Glad it's over! Really?

Glad it’s over! Really? Is it over? I'm not too proud of American politics or those who support our the type of leadership that our society is currently following. We have sacrificed ideals for a "what's in it for me" sense of values. Fundamentally, egocentric ideas may be the root of all progress, but it shouldn't be at the expense of the society that we live in. Human beings are social animals. We function best with interdependence. We create markets, we produce for our markets, and we can have a pretty nice life.

Actually, distribution would more likely look like this, but we're still looking at  15.1% 

Statistically, if we examine the  Bell curve that maps our productivity, we see that there are 25 percent of any population that will be above the normal range. The downside is that there will also be 25 percent of the population that is dragging productivity down. So, what should the 75 percent of the population do about those who are not helping with overall productivity? If you remove them from the work force, the Bell curve changes and redefines the lower end of productivity. If you subsidize the  lower end to keep the population whole, what does that do to productivity in the long term? 

Is there a “correct” formula for defining productivity in a society? Are we productive in just one dimension? Are teachers, social workers, service sector employees, etc. as productive as workers in manufacturing? What about economists, media pundants, and politicians? Are they productive members of our society? If all the elements of a society are analyzed and included in a productivity curve, which among them produce the most useful product?

This is an old problem that economists and politicians have not been able to resolve. Our social philosophers, academics, and intellectuals have not been successful either. So, what is a society to do?

After listening to our social and political commentary during the past months, I wonder what contribution has been made to our American society. Has any of it been “productive”? Are these commentators in the lower portion of productivity? 

Today, we move on. Hopefully, with some understanding that this nonsense will give us some perspective on life. Our idiot neighbors, who see things differently, are looking at us with the same thought. Let’s call this a day of mourning. Our political alienation through this time has certainly not been productive. So, let’s say goodbye to it today, mourn it, and let it go. Tomorrow, let’s figure out how we can pull together and make use of all our strengths and weaknesses in a social whole. We are members of one society and political enemies are just those who, like us, haven’t got it all figured out yet.