do we really know what we want

Do “we” - that’s you and me – really know what we want . . . ?


There is a great difference between knowing and understanding: you can know a lot about something and not really understand it. … Charles Kettering

We say we want clean air, safe drinking water, quality education, clean elections, affordable and efficient health care for everyone, healthy food, more fuel efficient automobiles, social justice, religious freedom, free speech, full disclosure and much more. But do we really . . . ?

How does one measure not only our stated intent in the moment, but the efficacy of our intentions over the longer term…? One possibility (and you may well conjure up many others) to borrow a metaphor from personal coach and lecturer, Seattle based Lou Tice, is to determine our “attitude” (as used and defined in aeronautical terms) on each of these topics and subjects. “Attitude,” in aeronautical terms, is the direction in which the plane is said to be leaning or moving, i.e., either leaning or moving towards or away from a particular destination. As “attitude” relates to you and me, it defines whether we are consistently moving in a positive manner towards a goal or consistently moving in a negative manner away from any goal. Is our personal and/or collective “attitude” on each of these topics negative or positive…?

I dare say our collective “attitude” in America on any of these topics is at best quite mixed though predominately leaning away from the long term solution to attain short term personal satisfactions.

Each of the above topics and subjects is messy and they often overlap forcing each of us in the moment to make choices which often can and do have long term implications and ramifications. Part of the rationale “we” utilize might be that in our contemporary collective culture everything is measure by its speed of delivery, its ability to serve our need for instant gratification, and its seemingly painless interface into our lives devoid of any long term implications or ramifications.


Our collective American culture is very young in contrast to the many thousands of years of collective Asian, Middle Eastern and African cultures. Our “youth” makes it extremely difficult for us to comprehend the notion … “to live my life today so future generations might prevail.” This collective attitude causes us to misunderstand the zealous passion exhibited by Iraq, Iran, Syria and many other Middle Eastern countries and cultures and leads to our government’s classification of all of their actions as terrorism. The labels we assign bespeak volumes about our collective “attitudes.” Attachment to these attitudes lean us away from that which we purport we want. The rapprochement of peoples is only possible when differences of culture and outlook are respected and appreciated rather than feared and condemned, when the common bond of human dignity is recognized as the essential bond for a peaceful world. … J. William Fulbright

Contemporary American “corporate” business thinks in terms of next quarter’s bottom line without any regard to any of the long term implications respecting the means and methods employed to plunder our collective environment for the resources needed to produce its products and profit. In contrast, historically it is noted that Japanese businesses often think in terms of the next five generations to come, an attitude not at all unlike that of many indigenous people found in America. Attachment to these latter attitudes tends to lean in support of that which we purport we want.

Our collective contemporary American economic mantra is quick, easy, discounted, effortless, simple, cheap, colorful, momentary and painless with no after taste. The many loose ends which are not covered or sufficiently camouflaged are simply ignored, glossed over and labeled. Being sufficiently conditioned, we pretend we do not see this slight of hand. And in fact so subtle has it become that it requires a truly discerning eye to catch the deception, a modern version of the axiom that the hand is quicker than the eye. I believe it is essential for our planetary future to develop tools that can change the consciousness which has created the crisis that we are in. …Stanislav Grof

Those seeing these premeditative manipulative subtle deceptions and giving voice to them are, in our collective contemporary American culture, summarily negatively labeled, marginalized, minimized, demeaned, ostracized, eviscerated, belittled and left sufficiently bullied and bloodied along the roadside that all can see as a constant reminder … “to stay the course” … chosen in your best interest by “corporate” capitalists and CYA government bureaucrats.


I want to take ownership … That given my choice to paint with such a large brush is exceedingly dangerous as in the process many whose intention are noble, just and important can get unintentionally and unfairly labeled, branded and sidelined to the detriment of us all.


ENVIRONMENT . . . Water and air, the two essential fluids on which all life depends, have become global garbage cans. … Jacques Yves Cousteau … the topics of clean air, safe drinking water, healthy food, more fuel-efficient automobiles are closely intermingled. It would seem reasonable that positive steps taken to create cleaner air would have a positive impact on the quality of our drinking water. Most assuredly more fuel efficient automobiles would improve the quality of our air and possibly mitigate to a degree toxic run off into our sewers, storm drains, rivers, lakes and oceans.

