Some common truths aren't commonly understood
Posted: Friday, May 16, 2008
Some common truths most people don’t seem to understand.
Einstein discovered that for every action there is an opposing reaction. The great mathematician referred to the physical forces of nature, but his thoughts today as then apply far further into everyday life. In business, price something too high, people will use less of it. (Yes, even gasoline.) Make a serious enemy and he’ll dog you for as long as he has the strength. Listen to the promises of politicians and you will be deceived.
Great talent in any field demands and gets respect from those who understand it. Those who do not understand truly gifted talent are doomed to idolize those who really have nothing to offer. Charlatans abound in nearly every field of endeavor business, education, medicine, entertainment, leadership, the military, the media. The finer arts are best judged by those who recognize excellence: in sports, numbers determine excellence ratings, the military needs victories; the media generally rates itself, but shouldn’t; good marks in business demand profits; educators without family support suffer bad grades.
Modern media often suffers from plain ignorance, inadequate presentation of facts, a show business mentality, and poor use of language. Its reports on matters of public interest were never perfect through all the eras of newspaper, radio and television domination. As it now stands under new rules of adequacy, the public is unlikely to learn much about current events. If the public doesn’t know what it should, political charlatans are free to do pretty much as they please ... and they do.
A one-minute report on network television on the price of oil and gasoline tells the public virtually nothing informative beyond angst at the pump. And it also exposes them to crackpot ideas peddled by whoever is heard last.
There are those who boast they despise the U.S. military but love those who put their lives on the line in war. In times of conflict all are “the military." The idea any war must be won in five years or less is fully understood by those who challenge us on the battleground. To defeat the world’s largest and best military, all our enemies need to know is our impatience.
The world is a cruel, dangerous place in which to offer our defeat on a schedule.
Our country has enjoyed a very long run of world economic dominance and prosperity, both of which are now in decline. Nothing ever is going to return to what we have called normal unless we learn some hard lessons and apply the right solutions.
Routine unskilled factory work will never again be compensated as grandly as it was for many years in our auto industry, for instance. World trade has pushed us into an acknowledgement of reality. A better educated workforce is our only salvation for competing low-wage workers elsewhere.
Young people who turn their backs on education will sentence themselves to lifetimes of poverty unless they inherit or win a lottery. A few, with natural skills, will do better but likely not as well financially as they think they’re worth.
Schools need to separate students with the academic talent to profit from college, from those who attend universities only because their parents can afford it. Although looked down upon by most college level academics, training for careers and rewarding work are a necessity for post college and high school success. If a student can’t even excel in political science he really needs to think about a trade school.
There is always a shortage of plumbers, electricians, mechanics who usually live well and often play a role correcting impractical ideas spawned by engineers. Those who seek a writing career need to learn the English language inside and out, to develop vocabulary and to have the discipline to express ideas quickly and understandably.
Properly handling money is nearly a lost art. Parents need to teach their kids to make spending decisions carefully and deliberately. A strict allowance plan with mandated saving can teach a lesson a credit card never can. Depending on the circumstances, of course, running a $15,000 balance on a credit card charging 20 percent interest is disgraceful. As is using home equity like a checkbook before retirement.
The people who act carelessly with money are fools. Should the U.S. Treasury be used to rescue them from their folly as some politicians suggest? Absolutely not.
So much for today. Don’t write unless you have some really good jokes on hand.
Dean Krenz is a former publisher of the Journal.
Einstein discovered that for every action there is an opposing reaction. The great mathematician referred to the physical forces of nature, but his thoughts today as then apply far further into everyday life. In business, price something too high, people will use less of it. (Yes, even gasoline.) Make a serious enemy and he’ll dog you for as long as he has the strength. Listen to the promises of politicians and you will be deceived.
