Category: Politics

I spent a lot of time in consulting in my career, particularly in the field of information technology (IT). With computers, people often ask if something can be done or if a problem can be fixed. These people are sometimes the individuals working in regular, non-IT jobs. Sometimes they are managers, or salespeople, or customers.

And they all want to know if something can be done. The answer to that question is always the same: “sure, it’s possible.” Because it is technically possible. Given enough time and resources, you can solve most any IT issue.

But the answer “sure, it’s possible (with enough time and resources)” is the answer to almost any question! Ask your neighbor to do open heart surgery, ask the next person in the carpool line to do some translation into Monogolian, ask someone to design a phone app for your collection of home recipes–and they can probably do it. They might need a decade of training and millions of dollars in equipment and a support team but they can do it.

Because in IT as well as most places in the world “can you do this” is often a bad question. The question should rarely be can. Instead, ask should. As in: “should we do this?”

Politics is no different. We spend a ton of energy demanding: “can we implement policy X?” or “can we cancel policy Y?” But these questions presume that the arguments were already made and are widely known.

Can we expand farm subsidies? Can we cancel federal student loan debt? Can we reduce taxes? Can we increase border funding?

But most of the time, these are not good questions. Instead, ask should. As in: “should we implement policy X?” or “should we cancel policy Y?”

Because the question should we inspires discussion and debate. Should we is a place of research and study. Should we is where all of us go to learn and maybe even change our minds.

Once we’ve decided if we should, then we’ve done the hard work. We’ve made the best choice we can with the information available.

Because if we should, the next question is how.

After a long day at work, I often find myself tempted to drop into a gas station and buy a bottle of a sports beverage. I’ve apparently convinced myself that the “zero calorie” version is healthier, and that the particular contents of this drink will refresh me. I believe it will restore my energy as if I’m a character in a video game.

Of course, this isn’t true. What I actually need is hydration and electrolytes. The brand isn’t magic, but it is convenient. Drinking more water–perhaps with some salt–would do the trick as well.

My post-work beverage routine isn’t wrong. But I’m only half right. I do need to drink more water, but I don’t need the neon-colored liquid in the distinctive transparent bottle. I’m half right.

---

Being half right is where almost all of us with politics today. We are are right in that there is a widespread, coordinated campaign designed to pump us with dubious information, load us up with fear and moral superiority, and inspire us to take the to streets. That really is happening. We’re right about that. We are the target of sophisticated messaging.

What we’re wrong about is the actual truth of what’s happening. Yes, there are powerful operators spending tons of cash to change our beliefs and bully us into acting. But it’s not so we can stop a bunch of bloodthirsty murderous fascists. There really aren’t many of those people if any. The goal of the messaging is to preserve existing power structures.

This is hard to accept, especially if you’re convinced that the (party name here) is filled with evil people who will do unspeakable things. The simple reality is that people in power want to stay in power. But you know who benefits from those preposterous claims? The people in power.

If we think about politics like we think about sports drinks, it becomes clear that most of the resources are focused on marketing, not on being healthy. And the more effective that marketing is, the less we’ll think about the simply reality.

I’m half right about sports drinks. Which means, I gotta quit drinking them only because I’m thirsty. And too many of us are only half right about politics too.

Because here’s the most important part: being half right means you’re also half wrong.

One of the biggest challenges with politics is the prevalence of falsehoods. These days those spread throughout our world faster than the speed of thought thanks to the invention of the meme. Here’s one that I came across. I blurred out the specific topic it was about, because that’s the distraction:

There are two parts to this lie. First is the insistence that the claim is a “truth bomb.” Here’s a good rule of thumb: if you have to tell someone how powerful/brilliant/mind-blowing an idea is, then it’s probably not actually that special. Genuine innovations or jaw-dropping statistics speak for themselves.

Second, there is the use of the word “everything.” Now for the second rule: if a claim uses absolutist language (e.g. everything, nothing, always, or never) then it’s likely an exaggeration if not a flat out lie. Most of the time, there are exceptions. Or as the old saying goes extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

---

Do you find yourself wanting to know what this meme was about? It went on to say “everything the government is doing right now is designed to make you fat, weak, stupid, depressed, and lazy—” which obviously is not true. The government is installing stop signs. The government is sending people to inspect factories for safety. The government is paying teachers and firefighters. And of course the government is doing things like requiring food to have ingredients printed on the label, which is the opposite of the specific claim.

This is another way that lies are spread. Watch out for the word “everything.” It often signals that someone is trying to make you angry rather than to encourage you to think.