We collectively mouth slogans defined for us by others, about clean air, safe drinking water, healthy food and more fuel efficient automobiles, but how committed are “we” to achieving these goals…? The “bottom line” is that it all depends upon which side of the bread you butter or whose ox is being gored. If your paycheck, the life line to both individual and family survival, is derived from one of the many venues associated with the oil industry doesn’t that affect your “attitude”…? If you are employed in the coal and gas fields in Wyoming or Alaskan oil fields, or on an off shore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico doesn’t this affect your “attitude” about clean air, healthy food, safe water and more fuel efficient automobiles…? Is the “attitude” about clean air, healthy food, safe drinking water and more fuel efficient automobiles of the over the road long haul truck driver the same as the single working mother in Des Moines, Iowa or the sales clerk in Los Angeles, Dallas, New York, Chicago or Denver ….? Is the “attitude” of the Hummer owner compatible to that of the owner of a Toyota Prius, or the owner of General Motors EV1 (the original electric car) http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/223/ …? Doesn’t where you live, where you work, your educational level, income level, religion, ethnic origin affect your “attitude” about clean air, safe drinking water, healthy food or more fuel efficient automobiles…? You bet is does.

Today one can get on the Internet, read different print publications, tune into different radio stations and TV outlets and obtain within any 30 minute time period contradicting and grossly conflicting “information” about clean air, healthy food, safe drinking water and more fuel efficient automobiles. As we have no defined consensus standard by which to authenticate the “truth” of the information being provided, we are left to discern for ourselves the relative truth. “Truth” is at best subjectively authenticated according to our personal understanding of the “truth” we are left, therefore, in somewhat of a quandary. Many hues and shades of gray now appear before us obliterating the previous black and white answers we sought. We are left to choose from a kaleidoscope of gray which seemingly morphs even as we gaze upon it. So what then do “we” really want respecting clean air, healthy food, safe drinking water and more fuel efficient automobiles…?


HEALTHY FOOD . . . This topic impacts clean air, safe drinking water and more fuel efficient automobiles, and significantly impacts all discussion on environment. It even impacts our discussion on affordable & efficient health care for everyone. It is said by many experts in many disciplines that we are what we eat. And correctly what “we” – that’s you and me – eat is determined by “corporate” interests, Madison Avenue Advertising, “corporate” sponsored university studies and think tanks and CYA government bureaucrats. Notably there many within “corporate” America or serving in government bureaucracy with oversight on aspects of our “food chain,” who are honest and sensitive individuals and who upon discovering illegal, inappropriate, unlawful or stupidity choose to risk becoming “whistle blowers” and are thereby subjected to the full force and wrath of an enraged government designed to CYA and protect itself at all costs. And what do “we” do and how do “we” react to the allegations, facts, pictures, disclosures these “whistle blowers” bring to the table…? We simply turn our backs on them and ignore or dispute their facts, attack them personally but not their facts or allegations or we bully and stone wall them, discount, minimize, ostracize and if possible eviscerate them to make sure they and “we” remember that to speak out, exercising our right to free speech, one shall pay a hell of a price. It is nearly impossible for anyone who chooses to listen to a radio, watch TV, read any form of print media not to become at least partially aware that there is something radically wrong in our food chain. Almost weekly there is a new “alert” published by some governmental agencies on the most recent “food scare” ranging from e-coli in California spinach, to adulterated pet food, to contaminated peanut butter. A recent book, by Eric Schlosser . . . Fast Food Nation … depicts the “dark side” to the All-American hamburger. The environmental crisis arises from a fundamental fault: our systems of production - in industry, agriculture, energy and transportation - essential as they are, make people sick and die. … Barry Commoner

