XXXXII. Good Government Doesn't Have an Easy Button

This week, I went back to school.

I recently signed up for an elementary Ukrainian language class. I have a beginner’s grasp of Russian from time in classes and in country years ago. I can introduce myself and cover the basics but it's been a generation since I actively practiced, and I regret letting my skills slip.

Sometimes, our discipline lacks and setting a schedule is necessary to recover what is lost, when life's demands push other potentials aside, so I made time for this class.

In a world that changes daily, lifelong education has never been more important. Think of the experiences our grandparents and parents had. My grandfather rode a horse to school in the Texas countryside. My father grew up with the radio as the main form of entertainment. The rapid pace of technological and societal change can be overwhelming if we don’t plan ahead, if we don’t leave room for every new generation to adapt and grow. Think of the challenges of the last twenty years alone.

This sense of not wanting to be left behind is more common and stress-inducing than we admit, often due to deeply ingrained habits or the relentless demands of daily life, yet we are working harder than ever to keep up, and while complaints about corporate greed, employee laziness, poor customer service, and generational work differences abound, the reality is clear: we are dedicating more and more of our waking hours to work than previous generations and have less happiness to show for it.

Ironically, despite this unprecedented wealth, the widening gap between workers and money is eerily reminiscent of the Gilded Age, a time that preceded the Great Depression. This growing disparity is a challenge we have yet to tackle while the next phase of growth may make matters worse: the rise of AI and robotics in the workforce.

These are going to be great challenges for public policy to respond to, and it will take renewed attention on putting the best and brightest into public service.

The Musk, Bezos, and Zuckerbergs of the world already know these things are coming and are actively integrating them. Their primary focus will be maintaining the bottom line. Government must balance this with the greater good.

Our government was created with several enemies in mind. It was conceived by some of the most educated minds of the time and designed to thwart the model of government by kings, dictators, and popes. It has withstood the test of time for over two centuries, but they could not have conceived of things such as AI and robots.

You as the leader must develop an understanding of what threats are out there and how a government of people can be nimble and responsive; one that is going to be good for your children and your neighbor’s children.

Understand the weight of vested interests. Know what they think and know what they say. Stay informed about different perspectives and follow the money to understand the root causes of societal issues. You will often find that government can be used as a facade or a ready scapegoat rather than an effective to prevent problems.

There are many ways to fight back, with lessons for those from the inside and out.

A century ago, Teddy Roosevelt took the presidency with no agenda, yet went on to break the tycoons of the day with antitrust cases.

Ralph Nader, a long-time consumer advocate and persistent pain-in-the-ass to corporate America, recently shared a list of actions government needs to take. Nader's proposals aim to make the government more accountable to all citizens and ensure that those who have benefited from the freedoms and structure provided by the government pay their fair share.

New individuals will take up the fight, but without continual education in our lives, we won't know what we don’t know and we won’t know how to support them. Never be conned into accepting the status quo, nor believe that you shouldn't be able to find a fulfilling job and have the time to learn and educate yourself on any subject. A first-world country wants its people to be happy and involved.

In the grand classroom of life, good governance matters. It’s why people come to America. We’re a dependable nation, for the most part, and we mean well, for the most part.

But it takes continual learning to stay on top.

• You know that many of today's big companies were founded by immigrants, right?

• Registration for extensive Climate Reality Project training coming up in October.

• Sign up for the Washington Post’s Honoring Public Service event on September 10th.

  

  Pentagon Plan to Buy Thousands of Drones Faces Looming Snags

  War without the use of men.

  www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/pentagon-plan-to-buy-thousands-of-drones-faces-looming-snags-6b30a1bb?st=xvl1e2p80u8wk9g&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

I include this article for several reasons. One reason is that we are already engaged in a new arms race, though it is not discussed in that manner. Drones will fight the future of war. There will become very little reason to confront an enemy with humans. Since human loss is typically the factor that starts or ends wars, I think this kind of technology will make it easier to start and cause problems.

The war in Ukraine has greatly expedited drone building and improvisation. It has helped to level the playing field with a much bigger foe, but we will not always be on the offensive end with these things.

To give you an idea of how nimble these autonomous drones are becoming, they can fly and adjust their trajectory at very fast speeds. They can hold things and drop them with pinpoint accuracy. And so you don’t have to view the videos on Telegram, there is a constant stream coming out of the war in Ukraine with deadly consequences. I am a bit horrified at how the drones will chase down an enemy combatant by going over and under obstacles and into a hole to kill them.

But that’s what we’ve helped to create. As the specific technology advances, individual and consumer security markets will grow. Without strong regulatory oversight, individuals will eventually use good tech for bad things.

I hesitated to revisit Project 2025, having previously covered the topic. However, recent revelations from ProPublica have brought more disturbing information to light through leaked videos.

