Monday, September 25, 2006

Vast Prosperity Begat "The Mystery" - Repost

One of the more popular local radio shows in the Twin Cities area is called Garage Logic. And one of the running gigs they have is “the Mystery.” “The Mystery” is where you would have people lobbying their city council to ban leaf blowers because of the pollution and noise. Or middle-aged, gray ponytailed Baby Boomers protesting the war on the bridges spanning over the Mississippi. Or overzealous do-gooders passing smoking bans.. At first it seemed to confuse the host so much that I wrote this theory as to explain “The Mystery.” Then it dawned on me that if “The Mystery” were solved, the whole "Mystery" gig wouldn't fly anymore. Kind of like preventing Niles and Daphney from ever getting together. However, I think the insights provided in my explanation does explain these people’s behavior and to a larger extent what ultimately drives liberals. Hope you enjoy.

The epitome of the mystery is that there are people out there who act, say, and believe things that are completely illogical. They then give you an incredibly weak or obscure rationale as to why they do, say or believe such things. This can range from a government worker demanding higher pay when they’re already paid 30% more than their private sector counterparts, to a mob of students destroying the downtown Seattle area in protest against globalization, to an environmentalist claiming that cutting your lawn with a weed whacker emits 2 million pounds of greenhouse gases into the environment.

At first glance they are seemingly unrelated. However, there is a common thread they share and this is the solution, the reason why there is the mystery;

They refuse to adhere to reality because they are lazy.

It is quite a link to claim that an environmentalist who insists a sole weed whacker emits 2 million pounds of greenhouse gases does so because he doesn’t want to adhere to reality because his is lazy, but let me make several daring and dangerous links.

First off, there is a reality. There is a real world. It is the world we all live in, and whether we accept it or not, we have no choice but to abide by it.

Governing this real world are many laws, but two undeniable laws in particular are related to The Mystery;

One, in order for a society to survive they must produce the goods and services necessary for survival and produce them more efficiently should society wish to improve standards of living.

Two, it is human nature to be lazy – i.e. to get more for less.

It is these two undeniable (and diametrically opposed) laws that necessitate an economic system that is based in reality. This economic system must be based in human nature and what they are prone to do, not in human kindness or what we would hope for them to do. It is because of this that capitalism is the most efficient and successful economic system and any attempts otherwise, as evidenced by the former Soviet Union, current day North Korea, former Marxist Ethiopia, Cuba, etc., are bound to fail.

Therefore, capitalism is not debatable, it is reality.

However, capitalism is not infallible and has one great weakness;

It has a tendency to spoil its participants.

Be it a Baby Boomer who had the luxury of growing up during the post WWII economic boom turned 60’s radical, leftist, anti-war hippie, or their modern day suburbanite anti-globalization protestor equivalent, both share a common trait;

They largely owe their unrivalled standards of living, employment, and wealth to capitalism, ie-vast prosperity.

Yet at the same time capitalism is so successful that it effectively shields them from the harsh realities of life. And without having to work, strive or suffer for that wealth, these people, especially when growing up, not only take such high standards of living, employment and wealth for granted, but consider them rights and entitlements.

It is this dichotomy that creates the environment in which The Mystery can form. On one hand, capitalism is providing for the livelihood of an individual. But at the same time spoils the individual so much that he/she can afford to revert back to their lazy human nature and purport the most outlandish theories and ideologies that are not based in reality but rather in their own selfish, human nature desires. This disconnect from reality and intentional ignorance of how capitalism/the real world works effectively allows a person to “have their cake and eat it too.” The result is a person can then live off the system, using whatever excuse or rationale to forego responsibility and hold beliefs or live a lifestyle that runs contradictory to what we Garage Logicians know to be fact, truth, reality and logical.

Having said that, it would seem only spoiled children can be Mysterians presuming that once they entered the real world, and were forced to get jobs to support themselves they would become adults and grow up. However, two things effectively prevent this. One, capitalism is so successful that a good portion of the population can (and in some cases are) being taken care of by their parents’ money well into their 40’s, and some trust fund babies, indefinitely. Two, over the course of the past 30 years, a system has been installed in our society that allows people (wealthy or not) the option of never having to get a real job, with real work, effectively shielding them from the real world for the entirety of their adult lives, namely what I call the “non-private sector;”

Academia, NGO’s, the public sector, non-profit industries, etc.

Thus, instead of real jobs in the private sector where competition inevitably forces production, efficiency, and the reality that one must work hard to succeed, one can now major in philosophy, women’s studies, Hyphenated-American studies, sociology, communications and the uber-Mysterian “peace studies.” And no longer do they have to get jobs as a machinist, an accountant, a doctor, a janitor, a chef, a customer service rep or somebody else that produces and contributes to society. But rather they can become sociology professors, psychology professors, philosophy professors, diversity counselors, grant writers, professional protestors, activists, lobbyists, journalists, career politicians, trial lawyers and a plethora of other equally worthless careers which compose the vast majority of Euphorians’ and Mysterians’ employment.

While this explains the incentives or at least the rationale of the Eurphorians and Mysterians it does not explain why they make such outlandish statements or are so adamant in their protests. Why they are so vocal, and zealous in establishing their cause. Why we see some many examples of The Mystery so frequently. However, this is very simple to explain;

Job security.

Realize the vast majority of these Mysterian careers are NOT demanded by the free market and must be imposed on the taxpayer by force via the government or people must be guilt-tripped into donating money to their cause. Therefore lobbying, protesting, and legislating are part of the game to protect their “industry.” Furthermore, in order to GROW their “industry” they use a technique that provides us with the majority of instances of The Mystery today;

Criminalizing other entities, industries, groups of people, etc.

Tobacco companies, fast food companies, oil companies, white men, rich white men, rich white oil men in Texas, the WTO, the IMF, the military, the CIA, John Ashcroft, big business, capitalism, pharmaceuticals, NAFTA, America, cars, Haliburton, SUV’s, even mold, are all targets of the Mysterians because they represent future or at least potential cash flows in the future, but at minimum, a continuation of their “causes.”

The problem with attacking or criminalizing these groups is that these groups aren’t evil, malicious, or criminal. All things being said they are products of reality and the free market. At worst they are a government policy attempting to respond to reality. The SUV is in response to the demands of a free people in a free market. Unhealthy fat food is in response to the demands of a free people in a free market. The military is in response to the fact people don’t like us and the government attempts to protect us. And rich white men are more often than not the result of hard work, studying, and creativity. And thus, in order to criminalize them Mysterians must fabricate a rationale or reason that is not based in reality, or at best has some really shoddy evidence to support their claim. This is where you see cardiac-arrest-inducing examples of The Mystery at play in the real world:

Global warming exists and is brought on by the automobile.

You are fat because McDonald’s made you that way.

You are poor and your life sucks because of racist, sexist white men.

People who drive bigger cars are endangering those of us who drives SPECS.

This, if for any other reason, is why we have been unable to solve The Mystery. Because we focus on the cause or crusade and its inanity and not what drives the people behind it. Realize, it doesn’t matter what the cause or crusade is because the cause or crusade is fabricated for an ulterior motive. It could just as well be global warming as it is sex discrimination, because the ulterior motive is nothing as noble as protecting the environment or advancing the well-being of women. It’s not about eliminating racism. It’s not about the ethical treatment of animals. The only thing it’s about is the Mysterian. Providing and securing the Mysterian a career for some fabricated cause. Giving them some self-concocted sense of pseudo self-worth. Furnishing them with an utterly hollow rationale that somehow “they’re contributing to society.” In short providing them a lifestyle void of responsibility and reality.

It is nothing as noble as helping 3rd World children and absolutely nothing resembling the real world or the truth.

This is why you have The Mystery. This is why you will never see the NAACP or Jesse Jackson even admit to an improvement in race relations. This is why schools will always be underfunded and will cry bloody murder and child abuse if you just hold their budgets steady. This is why the environment will forever be on the apocalyptic verge of destruction even if we ban the automobile. This is why you can have a women’s studies professor claim she is 100% independent while in reality she is the trophy wife of the public sector. This is why you have Arriana Huffington and Mark Dayton inheriting their money going on political crusades to make themselves feel better. This is even arguably why you have the son of a rich Saudi millionaire flying planes in our buildings to make up for his inability to survive without his Daddy’s money. Simply because people are lazy and do not want to put forth the required effort to face up to and succeed in the real world nor do they want to succumb to a career that they view as “beneath them.” And it is just so much easier to ignore reality, claim you’re a victim, claim you’re a crusader for some “noble cause,” villanize targeted groups, and just outright lie especially when a system is in place to foster and encourage such behavior.

I hope this helps explain The Mystery or at least maybe proposes some new theories about it.

Good luck!

21 comments:

Captain Capitalism said...

I calls zem as I seez sem.

Arcane said...

Indeed, this is the most insightful thing I've read in a long time. I sent it to all my friends!

Captain Capitalism said...

Many thanks! Glad you thought it so insightful!

Frank said...

Dude, seriously, write a book.

Pure awesome, i put a link on my site.

Paul E. Zimmerman said...

Having just broken free of grad school, and having had to put up with more than a reasonable dosage of such people, I agree with your assessment completely. From the leftist professors on down to their brain dead spawn, every "argument" I've ever heard from them, ultimately, had to do with how things ought to be of advantage to their little select group, devoid of all real-world reason or purpose (using some sort of "social justice" excuse, naturally).

In other words, those of us who create wealth should hand it over to them so they can sit in air conditioned offices and "save the world."

jim said...

I hope Joe picks up on this. IF he ever gets back from vacation.

Excellent.

Anonymous said...

Good questions raised.

Exactly what would the Reverend(s) Jesse J. and Al S. have to do if we actually had racial harmony?

And, isn't it interesting that the people protesting the world bank and the IMF are (for the most part) young and without real world responsibilities. Funny how 'globalization' and strife in 3rd world countries fall of the "things that are important" plate when you have a family to feed and a mortgage to pay.

I remember a year or two ago, there was a woman's rights march on the Capitol Mall, and the world bank protests the same weekend. The woman (and men) on the mall varied in age, race, creed, sexual orientation, and econimic status across the board. The average person protesting the world bank was about 21, white, and looked like the product of middle class suburbia.

Captain Capitalism said...

Hell, I've sent it to Joe like 3 times now. That's why I broadcasted it, not necessarily to get it any air time, but just because it more or less solves The Mystery.

Anonymous said...

Hard work and creativity are no match for wealth and political connections. That's reality.

Anonymous said...

Whoa, that is so frickin right on! I am so forwarding this on!

Captain Capitalism said...

A song in response:

"Forward away.

Click away.

Make me money.

So that some daaaaaaaaayyyy!

I can retire.

My boss I can fire.

And take a girl named Bambi

Down ole the Cayman Island waaaaaaaayyyy!

So click away,
forward away,
Please make my day.

Anonymous said...

Bravo Cappy ... I see it too every day and everywhere.

Again, bravo for stating so clearly and so well.

Auntie Liberal said...

Related: It is because the 'adults' have worried about all the hard details, the infrastructure, the wealth creation, the nuts and bolts of society, and it is all done behind the scenes. The lazy liberals don't even know that those things exist, let alone know how to accomplish them. "What do you mean, prospect for iron ore? Don't you just order it from the steel mill?" So much so are they beyond reality that they take all in our society for granted - their little minds wander down a path for something to do. Something easy. "Let's make music, or have a parade, or sit around protesting." Because the wealth of our society has allowed these parasites a luxurious existence, they've never had to think about the nuts and bolts, the reasons why society's rules are the way they are. So their little minds question everything, like spoiled children. "Why can't I behave like this? What rules says I can't? That's an old fashioned rule, and I'm progressive. I'm going to go against society's norms to show you what a free thinker I am."

Wrong. Completely wrong. It shows instead that you've not thought at all.

Anonymous said...

Pure.
Uncut.
Win.

Anonymous said...

So he's a blogger claming journalism is a useless pursuit? Hmmmm...

I see his point - and as a card carrying conservative agree with it - but how well would his version of capitalism survive without free-speech and the medium and personnel to voice it?

The mainstream media, we all know, is a crock of sh*t, so we have blogs to voice our opinion and practice free speech - on of the benefits of democracy and an ESSENTIAL check and balance system so we all aren't put on the skids by the guy the gets the most money the quickest... because in an uncontrolled capitalist environment the guy with the most money will control everyone unless someone is there to say something.

So what he claims as useless jobs and useless members of a capitalist society are actually what MAKE his capitalist society run.

a great concept - poorly delivered.

Anonymous said...

He should sue his parents for raising him so stupid.

Teddy said...

Fun to read and worth thinking about; but as stated by a previous poster, there are problems with this concept.

Still liked it though.

Fearsome Pirate said...

I think your analysis that American "Mysterions" are produced by being spoiled is true. I call this "the other side of the Invisible Hand" and have been planning to write on it for some time. However, there is one side not adequately explained by being spoiled:

The Mystery is alive and well in Latin America.

Now, they don't really have their version of Hyphenated-American studies, but they do believe that socialism can cure their ills. And it's not for a lack of working hard, either. I think they don't realize the degree to which their government's actions have kept them down, they look at how much richer Americans and Euros are and how much their governments provide for them, and see the latter as causing the former.

It is easy to stoke the ire of the poor against the rich. And since the power of socialists is founded on class warfare, they tend to do a much more effective job of propagandizing the poor.

Fearsome Pirate said...

So he's a blogger claming journalism is a useless pursuit? Hmmmm...

Bloggers work for free. Newspapers are going bankrupt because they don't provide a service anyone really wants.

so we have blogs to voice our opinion and practice free speech - on of the benefits of democracy and an ESSENTIAL check and balance system so we all aren't put on the skids by the guy the gets the most money the quickest.

Free speech is necessary because it puts a check on government, not because it keeps people from getting rich.

Anonymous said...

Another description of moochers & looters.

Basically the same as Ayn Rand's definition in Atlas Shrugged.

They exist to take what others produce by force of government, defining their need as paramount.

Comrade_Tovarich said...

Why does anyone ever believe Yassir Arafat (or any other Palestinian "leader") would actually work for peace? If he got it, what would he do? Open a shwarma store, sell souvenirs to visiting Israelis?

I think you've answered the question here.