Smiling Anyway

July 7, 2026July 8, 2026

The Real Reasons The Social Security Trust is in Trouble

The reality of capitalism, whatever its strengths, is that it can be brutal on individuals. Our history is marred by mistreatment, exploitation, and abuse by companies against their workers and communities. These abuses are as well-documented as they are disturbing.

Early last century, companies writ large discharged workers when they became too old to continue working, after years of paying wages that were barely adequate for daily expenses. It was not a question of employees being disciplined and saving for retirement; they simply weren’t paid enough to be able to save. Old age or poor health often meant poverty so acute that suffering was assured, and the end of life soon followed.

The Answer: Social Safety Nets in The New Deal

During the 1920s and 1930s, the voices of the people were being heard in Washington, D.C. The efforts resulted in the New Deal and included the creation of the Social Security Administration. At that time, people’s well-being was finally put first.

“Among our objectives I place the security of the men, women and children of the Nation first.”

Franklin Delano Roosevelt – June 8, 1934 [1]

The premise of the Social Security System is straightforward: create a Social Security Trust (the Trust) funded by payroll contributions, split between employees and employers, to provide for people during retirement. It was not intended to be a mechanism for getting rich. It was to ensure people could retire without the threat of poverty.

In 1977, the US implemented an automatic increase in the salary cap to which Social Security taxes, or FICA, would apply. [2] In 1983, the Greenspan Commission reworked the SS system to ensure the trust could remain healthy. [3] The basic underpinnings of the plan were:

The wage pool remains about 65% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) [4]
Social Security tax /FICA covers 90% of the wage pool [3]
Wage distribution remains steady, so the cap covers 90% ongoing [3]

At the time, roughly 6% of workers were paid wages that rose above the wage cap. [3]

It is also important to note that health insurance benefits, which are part of the wage pool but not subject to FICA taxes, were about < 3% of the wage pool. [5]

Note on GDP: the GDP is the total value of goods and services produced within a country. Think of it as the country’s collective revenue or sales. The growth in GDP is a combination of increased productivity (i.e., workers produce $ 1,000 of goods per hour in one year, and then $1,050 the next; the productivity increase was 5%). There are components to productivity growth, but that’s the basic idea. The other component is inflation. That averages about 3.7% per year over 50 years. [6]

The Dismantling of our SSA Underpinnings

We are being told by Social Security Administration Commissioner Frank Bisignano and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz, the current administration, as well as companies and many wealthy people, that the SS Trust Fund is running out of money because too many people are reaching retirement age. Their solutions are to tell us to work more years and accept fewer benefits. Their solutions ignore the underlying reasons the Trust is having trouble.

The primary factors in the erosion of trust involve the transfer of wealth from the workers in the wage pool to the wealthier people in the country. This isn’t a left-wing mantra. It’s math. It also has implications beyond SS.

The Proportional Decline of the Wage Pool

When the Greenspan Commission developed the new framework for keeping the Trust funded, a key assumption was that the Wage Pool would continue to be 65%-68% of the GDP. In other words, the share of the country’s income split between companies and workers would follow its historical pattern. That did not happen.

Wage Pool Declined 14% Relative to GDP

1975, it was 65% of GDP. [4]
2026, it was 56% of GDP. [4]

As workers became more productive and the GDP grew, companies increased profits at a much faster rate than wages. By 2024, the Wage Pool was down to 56% of GDP. [4]

More of Wage Pool Consumed by Higher Earners

The Commission’s projections assumed the Wage Pool split would remain stable, allowing automatic caps to maintain 90% coverage of wages. That did not happen.

Social Security Tax Cap Coverage Drops 8.8%

1983, it covered 90% of wages [3]
2024, it covered 82% of wages [3]

By 2024, the FICA wage cap coverage fell to 82%. [3] This happened because higher-income earners saw their wages increase at a faster rate than those of the general working population. We did not see a proportional increase in the number of workers who were raised above the cap.

In 1983, 6% of workers had salaries above the pay cap. In 2024, that percentage was the same. [3] 6% have wages above the cap, and 94% have wages below the cap. The FICA coverage dropped from 90% to 82% because wages were disproportionately funneled to high-income employees.

This had a material impact on the Trust. If a worker earns $50,000 a year and receives a 10% wage increase, the full $5,000 increase is subject to FICA taxes and helps fund the Trust. If an employee earns $1,000,000 and receives a 10% wage increase, none of the $100,000 increase is taxed.

Because the wealthier got disproportionately wealthier, there was a very real negative impact on the Trust.