A few weeks back, I wrote a post about answering the questions that are often asked of politicians. (Reminder: a lot of candidates from the last cycle didn’t bother to answer some of the questions.) Here’s the next one.

What issues will your campaign focus on? Telling the truth. I keep saying this, but that’s because there’s nothing more important. Most politicians are not being honest with you. It’s important to note that their dishonesty, however, is quite nuanced. For example, last time around someone responded with:

I am committed to solving the climate crisis.

This reply is pure politics. First is the signaling, with climate crisis. The use of the word “crisis” sets up the fight by putting other people on the defensive. If you have any other view, then you’re ignoring something which is IMMEDIATE and CRITICAL and MUST BE ADDRESSED RIGHT NOW OR WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE!

The term “crisis” refers to something where we are truly at a turning point. But that’s not where we are with climate change. It’s never been the case, no matter which expert you talk to. Rather, the general consensus from scientists is pretty straightforward:

1. Humans have changed the planet’s atmospheric system on accident
2. Humans could help slow that change or maybe even reverse it if we work together on purpose.

How quickly those things happen, how strong the effects, how much we do, and whether it’s worth it–these are all critical questions.

But it’s not a “crisis.” Something we’ve been talking about for decades can’t be a crisis. An asteroid headed toward earth? That’s a crisis.

(I know that people who are gravely concerned about the climate may object to me pulling back this word. But I think it helps their cause. If you want to convince the skeptics, then use accurate language. That gives them less to critique.)

I could also talk about the word “solving” which doesn’t actually represent the problem at hand. Climate change is not a riddle or a Rubik’s cube. We’ve already taken tremendous action in response to the changing climate and based upon current predictions. What is next is more action. That’s not a “solution” but using that word allows the listener to believe that climate change is “solvable” and therefore something they can look forward to not worrying about.

That’s what this candidate said was a key issue. “I am committed to solving the climate crisis.” You probably didn’t know eight words could be so sneaky, did you?

---

What issues will your campaign focus on? Telling the truth. I can write and speak about climate change, and I will. But I promise to only tell the truth, with no spin, no pushing, no effort to make my opponents look bad.

Beyond, of course, what they do themselves.

I think I’ve heard it in a few different cartoons. Certainly it appears in books and TV shows and rap music. It’s a variation on the quote:

People fear what they do not understand.

I do like to know the origins of things, and no one seems to have figured this one out. But I also find that statements about the human condition tend to become universal. This is how we think about other people. If they don’t understand, then they are going to be afraid.

I suppose it’s true. It’s seemingly the message of every movie about aliens, that we fear [them] because we don’t understand [them.]

But I think government is different. Yes, basically nobody understands how it is structured, what officials and bureaucrats do, and how those people are motivated. The experts who study the public can tell you that most citizens are pretty disappointed in their elected leaders [1] and also that most citizens don’t know much of anything about their elected leaders. [2]

That’s weird by itself. But I believe something different is going on. I don’t think people fear their government as much as they just ignore it. Most people I talk to about politics shake their head and roll their eyes and hope to change the subject.

Because really, why should we pay attention to something which doesn’t appear to be paying attention to us? There are protests and rallies and election days, but for most people there is very little change.

Instead, I want government to be something everyone understands. That doesn’t need to come through intense study, however, but through the profound power of trust.

Because if you believe someone in government actually cares, then you have a reason to pay attention. To give feedback. To participate. To do more than sigh and walk away.

If you trusted the person in Congress representing you. Imagine what would happen.

---

[1] https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2020/09/14/americans-views-of-government-low-trust-but-some-positive-performance-ratings/

[2] https://www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/americans-civics-knowledge-increases-2019-survey/

Campaigns spend all kinds of resources on highly confidential materials. There are secret plans and opposition research. There are polls and focus groups.

I’m not doing any of that. I am not even keeping my ideas under wraps.

That’s because to me, they feel kind of obvious. So one strategy I have is:

Talk to people who politicians don’t normally talk to.

That means smaller communities. More obscure religious groups. Civic and charitable organizations you’ve never heard of. People who are organizing what you’re not sure you support.

It’s a strategy by default. We don’t trust politicians, even those of our own party. So if I am to earn the trust of others, I am going to try doing what other politicians don’t do.

One thing politicians don’t seem to do: go to the people no one is listening to.

Right now, the country of Afghanistan is being overrun by a the military of a fundamentalist religious organization. You’ve heard of these bad guys. They are called the Taliban.

The scene in Kabul, the capital city, is terrifying. Government officials are fleeing buildings. The airport is overflowing as people rush to evacuate. In the city, people are tearing down advertisements. The reason? Images on the ads may anger the hardliners who are taking over.

Within a week, this will not be the nation it was. And those citizens are petrified. No one sleeps in Afghanistan tonight.

---

There’s a lot to unpack here: how America got involved in Afghanistan in the first place. Why we were there, what happened, and where we are now. And everyday citizens deserve fair and complete answers to those questions.

But right now, the situation is changing too quickly. The people of Afghanistan are fearful of what is about to happen, minute by minute. They may be rounded up or separated from their loved ones. They may be judged for supporting the democratically-elected regime. Or worse.

Because no one sleeps in Afghanistan tonight.

Tomorrow we can ask about the trillion American dollars we spent on the war, and if it was a waste. Tomorrow we can ask about the 2,312 American lives lost in the conflict, and if their sacrifice has been forsaken. Tomorrow we can discuss policies and practicalities.

But tonight is for the Afghans. For the people of Kandahar and Jalalabad. For the Pashtuns and the Tajiks and the Uzbeks. We should be thinking not of us, but of them.

Because no one sleeps in Afghanistan tonight.

I was cleaning up some dishes at work last week when a guest stopped me with a question. “Do you have salt and pepper?”

“Yes, absolutely!” I said, and walked away.

---

Okay, that’s not the end of the story. I did bring them one shaker of each. But the point is that do you have salt and pepper is not quite the right question. In order to answer correctly, it has to be interpreted in the way the person asking meant for it to be.

We were at a restaurant and I wait tables, so this one is pretty easy to figure out. But in politics, the questions are often not as straightforward. That’s because these questions aren’t just accidentally unclear. They are unclear on purpose, as they are designed to be divisive. These questions are purposefully unfair.

How do you make a bad question? Start with a simple one, and then add assumptions. For example consider:

What is freedom?
vs.
Why does the other party hate freedom so much?

Fair questions can seem silly about every day topics. Wondering why is the sky blue doesn’t seem to be improved by saying why does the sky appear blue to me. But compare these:

Less Fair	More Fair
Why are poor people so lazy?	Is there a connection between poverty and work ethic?
Why don’t billionaires pay their share of taxes?	How much do extremely wealthy people pay in taxes?
Which party raided the social security trust fund?	How does the social security trust fund work, and has that changed since it started?

Fair questions sometimes take a minute to say. That’s because acknowledging bias requires effort.

Which is one more way you know you’re not in a civil discussion. The more we’re talking in soundbites, the less we’re talking in detail.

Politics needs good ideas in response to hard questions. And that, my friends, takes time.

At the corner of 10th and Sherman on the east side of Indianapolis, there’s a quotation stenciled onto the part of the overpass:

Whatever you do in life may well be insignificant but it is very important that you do it.

Ghandi

This is not a great part of town. Crime here is about three times the national average. And I don’t know who is reading these words as they drive, pedal, or walk by.

But I do know that I find them inspiring. Not just for this campaign, where I am trying to talk to voters every day. But also for every decision in life. Do I hit the snooze button or do get up and go? Do I eat an extra dish of ice cream or do I make smarter choices? Am I thinking of others with each individual action I take, or I am thinking only of myself?

Maybe all politicians have these questions running through their minds. I do not know.

But what I do know is that everyday people do. The individuals I know and love, the parents and children and employees and caretakers and business owners all around us–these are people who are doing things with great intention.

So, I am going to keep writing. I am going to keep listening to others and talking to them. Because none of this may be significant in the end.

But it is significant right now.

Everybody knows that the U.S. government keeps a massive stockpile of gold at the Bullion Depository at Fort Knox, just outside of Louisville, Kentucky.

It was first moved there in the 1930s, and the building is one of the most secure in the world. You’ve heard the expression before: “as secure as Fort Knox.”

(And yes, the gold is really there. In addition to all of the media coverage when the vault was being loaded back in the day, it’s been audited by many professionals and visited by senators and at least one Treasury Secretary.)

But here’s a funny question about Fort Knox. If an enormous and powerful government wants to keep their gold depository in a safe location, why announce where it is?

This question should irk you. Remember, governments do need to keep secrets sometimes. It’s probably the case that you have some secrets of your own, or secrets for your family. Maybe the business where you work has a secret recipe or a bit of software or something that it’s best to keep under wraps.

So why did the U.S. government announce where they were going to keep all the gold? Because it’s impossible to keep a secret that big.

This is what I ask when I hear theories about “something” enormously dangerous that “they” don’t want you know about. What would it take to keep that a secret? How would you convince thousands of professionals to keep quiet about a secret that would change the world if discovered?

The answer is that while it makes for great television, in real life it’s usually impossible. We couldn’t even stop leaks from the atomic bomb project [1]. So it seems pretty unlikely that there is some mind-blowing, worldwide secret conspiracy of a handful of wealthy elite who are controlling virtually every aspect of our lives.

What is happening instead is far more frightening. The reason we have global conflicts, supply chain issues, labor strikes, public health disasters, each and every humanitarian crisis, and lines out the door is not because of some conspiracy to make things difficult. It’s because of incompetence.

You know this, because you’ve experienced it. You’ve had a boss that clearly had no idea what they were doing. You’ve spent hours on the phone trying to resolve a billing problem that should not have been that hard. You’ve personally seen mistakes that cost people thousands of dollars, or more. And there may be a time that you yourself did something wrong but never faced any consequences.

The crisis we face is not one of a handful of conspiracies, but an epidemic of incompetence. And most of the time, the problem is buried machinery of life. It’s whoever hired that idiot who was your supervisor. It’s the committee that failed to notice the recurring problem in the accounting system. It’s the well-intentioned rule that backfired under real-world conditions.

Government is about as the same as anywhere else. Mostly good people trying to do their best in a broken system. But government is huge, which means the problems are bigger.

And if we’re going to solve the problem, we’ve to to start with the truth. The problem is not a conspiracy. That would be easy to solve: round up the bad guys and put the good guys there instead.

The problem is incompetence. If we can admit that, we can begin to make everything better.

---

[1] http://blog.nuclearsecrecy.com/2013/09/20/worst-manhattan-project-leaks/

I went down to the Indiana statehouse today to attend a public hearing on redistricting. This is the once-every-ten-years process of drawing the boundaries for election maps. Typically, these events will have some opening comments by lawmakers, and then there will be the opportunity for citizens to ask questions or make comments. Usually there’s at least two sides to the topic at hand, with lots of other spin-off issues as well.

Not this time. Instead what happened was the representatives said their names, and then the public made the same comments over and over again for two hours.

Sure, there were some variations. But basically people said they wanted the new districts to be fair. The lines should be drawn so the shapes aren’t all wonky, so that each district is about equally diverse in terms of race, party membership, and so on.

I don’t get the sense, however, that any of the elected officials care about that.[1] Because if they did, they could have already appointed an independent commission to draw the lines. Or they could have already announced their criteria so that when the Census data comes out [2], they would plug it into the pre-announced formulas and walk away. Or they could have commented on the existing districts and their plan to change them.

None of that has happened. Because even though there were over a hundred people at this event, we are not the constituents.

The money is the constituent.

---

[1] With the exception of some members of the party that’s not in power.

[2] That’s tomorrow. As in literally this hearing is being held the day before the U.S. Census Bureau does their data release.

Pick a number: 1, 2 or 3. Remember it, and read this:

We could make ______ illegal. Yes, it would be politically challenging, as people are extremely divided. Those who are for ______ (which includes many corporations and lobbyists) have tremendous political power and resources. Those against ______ would have a hard time getting a majority. We’re unlikely to see any change.

But the worst part is that even if ______ were made illegal, that wouldn’t stop most individuals. People would find a way to ensure that ______ are available and accessible. They would have ______ in secret. And really, the problems that do exist with ______ would continue, but would be harder to study because ______ would be illegal.

So really, banning ______ wouldn’t work. The main effect of changing the law would be to drive ______ underground.

---

Now, go back and substitute one of the following words based on the number you chose, and read that again.

1. Guns
2. Abortions
3. Alcoholic beverages

Feel free to try it again with the other two.

---

This is one of the many reasons that politics is broken. Issues are framed as extremes, and we all know that nothing will change if we’re only focused on some idealized outcome. However:

In truth, we can make real progress on the issue of ______. We can have meaningful discussions about whether or not ______ are a fundamental human right, and if so in what situations. Because even those of us who do think that ______ are an essential freedom that must be maintained, we all generally agree that there are some limits worth at least discussing. For example: should _______ be available to everyone, regardless of their age or mental status?

I know it’s hard to talk about ______ without feeling emotional, especially if ______ have had a deeply personal impact on your life. But we must, in order for us to decide, together, what to do next.

That’s for 1, 2, and 3. And also 4, 5, 6 and thousands more.

Let’s not jump to extremes. Let’s try talking.