Mark Twain said: it’s not what you don’t know that gets you in trouble. It’s what you know, that just ain’t so, that does the trick.
Life constantly presents us with problems. Here are a few followed by a choice of possible courses of action:
- What is better: to know you know nothing about how our systems of government and economics work—or to be certain that you know all there is to know about how they work, and find out you were wrong about everything?
- You are ill. You have a scary pain that could be a heart attack. Which of the following is the wisest course of action?
- Your system of government treats the following seven groups as second-class citizens: the not-male, not-white, not-Christian, not-heterosexual, not-well-to-do, not native-born, and the disabled. Which of the following is the wisest course of action?
- Your nation has the highest level of economic inequality of all developed nations. Which of the following is the wisest course of action?
- School children are being murdered by gunfire while they are in school, at their desks, preparing for the happy day when they will be able to live their own lives and pursue their own happiness. Which is the best course of action?
- The deadly catastrophe of global warming is rushing toward us at an ever-faster rate. Which is the best course of action?
- Most Americans, children and adults alike, do not have equal access to the rights, resources, opportunities, and protections that they need to give them a fair and honest chance to go as far in life as their talents and efforts can take them, which would also give them a fair and honest chance to build long lives for themselves and their loved one. Which is the best course of action?
- Your car engine has a knocking sound. Which is the best course of action?
- See an automobile mechanic?
- See your algebra teacher?
- See your political science professor?
- See a politician?
- See an economist?
- Call 911?
- See a physician?
- Rush to the ER?
- See a systems engineer?
- Join the NRA?
- Call your state senator?
- Call your member of the House?
- Vote in the next primary?
- Vote in the next general election?
- Don’t vote?
- Run for office?
- Watch Rachel Maddow?
- Impeach the President?
- Reject all new ideas?
- None of the above?
Here is a math problem—you supply the answer.
What is the minimum dependable income that would give each American citizen a fair and honest chance to go as far in life as her talents and efforts can take her, and also give her a fair and honest chance to build long lives worth living for herself and her loved ones?
Here is an essay question: Why is our government unable to solve our problems?
Predict the future: Will we survive the onrushing dangers of global warming?
How many of the problems listed above will be, or even can be, solved by politicians or economists?
True or False? If JFK had not been assassinated we would not have had LBJ, which means that we would not have Medicare or Medicaid which means we would not have Obamacare.