The Health Insurance Impact

Unlike every other country, employer-sponsored health insurance is part of the US wage pool. But since the insurance premiums are excluded from FICA, money spent on health insurance does not contribute to the Trust. Over the past 50 years, this has negatively impacted the Trust balance.

A relative 100%+ Growth in Health Insurance

In 1975, untaxed Premiums were <3% of the Wage Pool [5]
In 2024, untaxed Premiums were ~7% of the Wage Pool [5]

Health insurance premiums in 1975 accounted for less than 3% of the wage pool. [5] The cost of health care rose faster than the GDP (of which it is a part). As a result, health insurance premiums accounted for about 7% of the Wage Pool in 2024. [5] That is an additional 4% of the Wage Pool no longer contributing to the Trust.

The Trust Could Be Fully Funded & FICA Tax Lower

The Trust funding deficit is about $41B per year. [7] There are several ways to view the three key factors and to address their impact on the Trust funding deficit.

If our experience had matched all the assumptions of the Greenspan Commission, the Trust would be flush. I’ll show the math for these, but here is what was planned that didn’t happen.

If:

The wage pool had kept pace with GDP, FICA tax revenue would be + $190B/year; [8]
The tax cap covered 90% of wages, FICA tax revenue would be + $115B/year; [8]
The Health Care Ins was still 2.7%, FICA tax revenue would be + $50B/year. [8]

If all three remained in the same ratios as 1983, the combined impact would be +$387B / year. [8]

How Much GDP would have to stay in wages to fund the Trust?

With Health Insurance Premiums held at 7% of the Wage Pool and the tax cap still covering only 82%, the Wage Pool’s share of GD would need to be only 58% vs the current 56%. [8]

This would bring the labor from $16.2T to $16.8T, generating an additional $42B to fully fund the Trust.

So, instead of cutting labor share from 65% of GDP down to 56%, if it were 58%, our SS Trust would be fully funded.

Mechanisms Behind the Shift

I am not going too deep into the elements that encouraged the shift. Part of it is the cultural acceptance of the wealthy’s edict and changes to the legal standing of companies and organizations per rulings of the Supreme Court in the 1970’s.

SCOTUS 1976 ruling: Money equals speech – opened the path to unlimited political spending. [9]
SCOTUS 1978 ruling: Corporations have the same speech rights as individuals. [10]
Top marginal tax rate cut from 91% (1960) to 28% (1986), now 37% [11]
Union membership collapsed from 35% to < 10% [12]
Financialization: stock market became the dominant wealth engine
Globalization compressed middle-class wages

The first two points opened the door for corporations, organizations, and very wealthy individuals to influence politicians and legislation in ways average individuals cannot. The changes we’ve seen over the last 50 years have been much more favorable for the upper class and large companies. This is a direct result of their influence on our representatives.

Flexibility for Funding the Social Security Trust

While I looked at GDP as a source of funding for the Trust, the fact is there is plenty of money in the economy to fund the Social Security program. It’s a question of the willingness of those with power and wealth to do so. The fact is, the SS Trust could be easily funded with a $29T GDP. [13] We are talking about $41B.

When the upper class tells you that you are the problem because you don’t work enough, don’t accept it. They are the problem. They made these decisions, diverted GDP, increased their wages, and detracted from the Trust.

Sources

[1] Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library. Franklin D. Roosevelt, message to Congress on the objectives and accomplishments of the administration, June 8, 1934. Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum. https://www.fdrlibrary.org/documents

[2] SSA, Legislative History of Social Security. Social Security Administration. “Automatic Increases in the Contribution and Benefit Base — Legislative History.” 1972 Social Security Amendments introduced automatic annual indexing of the taxable earnings base, first applied in 1975. https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/AWI.html

[3] SSA Policy Brief 2011-02 (Whitman & Shoffner). Social Security Administration. Policy Brief No. 2011-02, “The Evolution of Social Security’s Taxable Maximum,” September 2011. Source for the 1983 Greenspan Commission target of 90% covered-earnings coverage, the drift to ~82% today, the persistence of ~6% of workers earning above the cap, and the cap-to-average-wage-ratio history. https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/policybriefs/pb2011-02.html

[4] McKinsey Global Institute / BLS labor share. McKinsey Global Institute, “A New Look at the Declining Labor Share of Income in the United States,” May 2019; cross-referenced with the Bureau of Labor Statistics non-farm business sector labor share series. Labor’s share of GDP fell from ~65% in the mid-1970s to ~56% in 2024. https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/employment-and-growth/a-new-look-at-the-declining-labor-share-of-income-in-the-united-states

