In case you were wondering....
And for those of you wanting to mark your calendar:
November 6, 2012
For those of you that don't know me very well (or who didn't catch the title of this blog post), I have a love/hate relationship with politics. Wow... I said it!
But honestly, who doesn't?
And yes, I do occasionally look at the diploma in my house and see that it does say "Bachelor of Science in Political Science."
I did knowingly attend classes for 5 years to learn about that particular social science.
But I didn't do it for what some would call the 'typical' reasons.
As of this very moment I have no plans to run for any public office nor do I have any secret plots for world domination...
And if you asked my true motivations I would freely admit that I would love to someday change the world. In an unofficial, utilitarian, nonviolent capacity of course.
What's most interesting to me about politics is the understanding of how and why groups of people, governments (and I use the term loosely) in particular, make decisions on behalf of so many other people.
Today I was looking through my twitter account and came across an article by the NY Times and it really got me thinking...
Hopefully it does for you too.
For Want of a Word, Arizona’s Jobless Lose Checks
By: CATHERINE RAMPELL
Published: June 17, 2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/18/business/18benefits.html?_r=1&smid=tw-nytimes&seid=auto
If you don't want to read the article, or just can't find it anymore...
To briefly summarize the article the journalist is pointing out Arizona as one of the few states that have not ammended their state constitution to include employment benefit extensions as allowed by the federal government. The article uses a specific example of a person from Tucson, AZ continuing to struggle in today's job market.
As you were reading this I can only imagine that you're thinking to yourself, "hmmmm... I wonder what party and/or ideology she (meaning me) subscribes to?" **
And who could blame you? I wonder that whenever I read anything too. But that isn't what this post is about.
What I'm asking is so much more than a party or perspective.
I'm still struggling with a way to ask but in it's most basic terms what I'm asking is....
Should every decision be based soley on principles? (ideology, perspective, etc)
Before anyone gets upset I am not picking on any one religion, faith or ideology.
What I'm trying to ask is...
In the decision making process, is there a time when ideology outweighs the well beings of others?
***Should harm be measured? Should life be quantifiable in decision making like curency?
If the odds were against you it would only be natural to oppose anything harmful, to not only yourself but those close to you (i.e. family, friends, etc).
And if either you or someone you cared about was in need wouldn't you want help from just about anywhere? (depending on the situation)
So why does it make sense for people not to care about one another?
After reading this article I began to wonder if there was a 'right' decision to be made.
On one hand there are hundreds (and thousands) of people who are depending on the continued unemployment to pay their bills. I'm not going to debate on whether or not they deserve it. That's not my 'job' to decide.
But on the other hand is it okay for states to just add another responsibility to the federal governments list of expenditures, especially during the current debt crisis? To raise taxes or to cut more federally funded programs?
And just like every complex problem, both options have their shortcomings and benefits. But where does that leave the decision makers? One word, stuck.
And that got me to thinking of another point...
What is worse?
A) Decisions that are being made by those who are biased to the situation.
OR
B) Decisions that are being made by those who are 'oblivious' (or inexperienced) to the situation.
To put it in simplified terms:
As an average, working class person would you rather have...(A or B, see below) making important decisions for you.
A) An average, working class person
OR
B) An 'above average,' upper class person
Most would probably choose A. I know that I would.
But if you looked at many leaders of government, that doesn't seem to be the case.
And while I am not intending to discount education as an experience I believe that first hand experiences are superior and make the most lasting impressions.
If it were up to me and I had the available resources I would....
Research whether it would cost more to extend the unemployment benefits for however long the federal government is proposing OR to not add the extention and to find all of those losing the unemployment to recieve the social services that they would need in its place. And whichever is less, go with that.
Because no matter what, there is a bill. If there's one thing I remember from my economics class it's this, "There is no such thing as a free lunch."
I'm not an economist. I'm not an expert and I don't pretend to be.
I'd like to be (for lack of a better word) a Renaissance (wo)man. So I'm learning as I go.
I don't know all the answers and neither does anyone else here. We've got to find our own.
I just wanted to share a piece of my journey.
The moment I know all of the answers is the moment I don't need to be around anymore.
** For those of you who are curious, I am officially registered as an Independent.
Edited July 1138m, 2011.
And for those of you wanting to mark your calendar:
November 6, 2012
For those of you that don't know me very well (or who didn't catch the title of this blog post), I have a love/hate relationship with politics. Wow... I said it!
But honestly, who doesn't?
And yes, I do occasionally look at the diploma in my house and see that it does say "Bachelor of Science in Political Science."
I did knowingly attend classes for 5 years to learn about that particular social science.
But I didn't do it for what some would call the 'typical' reasons.
As of this very moment I have no plans to run for any public office nor do I have any secret plots for world domination...
And if you asked my true motivations I would freely admit that I would love to someday change the world. In an unofficial, utilitarian, nonviolent capacity of course.
What's most interesting to me about politics is the understanding of how and why groups of people, governments (and I use the term loosely) in particular, make decisions on behalf of so many other people.
Today I was looking through my twitter account and came across an article by the NY Times and it really got me thinking...
Hopefully it does for you too.
For Want of a Word, Arizona’s Jobless Lose Checks
By: CATHERINE RAMPELL
Published: June 17, 2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/18/business/18benefits.html?_r=1&smid=tw-nytimes&seid=auto
If you don't want to read the article, or just can't find it anymore...
To briefly summarize the article the journalist is pointing out Arizona as one of the few states that have not ammended their state constitution to include employment benefit extensions as allowed by the federal government. The article uses a specific example of a person from Tucson, AZ continuing to struggle in today's job market.
As you were reading this I can only imagine that you're thinking to yourself, "hmmmm... I wonder what party and/or ideology she (meaning me) subscribes to?" **
And who could blame you? I wonder that whenever I read anything too. But that isn't what this post is about.
What I'm asking is so much more than a party or perspective.
I'm still struggling with a way to ask but in it's most basic terms what I'm asking is....
Should every decision be based soley on principles? (ideology, perspective, etc)
Before anyone gets upset I am not picking on any one religion, faith or ideology.
What I'm trying to ask is...
In the decision making process, is there a time when ideology outweighs the well beings of others?
***Should harm be measured? Should life be quantifiable in decision making like curency?
If the odds were against you it would only be natural to oppose anything harmful, to not only yourself but those close to you (i.e. family, friends, etc).
And if either you or someone you cared about was in need wouldn't you want help from just about anywhere? (depending on the situation)
So why does it make sense for people not to care about one another?
After reading this article I began to wonder if there was a 'right' decision to be made.
On one hand there are hundreds (and thousands) of people who are depending on the continued unemployment to pay their bills. I'm not going to debate on whether or not they deserve it. That's not my 'job' to decide.
But on the other hand is it okay for states to just add another responsibility to the federal governments list of expenditures, especially during the current debt crisis? To raise taxes or to cut more federally funded programs?
And just like every complex problem, both options have their shortcomings and benefits. But where does that leave the decision makers? One word, stuck.
And that got me to thinking of another point...
What is worse?
A) Decisions that are being made by those who are biased to the situation.
B) Decisions that are being made by those who are 'oblivious' (or inexperienced) to the situation.
To put it in simplified terms:
As an average, working class person would you rather have...(A or B, see below) making important decisions for you.
A) An average, working class person
B) An 'above average,' upper class person
Most would probably choose A. I know that I would.
But if you looked at many leaders of government, that doesn't seem to be the case.
And while I am not intending to discount education as an experience I believe that first hand experiences are superior and make the most lasting impressions.
If it were up to me and I had the available resources I would....
Research whether it would cost more to extend the unemployment benefits for however long the federal government is proposing OR to not add the extention and to find all of those losing the unemployment to recieve the social services that they would need in its place. And whichever is less, go with that.
Because no matter what, there is a bill. If there's one thing I remember from my economics class it's this, "There is no such thing as a free lunch."
I'm not an economist. I'm not an expert and I don't pretend to be.
I'd like to be (for lack of a better word) a Renaissance (wo)man. So I'm learning as I go.
I don't know all the answers and neither does anyone else here. We've got to find our own.
I just wanted to share a piece of my journey.
The moment I know all of the answers is the moment I don't need to be around anymore.
** For those of you who are curious, I am officially registered as an Independent.
Edited July 1138m, 2011.
