Calm Down by Al Sikes

Today’s news and 21st Century rollercoasters seem to be searching for the same thing—the scream threshold. Knowing more about the news, I congratulate the news directors—you/we have succeeded in eliciting a scream from, well almost everybody. 

Opioid addiction, fentanyl deaths, suicides, gender dystopia, educational failure, climate disasters—society seems to be on the edge. And, rebalancing life on the Sabbath is in a long-term decline. 

The thread of societal disruption has wrapped itself around our communal decisions. At the national level, most politicians seem in a brain fog; answers often parrot experts who are actually analysts trying to figure things out. The combination of disruptive elements and “black swan” events (unexpected/disruptive) present novel challenges. Political talking points say, “go big”; the lack of cogent analysis says “go small”. Take the future one step at a time: innovate, test, adapt. 

Globally, the news is double-edged. I begin with the courage of Ukrainians and, in Iran, women who have put their lives on the line. Courage to do the right thing cuts through the fog. And when the war in Ukraine is over, the communal answer will be let’s rebuild and join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Maniacs clarify—people join together to fight them. Mythologists should remove Putin from their lists.

Elsewhere, Sweden is contending with bombers, yes Sweden. According to news reports explosive devices are now paired with guns in gang related warfare.

Cross the North Sea and you will find The United Kingdom trying to reinvent itself with a new Prime Minister and King, while still sorting out post-Brexit. 

South of the British Isles, Italy has a new government—a conservative one. Many commentators are saying Italy’s turn to the Right is grounded in fascism. The Wall Street Journal interviewed some Italians after the election and one who had previously voted on the Left this time voted for Giorgia Meloni, the winning Party’s leader, noted: “She’s not a fascist. There is this terrible habit of labeling as fascist people we don’t agree with.” Pre-judgment is especially discriminatory.  Back at home my wife noted, calmly, “women are winning more and more of the top jobs.” 

My advice, we should calm down. Here are a few improvisational takes.

Inflation will, as it always does, run its course and leave behind well-worn but important lessons. Humanity and households must be prepared for downturns—they happen. The US government cannot spend billions more than it takes in without over-priming the pump. And, as interest rates rise the government’s debt will balloon; there are no rainy day reserves at the federal level.  

There are idealists/zealots of one sort or another who specialize in trying to re-engineer society. They have turned on schools with a pious assertion: “If books or professors disagree with our point of view, cancel them.” Too often schools, ostensibly the centers of learning, are so confused about their mission that they comply. Is the mission to teach or persuade?

And the zealots work is expansive. Their ambitions and conceits seek to sweep aside anything resembling tradition. My quick takes on a few of the louder movements: 

*America was built by immigrants; structure an orderly process that recognizes America’s magnetic history and embrace the migrants who pass muster. Congress’s failure on this front is decades old.

* Green house effects are provable and threatening but we should not try to save nature by redesigning it. Invest in roof-top solar to minimize covering up nature with solar panels. And, invest in nuclear generation and carbon capture.

* Be extremely careful when dealing with youth during the emotional peak in their lives. I can think of few hubristic movements that should be humbler.

* Progress. Education should be understood as the keystone in interrupting generational poverty. Education leaders should be continually innovating, testing and adapting—a monopoly system of delivering education services is not working. If this approach was embraced by conservatives, it would be said to be racist.

I cannot end without going back. Early in my career I represented indigent criminal defendants and still later, as a State Assistant Attorney General, I worked on the prosecution side of the criminal justice system. There are bad people. And, across the full spectrum of people doing their jobs there are bad employees. But, to the social engineers out there making police, prosecutors and judges scapegoats your action is akin to planting a time bomb on a crucial part of society’s foundation. 

And, when it comes to politics, bake some cookies and take them to your neighbors.

Al Sikes is the former Chair of the Federal Communications Commission under George H.W. Bush. Al writes on themes from his book, Culture Leads Leaders Follow published by Koehler Books.