Words and Numbers
Our incumbent politicians, and bands of political hopefuls are promising the moon, and we, on the receiving end, might want to remember if one person makes a foolish statement, it remains a foolish statement even if a million people repeat it. Although, in this day and age, there’s a kicker to that theory. (It’s a tongue-in-cheek theory, by the way.) If a celebrity says it, or does it, or it comes from television gurus, it is wisdom; wisdom to be followed, worn, copied or cheered.
Numbers are another matter. They’re being bandied about like popcorn pouring out of the popcorn machines in movie theatres. Unlike words, numbers are anchors — they remain the same mathematically, although when creative CEOs and governments get into the act during spouting time they flow so smoothly we forget the immensity of billions and trillions.
We know if you’ve lived a billion seconds you’re 32 years old, give or take a few thousand seconds, but a trillion, now there’s a gargantuan kettle of fish, or dollars.
Even biblical folk didn’t live a trillion seconds, or almost 32,000 years; 31,688 to be reasonably exact.
Looking back in time one trillion seconds ago Neanderthals were wandering around Europe, and, closer to home, our Long Ago People, the Kwaday Kwadun, legends say, were hunting, or being hunted by fearsome giant animals on the great grass-covered plains of Beringia, including the Yukon of the period.
This begs a diversionary question: was Berengia the result of earlier global warming?
Anyway, billions or trillions of our tax dollars being spent on anything should pull us all up short, real short, so short, in fact, were they horses we’d be reining them to full stop.
Apparently we’re still convinced big is good! Big stores, big banks, big financiers, big insurance, big government and big chains of everything, from coffee and donuts to toenail polish.
So, my friendly neighborhood campaigner, cast your eyes south of the border and assure me again how big is good for me?
No, instead tell me how big movers and shakers of everything we use, live in, travel in or consume are “serving” me, when most of the time I’m serving myself. South of the border experience is usually indicative of what’ll happen here. Presently it suggests big is, and has been, good for big, and the rest can work around that premise, or, or, … or watch a life’s work go down the tube.
You see, kind sir, I have a theory, a simple theory, based not on a poll, a study, a committee revelation, a commission, royal or common, just on experience, and personal experience at that, so it’s a little theory: Big forgets Little.
I’m Little.
Little does not matter to Big, even though Big is made up of lots of Little things, people included. Even if Big has a big heart, Big just doesn’t see Little; Big is focused on Big, especially big numbers, big dollar numbers, for the few, and accountability mysteriously becomes the purview of Little, and Little alone.
First impressions suggest trusting our government today is hazardous to our financial and physical health, so, if you’re elected to power tell me how you’ll stop the financial and unsafe-food bells tolling for me and my family?
Answer that to our satisfaction and you’ve got our vote.
Enjoy the final days of the campaign, and here’s a thought from Hank Ketchum to help us wend our way through election promise land: “Flattery is like chewing gum. Enjoy it but don’t swallow it.”
A tip of the hat to the most important people in any election, the voters. Between elections we’re constantly critiquing the incumbents. Now it’s our turn to face the question, do we vote objectively, rationally, for the good of the country as we always advise them to do in the House, or …? Now that is the Question!
