much Stupid that it won't see through an honorable sounding phrase, they capitalize on that Stupid with their own Stupid such as "War is not the answer." One must ask, "What is the question?" But Stupid prevails, so that question is never asked, nor is the idea analyzed to determine if it is true for all situations. It is the ultimate Stupid. It sounds good, so believe it.
Example #2 - How much Stupid does one have to assume to say with great authority - "We can't drill our way out of this energy crisis." It is self-evident that we would not have this crisis if we had drilled extensively even five years ago. So the opposite view is Stupid by definition. But the glibness of that phrase sets our bobble heads to nodding - sometimes in unison. Had we less Stupid, we might realize that there are too many cars for a technological breakthrough to make a difference faster than drilling. Even if the breakthrough were to occur today, there would be a prototype, years of testing and regulatory spasms, and finally the breakthrough would be available to the masses who consume energy in the course of daily life. Just as it is Stupid not to strive for better technology, it is Stupid not to drill as fast as we can. We are Stupid, so we don't drill.
Example #3 - It is equally evident that refinery capacity is lacking due to the failure of our liberal legislators to support the construction of more refineries over the last twenty plus years. Now that is Stupid. But the electorate is Stupid, so Democrats have no fear that they will be called to account for their obstructionist position. We don't get accountability - we get Stupid - such as "We won't reward rich oil companies with the ability to make more money." Again - that sounds noble - but it is - that's right - Stupid. Do we value fairness so much that we will put our own prosperity and security in jeopardy to make a socialist point (that is also Stupid)? But more than Stupid, that philosophy is dangerous. The government is the only entity that might benefit all of us without adding to individual wealth. Communist revolutions have been marked by nationalizing entire industries. Sure enough, we have heard Democratic leaders threaten to nationalize the oil companies. Stupid!!
The Stupid list could go far beyond Stupid. The cycle is the same. Candidates perceive Stupid and feed it with more Stupid, accumulating value to themselves in the process. The cycle could be broken at any point. We could become enlightened so that Stupid is not available to the candidates. (Don't hold your breath.) Candidates could refuse to trade on Stupid. (Add something about hell freezing over.) Or we could refuse to give our confidence to candidates who deal in Stupid.
If we don't do the latter, we culminate the transaction with the ultimate Stupid act. We vote for those who depend on Stupid, trade on Stupid, and feed on Stupid.
Now that is Stupid!