[5] BEA NIPA via FRED (health insurance share of compensation). Bureau of Economic Analysis, National Income and Product Accounts. FRED series B4923C1A027NBEA (Employer Contributions for Group Health Insurance) as a share of A033RC1A027NBEA (Compensation of Employees). Health share of compensation: 2.7% in 1975; 6.7% in 2024. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/B4923C1A027NBEA

[6] BLS CPI-U, 50-year average inflation. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). Compound annual inflation rate from 1975 through 2024 is approximately 3.8% per year. https://www.bls.gov/cpi/

[7] 2024 OASDI Trustees Report. Social Security & Medicare Boards of Trustees, 2024 Annual Report of the OASDI Trustees. The Trust ran a cash-flow deficit of approximately $41 billion in 2023; the trust fund is projected to be depleted in 2034. https://www.ssa.gov/oact/tr/2024/

[8] Section VI math worksheet (2026-07-03). Author’s calculation. Each counterfactual holds all other channels at current values and rolls a single factor back to its 1975/1983 pattern; results are calibrated so the reconstructed 2024 baseline matches actual OASDI payroll-tax receipts (~$1.18T per the 2024 Trustees Report). Underlying inputs from BEA NIPA, SSA Policy Brief 2011-02, and the 2024 Trustees Report.

[9] Buckley v. Valeo (1976). Buckley v. Valeo, 424 U.S. 1 (1976). The Supreme Court struck down mandatory limits on independent political expenditures on First Amendment grounds, establishing the money-as-speech doctrine that opened the way to later expansions such as Citizens United (2010). https://www.oyez.org/cases/1975/75-436

[10] First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti (1978). First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti, 435 U.S. 765 (1978). The Supreme Court held that corporations have First Amendment speech rights in the context of political spending on ballot initiatives, extending the free-speech protections of natural persons to corporate entities. https://www.oyez.org/cases/1977/76-1172

[11] Tax Policy Center historical marginal rates. Tax Policy Center, “Historical Highest Marginal Income Tax Rates.” Top federal marginal rate: 91% (1954–1963), 70% (1971), 50% (1982), 28% (1988), 39.6% (1993), 35% (2003), 37% (2018–present). https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/statistics/historical-highest-marginal-income-tax-rates

[12] BLS union membership series. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Union Members Summary,” annual releases; historical series compiled by unionstats.com (Hirsch & Macpherson). Combined public+private union density peaked near 34.8% in 1954 and had fallen to ~10.0% by 2023. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/union2.nr0.htm

[13] BEA GDP (2024). Bureau of Economic Analysis, National Income and Product Accounts, Table 1.1.5. Nominal U.S. GDP in 2024 was approximately $29.0 trillion. https://www.bea.gov/data/gdp/gross-domestic-product

January 10, 2026January 10, 2026

Minneapolis shooting in a broader perspective

The body cam footage from the ICE agent doesn’t change the underlying issue in this shooting.

As I mentioned in the original post, this may be intentional or it may be because of bad training.

The character of the person shot, Good, is not the issue. When I voiced concern about the shooting, it was not because of some “left” narrative that she is such an upstanding person.

As I try to do but sometimes fail, I focus on what happened, not necessarily to whom it happened.

I mentioned training in the original post for a reason. Law enforcement is hard as hell. I could never do it. Aside from the everyday difficulty, dealing in life and death situations is beyond my character to handle. Among other things, good cops are a mix of integrity, fortitude, and training.

Training is what allows a good cop the best chance to act in a way that aligns with their integrity. In tense situations, the best intention will fall apart without it.

As for Minneapolis, I am going to approach this from the video/tactical perspective first and then touch on my philosophy about governments.

First Video

What I saw in the first video was the officer approaching the car from the front passenger side, crossing over to the front driver’s side of the car. The driver backed up, the front wheels turned to the right (away from the officers) and then started to proceed. As this happened, the officer on the front driver’s side drew his sidearm and fired as the car moved.

Second Video

In the second video, I saw(from the officer’s perspective) the officer in a verbal exchange with the passenger(this was not apparent on the first video). The passenger got into the car as it backed up and as the officer crossed over to the front driver’s side of the car. Then I saw the driver turn the steering wheel to the right, away from the officers and start to move forward and contact the officer with the driver’s fender – more a sound than a visual – (“clipped” the office is how I’ve heard it described), at which point the officer’s camera dropped.

There are two things that jump out at me about this situation.

First:

There are various considerations around when there is a use of force, and why that situation arose.

As late as 2025, SCOTUS has ruled that the immediate situation alone (car moving toward an officer) cannot be the only determinant in whether deadly force is allowable, what is called the ‘moment-of-threat” rule cannot be applied. Rather the totality of the situation must be considered.