Great talent in any field demands and gets respect from those who understand it. Those who do not understand truly gifted talent are doomed to idolize those who really have nothing to offer. Charlatans abound in nearly every field of endeavor business, education, medicine, entertainment, leadership, the military, the media. The finer arts are best judged by those who recognize excellence: in sports, numbers determine excellence ratings, the military needs victories; the media generally rates itself, but shouldn’t; good marks in business demand profits; educators without family support suffer bad grades.
Modern media often suffers from plain ignorance, inadequate presentation of facts, a show business mentality, and poor use of language. Its reports on matters of public interest were never perfect through all the eras of newspaper, radio and television domination. As it now stands under new rules of adequacy, the public is unlikely to learn much about current events. If the public doesn’t know what it should, political charlatans are free to do pretty much as they please ... and they do.
A one-minute report on network television on the price of oil and gasoline tells the public virtually nothing informative beyond angst at the pump. And it also exposes them to crackpot ideas peddled by whoever is heard last.
There are those who boast they despise the U.S. military but love those who put their lives on the line in war. In times of conflict all are “the military." The idea any war must be won in five years or less is fully understood by those who challenge us on the battleground. To defeat the world’s largest and best military, all our enemies need to know is our impatience.
The world is a cruel, dangerous place in which to offer our defeat on a schedule.
Our country has enjoyed a very long run of world economic dominance and prosperity, both of which are now in decline. Nothing ever is going to return to what we have called normal unless we learn some hard lessons and apply the right solutions.
Routine unskilled factory work will never again be compensated as grandly as it was for many years in our auto industry, for instance. World trade has pushed us into an acknowledgement of reality. A better educated workforce is our only salvation for competing low-wage workers elsewhere.
Young people who turn their backs on education will sentence themselves to lifetimes of poverty unless they inherit or win a lottery. A few, with natural skills, will do better but likely not as well financially as they think they’re worth.
Schools need to separate students with the academic talent to profit from college, from those who attend universities only because their parents can afford it. Although looked down upon by most college level academics, training for careers and rewarding work are a necessity for post college and high school success. If a student can’t even excel in political science he really needs to think about a trade school.
There is always a shortage of plumbers, electricians, mechanics who usually live well and often play a role correcting impractical ideas spawned by engineers. Those who seek a writing career need to learn the English language inside and out, to develop vocabulary and to have the discipline to express ideas quickly and understandably.
Properly handling money is nearly a lost art. Parents need to teach their kids to make spending decisions carefully and deliberately. A strict allowance plan with mandated saving can teach a lesson a credit card never can. Depending on the circumstances, of course, running a $15,000 balance on a credit card charging 20 percent interest is disgraceful. As is using home equity like a checkbook before retirement.
The people who act carelessly with money are fools. Should the U.S. Treasury be used to rescue them from their folly as some politicians suggest? Absolutely not.
So much for today. Don’t write unless you have some really good jokes on hand.
Dean Krenz is a former publisher of the Journal.
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Diogenes wrote on May 23, 2008 5:41 PM:
Moderate Observer wrote on May 23, 2008 12:20 PM:
Diogenes wrote on May 17, 2008 4:52 PM:
Who knows why Krenz doesn't know simple high school physics. Did he cut too many classes? Was he too busy complaining about the media even in high school? Did he just forget? He could have looked up the Laws of Motion through Google or he could have opened an encyclopedia.
Trouble is Krenz failed to check his "facts" again. He fails to do that often.
"
Keith wrote on May 17, 2008 8:04 AM:
Globalism disguised as "free trade" has hampered our ability to provide decent living standards for our lower economic strata. Fair trade based upon American values would make Americans as competitive as anyone in the world. Only by accepting the lowering of many bars have our politicians and corporate leadership managed to erode that advantage. We can't be asked to compete with child and slave labor in countries with no standard for safety or pollution. Many of the jobs you have listed are now relegated to new immigrants and we are also being asked to supplement many of those via our safety net. We must find our way back to standards that protect our way of life even if it means protecting our markets. Mixing any substances results in an average that can't benefit the better of those and economies are no different. "
Moderate Observer wrote on May 16, 2008 11:22 AM: