What if you had the choice of two futures!

Lets look at fictional John’s choices:

In one future John’s prospects were bleak, he had a hum drum office job which seemed to be going nowhere, his dreams of business success were slim.

In the other future he would be a very successful businessman making loads of money and he was guaranteed to be happy!

The first future would be in the REAL world, the second would be in a virtual-reality environment.

Once in the virtual-reality machine you think you are in the real world but it is just that in this future you are a complete winner and everything goes right! Life is great!

BUT, John holds back from entering the machine.

He thought life in the virtual-reality world would be bogus and unreal!

But why should an AUTHENTIC REAL life, with its ups and downs, be preferable to a bogus happy one?

In the REAL world you would become someone on MERIT and LUCK, where in the VR machine you are a winner automatically!

Maybe you would be better off in the VR machine because in the REAL world success depends so much on LUCK.

Were you born in the right place and at the right time?

Were you blessed with the abilities to get your success?

Do you know the right people that could help you get ahead?

So, it probably would be better NOT to be at the mercy of Lady Luck, when you could choose to be successful and happy automatically in the VR machine. RIGHT?

NOT REALLY!

When you think about it, we would rather determine our own futures by our WILL and EFFORTS.

So, in the long run, when we consider what’s in our best interests, we care for more than instant success and happiness.

We want to create our own journey!

Goodbye to the VR machine!

Bring on the HARD WORK!

REJOICE!!!

Computer A has just won the election and will be the new leader in the White House!

In the past leaders and cabinet ministers who knew little about economics or other subjects were trusted to make decisions.

Could a computer do better?

Computer A will be able to determine the effects of policies on the general happiness of the electorate.

It will remove humans from politics altogether!

What a scenario that is!!!

Do you find it creepy?

Well, whether we realise it or not, we put our trust in computers all the time.

Computer run our finances in the bank.

Computers run railways and plane flights.

So computers could also run our economy.

Economists rely heavily on computer models and predictions already.

Could a computer get rid of politicians altogether?

Well, getting rid of humans altogether is NOT easy.

The problem is that the GOALS need to be set for the computer and this is done by humans.

There are many grey areas in political decisions.

For example: One policy might make many people happy at the expense of a minority of the population.

Or we might prefer a less happy society where no one has to live a miserable life.

A computer can’t decide which of these outcomes is better, only we can do that.

Also, what we desire changes with circumstances.

The richer a society becomes they might feel obliged to help others in less prosperous countries.

Computers can’t decide this.

Even if a computer knew what we wished there would be questions–such as:

Should a democratic society simply follow the will of the majority or should the opinions of the minority also be taken into consideration?

Maybe someday computers will take over most of the political decision making.

BUT…I don’t see how they could decide what is best for the electorate and get rid of all the politicians forever.

What do you think?

Do As I Say, Not As I Do!

An environmental activist was preparing a paper on global warming.

He was going to tell his audience that commercial flights pump more Co2 (carbon dioxide) into the atmosphere in ONE YEAR than all of Africa does.

He would tell them that ONE long-haul flight is MORE polluting than 12 months of car travel.

So, if you want to save the Earth, you have to cut down on your air travel or use other forms of transport.

Just then the air-stewardess asked him if he would like some wine.

HYPOCRISY!!!

No, says the activist.

He said his flights have a negligible impact on the environment.

What he is proposing is MASS change in air travel.

His flying around the world telling people about climate change was needed as part of the solution.

His refusing to fly would be a hollow gesture.

THIS IS A CONUNDRUM!!!

If individual contribution is insignificant, so it doesn’t matter on way or another BUT, it would matter if everyone felt the same way.

The activist thinks you can reconcile the two thoughts.

What you have to do is persuade a large number of people that their contributions matter.

So, the collective effort works, NOT the individual one!!!

There’s an ethical thought here: You have to apply the same rules to your own conduct as you do to others.

If he advocates reducing emissions, he cannot make exception for himself!

This reminds me of another case of “Do As I Say, And Not As I Do.”

Lets say a father tells his son:

“Don’t smoke, it’s bad for you.”

“But you smoke a pack a day!”, says the son.

“Yes, but I don’t want you to make the same mistake!”

SOUNDS LIKE A PERFECTLY REASONABLE REQUEST TO ME.

Both of the above are very frustrating to say the least.

When elections arrive, we have to make choices and even NOT making a choice is itself a choice!

If you are a member of the electorate in a democracy, lucky you.

That means you are in POWER all the time and no election can get rid of you.

The downside is that you are always on duty!

Isn’t it wonderful that we are able to elect representatives to do some of the worrying for us!

Maybe they are important after all! Your Call.

By the end of this blog you can make your decision!

Define-Politics:

The activities associated with the governance of a country or area.

Debates between parties having power.

Elected representatives making decisions that apply to members of a group.

Define-Politicians:

People who are professionally involved in politics, a holder of an elected office.

The purpose of politics is to distribute power among all of the politicians in a party.

What is the “balance of power?”

It is an equilibrium of power sufficient to discourage or prevent one nation or party from imposing its will on another or interfering with another’s interests.

Why is politics important in a society?

When people live together in groups, they must agree on a set of rules because conflicts arise.

Politics is the mechanism in which people can set those rules, or modify them as circumstances change.

So politics is important in society because the people’s rival views and interests must be reconciled by compromise and negotiation.

Politics help people get along under various constraints.

In a group there is diversity (we are NOT all alike) and scarcity (there is never enough to go around), so politics tries to sort it out.

Politics has evolved from monarchy and dictatorship to democracy, where people vote.

Now everyone knows they have rights and politics is a way to get those rights.

Politics is the science of optimum allocation of resources for the benefit of everyone.

Sounds good!

How does politics affect individual life?

The individual has to be educated and informed about the issues of the day because they affect them.

There is a lot of political manipulation and deception going on.

This happens when politicians promote their own agenda which l lot of the time is not good for the ordinary person.

The common man pays taxes and the government uses the money hopefully to improve the individuals life.

We need to know how our money is being spent.

That’s why the individual has to involve themselves in politics.

What’s important to know about politics?

A lot of politicians are elected on their personality, NOT on the words they speak or the promises they make.

So, politics is a popularity contest instead of an intelligence contest, although saying that, I believe and hope most candidates for political office have above-average intelligence.

Some points to remember about politics:

Politics can’t work without COMPROMISE, if a person is unable or unwilling to compromise, they shouldn’t go into politics.

There is NEVER going to be a SOLUTION which makes everyone happy.

Doing the most that can be done with the least cost to others is the most you can hope for.

The BEST people for the job rarely go into politics.

The strains and demands of the job plus a public that is rarely satisfied is too much for most people.

Some corruption will exist in any political system.

There is NO such thing as a “perfect political system.”

In conclusion:

I’ve thrown a lot of thoughts about politics. into the pot.

What do you think, IS THE POT BOILING?

Can we trust politicians of the political process?

Are politicians masters of the Dark Arts, conniving and stirring up trouble for their own ends and expecting us to swallow the concoction OR do they switch between white hats and black hats? Your call.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF TODAY!!!