One of the factors the courts look at in totality is if the officer using deadly force created or significantly contributed to the situation that posed the threat. “Officer-created-jeapardy” does not justify use of deadly force.

This is one of the reasons I mentioned training.

There are a lot of training sources for law enforcement. But, common among them, and in particular at the federal level, are tactics around safety and de-escalation. Among these: Don’t place yourself in front of a vehicle (this is “officer-created-jeapardy”); if possible, step out of the way of a moving vehicle (de-escalation); don’t fire at a moving vehicle (there are cases in which the vehicle posed a threat to the public, thus allowing force).

Assessing and reacting to a situation like this, for the average person, is nearly impossible. But, officers aren’t supposed to be average. Their training is supposed to make them far better than average.

You may not like the rules around use of force, but they are there, and until changed, we should expect them to be followed.

Second:

The timing of the firing was after the officer was “clipped” and while the driver was trying to flee. He wasn’t firing to prevent contact. There was no threat of additional contact.

We can disagree about the intention of the driver; but the timing of the shots was after the contact and while the vehicle was moving away.

Based on both videos, I will contend that the contact was unintentional, and was clearly not life-threatening. But, with adrenalin and literally no time to assess, an officer in the moment may not be able to realize that. This is why training is so important.

My perspective on Government.

The government and its agents hold all the power.

We have a Constitution that is supposed to provide guardrails in the use of that power. The Constitution guides the making of our laws by Congress, and the courts assess if those laws and the implementation of those laws, abide by it and the amendments to it. The Executive branch implements the laws and is the only branch that has the capacity to “take action,” or have a direct impact on the citizens through its various agencies.

For 250 years, we have operated on the honor system. If the leaders in government decide not to abide by the rules, there is little the citizens can do about it. When Congress passes a law, or the courts make a ruling, the Executive branch is supposed to abide by these. But there is no mechanism to ensure that it does. Up to now (for the most part and with a few exceptions), administrations have honored this approach.

Over the past year, the administration has openly defied the laws passed by Congress and the rulings of the courts. I have posted on this ad nauseum on FB, with specific examples of violation of court rulings and Constitutional amendments. The President openly states that his only limit is his own morality. From this perspective, the rule of law no longer exists.

So, when a situation like Minneapolis arises, we have to ask the question, “Is this a training issue, or is there a strategy behind these escalations?”

This is beyond me and my personal interest. I am old enough that I may not live long into the repercussions of this administration’s disregard for the rule of law. I do, however, seriously question if my descendants will live in a free America.

December 18, 2025December 18, 2025

Private Equity’s Real Strategy

The theory behind capitalism and free markets is the better allocation of resources based on supply and demand. It can be rough and painful at times, but with proper guardrails, it has worked well for us.

The key to the social benefit of capitalism is that it is balanced with regulations. It is hard to argue, given our history, that unregulated capitalism is good for society. From horrid working conditions of the early 20th century, to mass poisoning and pollution through the mid to late 20th and continuing (Superfund Sites now), to the financial abuse (mortgage industry meltdown that took the global economy with it), and a host of other one-offs, there is no shortage of examples of unregulated or even illegal activity in unfettered capitalism to demonstrate the harm it can do.

Over the past couple of decades, a new threat to our societal good has emerged. In some sectors, it is a nuisance; in others, it is outright dangerous.

Private Equity companies can help businesses. They can provide an exit for owners, a consolidation option in a diminishing market, or a source of capital and expertise for quick growth for struggling companies. Generally, the PEs find undervalued private companies (or companies to bring private), resource them and then sell them with a relatively quick turnaround.

This is good for society… at least I think it is. But things have gone sideways.

The annoying part is when the PEs buy up many small private companies in a sector within a geography, then reduce service and increase prices. When the PEs do vertical integrations, they also force business through other companies in their portfolio that you would not work with otherwise.

We see this with veterinary services in our area. Prices are going up, and service has been much less. This is annoying and I’d rather not have to deal with it. But, if a Vet wants to sell their practice to a PE so they can retire, who am I to stop them?

Unfortunately, it does stop at just being annoying. It is getting abusive in physical, financial, and societal ways.

PEs have been abusing laws designed to manage risk and protect those who take it. They purchase a company, drain the cash, drive up debt, sell off valuable assets, and then declare bankruptcy, leaving suppliers, customers, and other stakeholders with receivables that will never be seen.

This isn’t a case of a bad strategy, poor execution, or a poorly run business. The strategy is perfectly sound, well executed, and has absolutely nothing to do with running a business well.