As a veteran of public service with over 25 years of experience in my share of bureaucracies, I've witnessed the ebb and flow of political influence. In recent years, I've observed a troubling trend: the increasing politicization of roles traditionally filled by qualified professionals. The emphasis has shifted dramatically from competence to partisan loyalty, regardless of the administration in power.

The ProPublica videos expose Project 2025 for what it truly is: a blueprint for radical transformation more akin to governments like Iran or Russia. The plan's key elements include:

1. Consolidating power within the executive branch

2. Dismantling federal agencies

3. Purging thousands of public servants

4. Replacing seasoned professionals with ideologically-aligned individuals

5. Adopting aggressive stances on abortion and LGBT rights

While Project 2025 claims to champion conservative values, I find it to be a very un-Christian document. Noticeably absent are the principles of:

- Humility and servant leadership

- Compassionate stewardship

- Care for the vulnerable

- Pursuit of peace

- Commitment to the common good

By proposing to dismantle the institutional knowledge and expertise built over decades, it threatens the stability and effectiveness of our government. If you go to any place of business and see a different person every time, you understand. If you’ve worked your way up in a place for years only to have an outsider come in, you know the difference. Ideological purity over practical experience is a dangerous erosion of our public services.

In an era where public trust in government is already fragile, Project 2025's approach is a fundamental misunderstanding of both the purpose of government and the call of Christianity.

As we approach the 2024 election, be very awake. Project 2025 is not just a policy proposal; it's a harbinger of hate. It serves as a reminder that the preservation of our democratic institutions has always required constant vigilance against confederates, traitors, and zealots. As we move forward, we must reject approaches that seek to divide, and then continue working for a government that truly represents and serves all Americans.

Does anyone remember the story of the Good Samaritan? If not, go read it. In our daily life, it's often the smallest threads that weave the most vibrant patterns. As a society, we celebrate grand gestures and monumental achievements. History writes and makes more of the rich and famous, yet it's the subtle acts of kindness that truly define who we are and keep our daily lives going.

Consider the unsung heroes of our everyday lives: the barista who remembers your quirky drink order and greets you with a warm smile, the stranger who holds the door, or the neighbor who shovels your sidewalk after a snowstorm (in Florida, it’s more about watering the plants). These seemingly insignificant moments have the power to transform our day, lifting our spirits and reminding us of the inherent goodness in humanity.

The beauty of kindness lies in its accessibility. You don't need wealth, status, or special skills to make a difference. The opportunity to impact someone's life positively can arise at any moment, whether it's with a coworker, a family member, or a stranger. These instances remind us of the profound importance of goodwill in our interconnected world.

I’ve said this before. Don’t miss your moment. The ones that might cause some discomfort or have you go against the grain. You never know how far the ripples of your actions might spread, touching lives in ways you may never see but that resonate far beyond what you see and know. In doing so, we collectively write a history of compassion, one small act at a time.

Whenever I encounter the Nordic model of social democracy, exemplified by countries like Denmark, I'm struck by the stark contrast it presents to our American way of life. This system, long championed by politicians like Bernie Sanders, offers a radically different approach to governance and social welfare.

In Denmark, the government guarantees universal access to education and healthcare, regardless of financial background. Every 6-month-old is entitled to high-quality preschool, with parents contributing no more than 25% of the cost. Danish families enjoy a full year of paid parental leave, a stark contrast to the United States, where one in four women face job loss or resignation upon having a child.

The differences don't end there. While American families grapple with childcare costs reaching up to $22,000 annually, their Danish counterparts benefit from a comprehensive welfare state funded by progressive taxation. The average Danish citizen contributes 46% of their income in taxes. That sounds high, and in America, paying taxes is treated as a crime instead of the investment it is. Here’s a key measure I want you to pay attention to: an overwhelming 88% of Danes express satisfaction with this arrangement, recognizing the value of the services they receive in return. And they live longer!

These differences should help us to question where our level of social progress is. What have we sacrificed in our pursuit of individualism and limited government?

In Denmark, there's a collective understanding that "we are the government" and that the primary objective of governance is the happiness and well-being of its people. This perspective fosters a sense of shared responsibility and mutual support that seems increasingly elusive in American society.

As we grapple with rising inequality, expensive healthcare, and a fraying social safety net, it's worth considering what we might gain by a shift toward more comprehensive social services. What would it take for Americans to view their relationship with the government not as an adversarial one, but as the collaborative effort that it is? In our relentless pursuit of individual success, what have we lost as a society? And more importantly, do we have the courage to reclaim it?

Hope to see you next time. Fall is in the air. This is a good time to think about some cool weather reading. Get your stack ready and remember: always live to Be a good human.