If “we” are as many indicate what “we” eat then most assuredly we are a nation, sustained on genetically altered “Franken” foods (as it is referred to in Europe). Appearances are often deceiving. … Aesop. Our food crops are produced using fertilizers, pesticides; herbicides produced by “corporate” interests of Cargill, Wilbur Ellis, Monsanto, DuPont, Chevron, Shell, Exxon-Mobil, Union Carbide and a host of smaller local manufacturers. These products produced in part from the oil/natural gas inputs are totally devoid of any “natural” ingredients. When applied to the soil they tend, within a relatively short period of time, to strip out all natural “humus” manufactured over eons by “mother nature”. Liberally and abundantly applied based on to directions of USDA and the chemical firms, the residual of these products often leave the farm entering the tail-water (agriculture run off water) or seep into the subsurface aquifer to become part of the portable water “we” ingest, now or in the future. These residuals acting in concert with the residuals passing through our residential septic systems and municipal wastewater treatment plants often form and combine to produce strange biological reactions in the fish, flora, fauna and other life forms in the receiving water bodies. These emerging compositions often form what are commonly referred to as … endocrine interrupters … which appear from current empirical study and anecdotal evidence, to have debilitating affects on the reproductive systems of the aquatic life forms in the receiving water bodies. “We” – that’s you and me – currently do not demand our EPA (federal or state) conduct any long term verifiable studies on the effects these residuals have on humans. Strange, when “we” have ample evidence there are debilitating effects on many forms of aquatic life in the receiving water bodies. Better treatment and policing are essential to winning the battle against drugs, but prevention is the foundation. … Joe Baca

Moreover “we” are standing at the precipice endeavoring to comprehend and meet the affects of “peak oil.” Current government promoted solutions turn more of our farm ground over to “mono-farming” – in the US for the production of soybean and corn as the feed stock for “ethanol” – our “green” savior. This is our attempt to prolong our dependency on “oil” and fossil fuel and our utter dependency upon the ubiquitous automobile. The governmental policies “we” silently and tacitly support are causing the significant increase in prices of eggs, chicken, pork and beef as well as prepared cereal foods in the US. At the moment “we” are experiencing merely the tip of the lance cutting at the very heart of the food stock needed to adequately feed man world wide. Our government policies are designed to increase the “corporate” bottom line of Archer-Daniel-Midland (ADM) currently the single largest producer of that “green” savior – ETHANOL – which when one adds up all the inputs required to produce a gallon of ethanol is NOT the green savior depicted. But that’s another story. The government policies to which we subserviently pay homage are limiting and not sustainable long term, though “we” have been conditioned via never ending politically correct propaganda to accept that “they” know what’s best for us. Do you, really believe that …?

Many books and many authors write with “authority” on the virtues and benefits of eating “organically” grown and produced food. On the other side of the isle, governmental agencies such as USDA, FDA, EPA as well as associations such as the AMA, ADA along with both public and private universities all supported principally by “corporate” largess tout the benefits of eating and consuming “Franken” food. I have read recent accounts in different publications wherein it is reported that Americans prefer the “taste” of Franken food to what is termed “organic.” You know, I find that quite understandable given the tremendous proliferation of propaganda in various forms ranging from “advertising” to the omnipresent “infomercials” commonly seen on TV hyping the reputed benefit of some either “newly” discovered or “newly” relabeled nutrient or ingredient designed to cure most everything from hang-nails to whopping cough along with providing the equivalent of a complete “balanced” meal. Coupled with the proliferation of all forms of “sugar” as a staple in the American diet and incorporated into nearly every product enabling it to “taste-good” is it any wonder Americans prefer the “taste’ of Franken food…? So, do “we” really even know what we are asking or talking about when “healthy foods” is the topic …?


EDUCATION . . . . Education is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity. … Aristotle … quality education, clean elections, religious freedom, free speech, full disclosure . . . appear to me to be associated under the broader category of EDUCATION - - Again, “we” – that’s you and me – say we want quality education, clean elections, religious freedom, free speech and full disclosure, but do “we” really…? It seems to me the goal of quality education would be to universally achieve and reach that plateau wherein all citizens of America are able to read, to write, to compose composition. Moreover to be exposed to music, to art and read about the major religions of the world. Education should be an open full disclosure discussion about world history, wherein everyone has the right to have, to hold and to possess views which others may find offensive but education provides a forum wherein those ideas can be discussed and openly challenged. Failure to inform leads not to full disclosure but is a path to closed mindedness and pettiness. Achieving clean elections is the result of quality education wherein full disclosure is practiced and not thwarted. Ours is a government of checks and balances. The Mafia and crooked businessmen make out checks, and the politicians and other compromised officials improve their bank balances. …Steve Allen. While we collectively mouth we want quality education repeatedly the individuals we elect to represent us as Governors, on School Boards, and at State and Federal Legislatures promote and introduce “bills” designed to thwart the free speech of some whenever it does not in their opinion represent the views and goals they seek to mandate. Manipulation of funding for construction, location, amenities and teachers is used to artificially create barriers to achieving the broader goal of quality education for everyone regardless of ethnicity, financial ability, language or presumed social standing. Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children. … Sitting Bull Do “we” really want quality education…?

What about religious freedom…? One of the reputed foundational tenants of our US constitution is the right to practice whatever form of religion “we” – that’s you and me – choose to believe, no holds barred. Today, extreme divisiveness permeates the religious cloth covering America. Extremists, currently from right-wing oriented Christian and Evangelical persuasions want to repeal the barrier between church and state and have “us” – that’s you and me – believe they alone exercising the reputed wisdom of Solomon have chosen, decided and concluded in …. “our best interest” … what form of religion and religious practices are suitable, permitted and authorized to be conducted. Religious beliefs and practices not meeting their “standard” will be denied. Currently the vast majority of Americans chose to remain loyal to following the politically correct belief of playing ostrich and following the prevailing propaganda marching orders of the day. Do “we” really want freedom of religious expression…?

What about clean elections …? The popular mantra is to clean up the abusive, restrictive and illegal policies and practices rampant and currently permeating our election process. “We” continue to allow, seek out, engage, solicit and purchase the “corporate” line that they have devised a safe, effective, honest “paperless” voting machine. That full disclosure to their computer “code” is denied us, appears not to raise the level of concern about the overall integrity of the current voting process. That without “our” access to this code, the results are easily manipulated and results erroneously distorted. We need only look back on the two most recent national elections to grasp the scope and pervasiveness of this lawlessness. We continue to permit “corporate” intere$t unilateral and unrestricted access to our voter registration records wherein they can easily manipulate and distort thereby depriving unsuspecting voters the right to vote. We continue to permit virtually all candidates for public office to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money as they vie for our votes. We ask for and receive no accountability from any one or any aspect of our elections and yet we mouth the words we want clean elections. How is that possible under the conditions “we” permit to exist…? Republics decline into democracies and democracies degenerate into despotisms. … Aristotle

What about social justice …? Many might ask what is social justice…? And frankly I think it’s an extremely valid question. I see social justice along the same lines as “truth” an extremely personal evaluation. The scope of what social justice is for anyone is in part determined by ethnicity, social class, financial ability, education, place of birth, place of residency, type of work in which one is engaged, degree to which one reads, as well as the degree to which one writes. What encompasses social justice for me may well be either too limiting or too vast for you. Social justice for the Navajos and Hopis is quite different from social justice as seen through the eyes of an African-American in south central Los Angeles or from the inner city of Detroit. Is the social justice envisioned by a Latino working in a meat packing plant in Iowa different from that envisioned by the educated professional Latino attorney in San Francisco…? Is the social justice envisioned by the “white-skin-heads” populating many communities different from the social justice envisioned by the migrant farm laborer in Central California or in Yuma, Arizona near the Mexican border…? We mouth the words, “we” want social justice, do “we” even remotely know what it means or let alone how to define it…?

Attempting to bundle these topics for discussion is like attempting to herd cats, highly improbable. Yet, I believe it is rather easy to see how in so many ways they overlap, interact and interface though not perfectly. In short they are “messy” topics requiring us to exercise caution, to withhold quick abrupt evaluations, to take measured steps, and to the extent possible address the topic with full and open disclosure. This is perfectly contrary and contradictory to the prevailing American mantra of easy, simple, quick, expedient, cheap, immediate, feel good and not filling.

What about climate change or global warming … ? A contemporary “hot-button” topic is climate change or global warming. Our collectively mouthed intentions about clean air, safe drinking water, healthy food, more fuel efficient automobiles feed directly into this environmental quagmire. The solutions “we” endorse in this category principally achieve an immediate, feel good, easily spoken, with dubious or highly speculative measurable benefits short term and especially long term. While mouthing the time line required for us to reach this point environmentally, “we” seek and endorse only solutions and resolutions requiring little if any “pain,” sacrifice or loss of our current “life-style.” And we call this progress…? Are not the choices “we” make reflective of leaning away from achieving long term solutions in favor of colorful and flavorful meaningless feel-good half-measures…? If clean air is indeed a goal, would “we” not endorse immediately requirements for increased fuel efficiency on all automobiles…? Would “we” not immediately open full disclosure dialogs on every form of power from solar, wind, water, nuclear, ocean wave, thermal, bio, ethanol, to those yet undiscovered…? Would we not openly solicit from every source and every corner of the globe any and all ideas, inputs, theories and concepts, and devise a plan to evaluate each of them as vigorously as possible in the spirit of full and open discourse…? Are “we” so arrogant so as to believe only “we” Americans have the solutions, for if we do, we are indeed not only patently arrogant but equally stupid…? A public-opinion poll is no substitute for thought. …Warren Buffett Might this be a case where our collectively expressed social justice adversely affects our ability to address the plight of our collective environment…? Might our collective attitude reflect a leaning away from our alleged goal of achieving success at addressing the fundamental causes and the solutions to global warming…?

America and Americans appear to enjoy the polarization occurring contemporarily within our national fabric. The notion that “they” are out to terrorize us comforts us when we mouth the prevailing public agenda of “surge” in Iraq or when we close the borders to the dreaded “illegal” Mexicans. They are deemed to be swarming across our borders to take jobs away from “real” Americans. Are jobs like maid, dishwasher, golf course worker, gardener, busboy, housekeeper, nanny, laundry worker, iterant migrant “stoop-labor” farm worker, fry cook, employee of McDonalds, Wal-Mart, Target (if they’re so lucky) all those vaunted jobs over which “real” Americans are fighting…?

Exercising American hubris, we choose, support and elect political leaders on city, county, state and federal levels who lie, cheat, steal, deny and obfuscate everything they do behind the protective mantle of “homeland security.” The prevailing tune of the current George W. Bush administration is best summed up … The very first essential for success is a perpetually constant and regular employment of violence and fear …Adolf Hitler … Sadly for us acting in his capacity as our President, George Bush’s statements have been reduced to …. “A liar will not be believed, even when he speaks the truth.” … Aesop

What does tomorrow look like . . . ? To adequately and appropriately answer this question most assuredly requires one to act in a god-like manner and I claim no such ability or talent. I can therefore, offer only an opinion which you are free to contemplate arriving at whatever conclusion you deem appropriate. Changing mass consciousness is an individual responsibility. … Dennis Weaver

There is pulsing just beneath the surface and below the radar screen of most politicians and current leaders on the world stage an acknowledgment on an individual level that what is being sold as the truth and fact is empty and meaningless, greedily manufactured in the bowels of “corporate” controlled mass media. On the surface mass media would have “us” believe they know and are accurately informing “us” about all aspects which affect and impact upon our individual and collective lives. Nothing could be further from the truth as one can ascertain from himself/herself by choosing the “think-for-themselves” and not obediently and blindly accept the prevailing propaganda as true. Think outside the box. Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees the others. … Aristotle Yes it requires each of us to exercise a degree of courage to choose to speak out or ask questions to demand and accept only truthful answers from all those we elect to serve us.

For me George Lucas of Star Wars fame summed it up best when he wrote … The secret is not to give up hope. It's very hard not to because if you're really doing something worthwhile I think you will be pushed to the brink of hopelessness before you come through the other side. …

So I ask again, do “we” – that’s you and me – really know what we want . . . ?


Be careful what you set your heart upon - for it will surely be yours. … James A. Baldwin