Private Equity:

The PE firms have every intention of taking on services without paying for them.
The PE firms have every intention of acquiring revenue for services with no intent to deliver.
The PE firms have every intention of maxing out lines of credit with no intention to repay.

In this strategy, the Private Equity firms add no value to the economy or society. Their goal is to extract, even steal is an appropriate verb, money with the sole purpose of funding their next theft for even greater returns.

In any industry, this abuse of the system should be illegal; it is fraud that has been legalized through the inaction of our legislators to regulate. At the very least, they should be excluded from bankruptcy protections.

One of the challenges is that, through the creation of legal entities, individuals responsible for this fraud are not culpable. You simply can not find a venue to go after them. So, while patients at nursing homes suffer real physical and emotional harm because of these PE strategies, there is no recourse.

There is an effort to prevent PE firms from continuing this financial abuse, which leads to real harm. This effort is focused on the healthcare industry. While the argument for consolidation is that it will create efficiency and reduce costs, the experience is the opposite. This is particularly true with PE companies.

November 8, 2024November 8, 2024

Social Programs vs Socialism and The Political Lies

We have a funny confusion in our country. People vote as if the President controls the economy. We hear candidates make promises to reopen the coal mines, keep family farms open, lower the price of gas, and on and on. While they have no control over these things, we vote as if they do.

A (mostly) Free Market Economy

We have a “free” economy. The government does not control it. At best, the Fed can implement monetary policies that mitigate the swings. But, in a free economy, the markets dictate the price of gas, the demand for coal (yes, government regs impact demand, but at a policy level, not a control level), and the struggles of family farms are exacerbated by corporate mega farming.

The US does have subsidies to help specific industries. There are farm subsidies, energy subsidies, and so on. These help individual businesses (usually big businesses). They do not control the economy.

In fact, these programs are an admission that the government doesn’t control the economy. If it did, subsidies would not be the primary mode of helping sectors; we’d simply redirect the economic efforts.

If a President could control the economy or significantly affect it through normal governmental operations, that would be Socialism.

We have a free market economy (mostly.) It swings, and as it does, people get hurt. To help, we have social programs.

Having Social programs to mitigate the pain of a free economy is not Socialism; it’s compassion.

The irony of our recent election

For many decades, regions of our country have been suffering. Textile workers, miners, farmers, and manufacturing have all been hit by globalization. Our government has done little to help them truly. In part because the real answers are complex.

Instead, we elected the Candidate who said, “I’ll fix it,” and “Only I can fix it.”

He can’t. For decades, we’ve heard this and nothing.

What makes it ironic is that one of the things the government can do is expand social programs to aid people in transition. It’s not a fast answer. It’s not easy. It’s not simple.

It would take multiple administrations of consistent policies (see how Germany managed the demise of its coal mining industry), people willing to accept the reality (rather than a hollow promise), and a country willing to help its citizens.

Why is it ironic? Because the same party that is elected to “solve” the problems is a champion of reducing social programs and demonizes them as “socialism.”

The only tool they could use is not (and should not be) available to do what they promise is Socialism. And yet they demonize social programs that they could use, incorrectly labeling them as Socialism.

January 25, 2023

Anger: It takes a great deal of energy, but no effort.

We see people getting angry everywhere. From road rage to social media, to news channels, anger is everywhere.

Perhaps it’s because it takes no effort to be angry. We don’t have to think. So many others are angry, even egging us on the be angry too. It’s very easy to get angry.

Being angry takes no effort.

It does take a lot of our energy, though. It leaves us with little energy for anything else that actually requires effort.

The sad thing about anger is that it seems to provide its own jump start. We don’t need to have the energy to get angry. We can be dead tired, and still, some story manages to infuse us with the energy to start being angry all over again.

It really is like a drug.

And like a drug, anger can consume us. We need it to become energized. We seek it out.

How else can we explain the amount of time we spend watching cable “news” programs?

Cable “news” is like the crack den for anger junkies.

And like drug dealers, the networks know how to hook their users, getting them to come back for another fix.

Being happy requires effort, at first.

Like any new habit, you have to be intentional as you develop happiness.

The first step is perhaps the hardest. Stop engaging with the anger dealers. Turn off cable “news” and block peddlers of anger in social media (or just stop social media altogether.)

Next, find joy in the little things. Seek out music that makes you smile or just feel good. Talk to people who have positive energy. If the sun is out, face the sky and smile. Look for the flowers, or the art, or the laughing child. Find the things that make you smile, even just a little.

Once you start making a habit of looking, you’ll find all sorts of things that can make you smile.

Before long, you just smile more with no extra effort. You may even become the one who helps others to smile.

The habit starts with effort and soon becomes a part of you.

You have the control not to be angry. It just takes a bit of effort to start.

August 4, 2022August 4, 2022

We’re not being tested. We’re being taught.

For years I’ve struggled with the western perspective that we are being judged or given a test by a divine being. A test where passing means heaven and failing means eternal damnation. A test for which we are (all) wholly unprepared.

Indeed, those who adhere to their religions will say that we are taught through the scripture. But, I hope these adherents understand that all of us who have not received the calling through divine inspiration are left wanting. Which scripture is “The Scripture”? Whose interpretation of “The Scripture” is correct (if, indeed, any scripture is correct)?

Imagine a math class taught by half a dozen teachers. Each has a degree in mathematics, though from a different university. And all of them give you different answers to “what is 2 + 2”?

2+2 = 6

2+2 = 25

2+2 = 99,323,233.324224225

2+2 = 33,333

2+2 = 432

2+2 = 948,499

All of these are wrong. But, that doesn’t stop some from proclaiming an answer of such ridiculous precious that only the most delusional among us would accept it.

While the correctness of a math problem is objectively provable, the desire or intent of a divine being is not (I’ll not dive into the question as to whether there is or is not a divine being.)

So, in the absence of absolute certainty in the desire of what God wants, I find it implausible that She would allow our ignorance to be so great as to render our chances of going to heaven or hell simply a matter of which religion we chose to follow, or even worse, to which we were exposed. In other words, She would not allow our entry to heaven to be a crapshoot.

The journey

The feeling that today’s western religions don’t have the answer is just one stop on a lifelong journey to understand why we are here. I wouldn’t aggrandize it to say finding the “meaning of life,” but to try to understand the great disparities in the lives I see. Why am I so privileged, and so many suffer so greatly (I don’t have a clue.)

The answer of “it’s all part of a grand plan” that is commingled with “God is a merciful and compassionate God” just rings hollow. An omnipotent being capable of absolute power and compassion simply wouldn’t allow such a random distribution of benefits.

Not that I don’t think this disparity is part of something bigger, but I don’t think it serves the purpose of a deity. I simply do not understand.

Jumping into the deep end

Sometimes, however frightening it may seem, the best way to learn is by doing, or in our case, living. If we keep our eyes and hearts open, we can see when our words or actions hurt or truly help others. We can learn if we are open to it.

But to learn, we must admit we don’t know everything and become comfortable with our ignorance. Ignorance is not a permanent state of being if you are aware and willing to learn.

Sometimes I feel like we swim in water too deep to touch the bottom. We can learn. We must learn. But as we do, it is scary.

It makes more sense that we are here in the process of learning to swim, not to swim or drown.

The Fallacy of “In the Name of”

What is fascinating is the institutional control over what it means to be a good ______(fill in your blank.) Across patriotism, fanaticism, religion, you name it, there is an organization of people telling you what it means to be a good _________, while insisting that it is a higher being whose ‘word’ they are sharing.

In the world of western religion, we find the interpreter’s role to be acutely controlling. After all, failure to accept their word as the “Word” will result in internal damnation.

Blindly following the dictates of some mortal authority in the name of a deity ensures that we remain in perpetual ignorance. So long as our actions align with their direction, all consequences can be justified, all responsibility removed.

Over millennia, we see unspeaking pain imposed on others being justified in the name of “saving soles” or the “greater good.” It is amazing how ferociously, in the name of the “Prince of Peace,” people have inflicted unimaginable violence and pain.

Today, “developed” nations continue to inflict pain in the name of a higher power. We justify discrimination, sexism, and racism, all of which impose pain on others. We justify it through a faulty interpretation of a faulty text people wrote over a thousand years ago.

Following institutions that wield authority “in the name of” is the surest way to shortcut rational considerations and to justify cruelty.

Where does this leave us?

Is your next word, or action, going to hurt someone now?

Forget everything else. Just answer the question.

Is shunning someone because they are gay going to help them or hurt them?

Is alienating a teenager, struggling with all the normal teenage angst compounded by gender identity questions going to hurt them?

Is your vision of the afterlife so certain that you can justify inflicting pain on someone who does not share your visions or who really needs help?

I don’t know what will happen tomorrow. I certainly don’t know what the afterlife holds. But, I do know that, here, now, we have the power to help someone or hurt them.

We should choose help.

August 11, 2021August 11, 2021

Work for yourself, even if you’re in a big company

Google is looking to cut the pay of remote workers.

No, not hire remote workers at lower pay. But, those workers who went remote during COVID and they and their bosses realized they can do the work just as well if not better. The workers who had an agreement with Google about their pay. Yeah, they’re looking at a pay cut.

From NY to Seattle, Google is saying that since you are no longer communicating 2 hours each way, your pay should be based on the town in which you live… the one in which you’ve been living since you started working at Google.

Google places its office in expensive downtown locations. By letting employees work remotely, they can cut office space and save money. However, they are maximizing profits by minimizing costs for employees as well, if they can.

Employees are just assets

Once again we are reminded that employee loyalty to a company is unwarranted, particularly in large companies.

We get sucked into the “my boss is a great person” trap, attributing the attitude of the boss to the company.

Large companies, public companies particularly, are designed to do one thing, make as big a profit as possible. They will quickly and easily let employees go, cut their hours, reduce the benefits, and cut the pay of the can.

This is not a slight on big companies, but an acknowledgment of their reality. It is what they are.

Google can reduce costs by reducing workspace in high-rent markets if they allow employees with long commutes to work at home without a penalty. But, they’ve come up with this BS notion that they will cut pay based on where the employee lives.

The value of the work to the company hasn’t changed. The value of the employee to the company may actually improve. But, the business decision is to seek to reduce costs. That is great for Google and its shareholders. Not so much for employees.

Lesson: Do what you have to do for your good and the good of your family. Google, any large company, will be fine if you have to make changes. The days of the “lifer” are long past.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-58171716

January 16, 2021January 16, 2021

Sea lions are suffing giant waves

This is awesome! These sea lions are having a blast surfing the giant wave. Taken off the coast on Santa Barbara Island, California, this is crazy cool footage.

This is part of the Pacific Offshore Expeditions. Watch as these sea lions take the waves, jump out, and dive back in. It’s a rare catch to get this on video.

July 31, 2020July 31, 2020

The Past Month Should Not Have Been Eye-Opening

This is a repost of what I wrote for SMARTMD in June 2020.

What we’ve seen, we’ve been seeing for centuries. With technology evolving over the past decade, we’ve seen it with devastating clarity, but the story is the same.

A person is killed because of the color of their skin. They are targeted because they are black. They are treated harshly because they are black. And, ultimately, they are killed because they are black.

We say “Black Lives Matter”, and we think “of course Black Lives Matter.” But, it’s not that simple.

The foundation of our county was laid and nurtured for centuries at a time when Black Lives were not a consideration aside from their value as chattel. If this makes you uncomfortable, good. It should. It’s your humanity showing.

The issues of race in our country are deep and difficult. With many not even being aware, we have operated within a racist system. One where individuals of good conscience unwittingly perpetuate racist constructs. Think about things like standardized testing, financial redlining, policing techniques, or school financing to name a few. These things can’t be changed overnight. But, they must be changed.

The question many ask: “What can I do?”

The first thing we need to do is get comfortable being uncomfortable. The conversations we need to have are not easy. The realities we need to face can be gut-wrenching. For decades, people have avoided dealing with the issue of race because it is difficult. But, if we care as much as we profess, then the clarity of the story brought to our conscience by modern technology means we can no longer justify our inaction with falsely comforting thoughts like “it’s not that bad,” “it doesn’t happen that often,” or whatever other narratives we’ve clung to. It is that bad. It does happen often. It does happen in my town.

The next step, keep (or start) talking. Getting to know people and their experiences is an important step. Empathy is a powerful motivator. But, you have to be exposed to the realities of others. Conversations are the gateway to understanding and empathy.

By engaging people regularly, each conversation becomes less difficult. Not because the topics get easier, or we become numb. It gets easier because we get to know people better, more deeply, and our motivation, our empathy gets stronger.

These hard conversations, the ones that make you uncomfortable, also make you stronger. They make your connections stronger. They give you the strength and motivation to do what’s next.

When you see something, say something. Inertia is tricky. Little things can lead to big things and this goes in both directions.

Letting things go, whether off-handed comments or plainly racist comments, gives tacit permission to the speaker to continue to speak (and think) in racist terms. It gives others who hear permission as well. It gives other listeners (and yourself) permission to accept the unacceptable.

Addressing things as they happen drives the wave in the other direction. Perhaps the speaker will check not only their words but their thoughts going forward. For those who hear and say nothing out of discomfort or fear, they will see that they are not alone. They will see that we can challenge the thoughtless or outright racist comments.

In numbers, there is comfort and courage. But, someone has to initiate the wave.

Do Something.

This often trips people up. We get tied up because we don’t think there is much we can do. We think the problem is so big, no actions we take will affect anything.

The problem is big. It is ingrained. It is going to require us to overcome inertia to make things happen. So, don’t start trying to move the whole mountain. Use what you have, and start there.

The Vote

We all have the power of the vote. Use it. Be aware of candidates’ positions on policies and institutions and vote for those who align with your beliefs. Policymakers have to be on notice that racial injustice is not an issue that you will let get brushed under the rug.

Once you’ve voted, follow policies locally, state-wide, and nationally. Write letters, send emails, and make calls to encourage representatives to follow up on promises made. Don’t stop with the vote. Hold them to task.

The Workplace

There is no single answer to the workplace.

Some organizations do really well in promoting diversity. If you are fortunate to be employed in such a place, be vocal about it. Share your experience to encourage other companies to follow suit. Spreading the word about your company will show support for the policies and be an example for others.

If your company is lacking, bring up the topic. It doesn’t have to be contentious. Racial diversity, opportunity, and proactive policies are good for companies. Broach the topic with management or human resources. Have specific items that can be addressed, and be prepared to participate in creating the solutions. Don’t just complain, help with positive actions.

Social movements

There are organizations in almost every community that you can join to help publicly promote policies, address social issues, or help disadvantaged groups. The extent of your activity will be based on the organization’s mission and your role. Look for those whose focus aligns with your passion.

Want more ideas? Here are some real-world examples from around the country…

From every level, people are taking action. From pointing out issues to creating programs to directing investments, we are seeing actions all around. These aren’t all monumental steps. But, they are all important steps.

Point out areas that need to be addressed

harvard medschool protest

Medical Students Highlight lack of diversity and mistreatment.

LaShyra Nolen, a first-year student at Harvard Medical School, works to bring mistreatment to the forefront of the administration’s priorities.

2. Create programs for the disadvantaged

Leading the way to bring healthcare, and health education to Houston’s poor communities, Ashley Howard works to end the health outcome disparities in minority communities.

Read…

Standardized testing has a bias against poor & minority communities, making entry into the healthcare profession difficult. Monash University has developed a program to address this by relying more on interviews and personal traits to determine entrance to the program.

3. Directing investments & marketing

We see some civic and company leaders taking a stand. Some are driven by their conscience. Others, by the market (why #1, pointing out issues, is so important). Here are some examples of money talking and leaders directing.

Major companies that have long supported racist brands are finally coming to terms with overdue change. And so is the public that has long accepted them. Though too long in the making, the tide is turning and companies not willing to face the uncomfortable truth will find themselves on the wrong side of history.

Access to capital is a challenge for any business. But, Black-owned businesses have an exceptionally hard time getting loans, and the loans are at a higher interest rate than their white male-owned business counterparts. Civic leaders and local business communities are taking steps to rectify this issue.

4. Being a thought leader/voice

There are people who have only their voices, but they are powerful voices. You don’t have to be a celebrity or national figure. Local voices initiate change that can become national. Little things lead to big things.

Dan Dunlop speaks up on the health outcomes disparity that is based on race and calls on us to change. His white paper is an example of the growing chorus calling for change.

Marcus Whitney, a Nashville based healthcare entrepreneur, calls on other healthcare leaders to lift up Blacks among the ranks of senior executives and investors. As a leading Black investor, his voice is sought out and heard.

Final thoughts

Racism has lived long in our country. It has done so because too many people have been too afraid to speak out, to have conversations, and to speak their hearts. We can be better than we are. We can be what our hearts and souls know we should be.

Perhaps the past month has been eye-opening in some way. We have seen more courage from quarters that would have been silent just a decade ago. We have seen a force that challenges the inertia of systemic racism in new, and profound ways.

Our streets are filled with people of color and white people in the same group, not on opposing sides. Though not enough, we did see areas where law enforcement put down the shields and weapons and joined demonstrators in the streets. We are seeing companies take a stand with the people. We are having large, public conversations, and small intimate conversations about race and our responsibilities in correcting the wrongs.

The tide of racism is still on the move. But, many have joined the opposing movement. Though small at the moment, we have glimpsed it’s power to make change. We have seen that we can stand against the racism ingrained in our systems, and even instilled in our own thoughts.

As we continue the conversations, the small steps, and perhaps even some big steps, we will see the number of people joining the movement against racism grow. It will lend courage for others to follow. Solutions will not come swiftly, but they will come.

October 31, 2019

Paths that come together

Your happiness depends on no other; the responsibility is yours alone.

But recognize when your path to happiness joins the path of another, that is when the magic happens.

The highs are much higher and the lows are much softer.

Where these paths join together is where love happens.