01-04-2009, 08:37 AM
Please allow me the indulgence of asking yet again:
. . .I'm concerned that few understand what this mess means, or are adequately informed about of the magnitude of the issue. This is for a couple of reasons, but the primary one is that the crisis as it exists only exists in its full form at institutional levels. While the housing market is certainly an indicator of a larger problem, when one looks at the global indicators of large business on the macro economic scale--the scenario is nothing short of apocalyptic. Whether it is the demand for crude, or any of the various shipping indexes, or at sum amalgam of financial activity in the world we're looking at declines of 75% or more, comfortably, in the given amount of economic activity occurring in the world. These are very very very big numbers, utterly unprecedented, and to most, unfortunately, utterly unimaginable.
We, most of us, in spite of perhaps being conversant in the details, sense something needs to be done. And yes, it sure as hell does. There is no lack of bright ideas out there either, a lot of them coming from well connected folks soaking up what's left of endowment or grant money. There is a push here locally as well to get involved with local issues, and one can see the well intended efforts of of FoPF and others as examples of people participating in what they personally perceive as constructive good for the community.
The question I'd like to ask is this: In light of the world economy, in context of the economy of Hawaii and where it's going to end up--Do you really believe that personal civic involvement or government in general even remains relevant to our future?
More to the point--how valuable is local law enforcement?
I don't ask this in a snarky manner whatsoever. I don't ask this in a rhetorical context either. I'm asking directly--can we in the forthcoming environment expect any constructive aid, or services, or leadership from government entities in general? Personally, I think not. Even if the good will was there, and the process allowed for timely policy that reflected real needs in a timely manner--and there was actually any sort of funding to do anything with--I might be able to be persuaded otherwise. As it sits, with a massive budget shortfall in this state, and the Federal government committing half of GDP of next year already to bail out bad banks--not a chance.
Is anybody paying any attention to Hawaii's budget shortfall for 2009? If we put someone in jail, if they were actually apprehended, how long would they stay there?
The point of ask this question isn't to berate the attempts of those who might still seem some viability in the government sector. The point is rather to suggest, in fact insist, that the vast bulk of the work that is going to be required to keep society intact is going come directly from the hands of individuals--not from a government agency, and we may as well be prepared for that inevitability. That process of "keeping things running" is a large one, and there's much work to do. As far as I can see it, we really need to get started.
Obviously protecting our own, and our own property will necessarily be part of our forthcoming future.
This being said: please let's not make this topic a excuse to start yet another firearms shouting match. Let us agree that such tools are tools of last resort. Let us also make sure that those who would like to deny some access to those tools step up to the plate and provide effective alternatives to that very undesirable last resort.
. . .I'm concerned that few understand what this mess means, or are adequately informed about of the magnitude of the issue. This is for a couple of reasons, but the primary one is that the crisis as it exists only exists in its full form at institutional levels. While the housing market is certainly an indicator of a larger problem, when one looks at the global indicators of large business on the macro economic scale--the scenario is nothing short of apocalyptic. Whether it is the demand for crude, or any of the various shipping indexes, or at sum amalgam of financial activity in the world we're looking at declines of 75% or more, comfortably, in the given amount of economic activity occurring in the world. These are very very very big numbers, utterly unprecedented, and to most, unfortunately, utterly unimaginable.
We, most of us, in spite of perhaps being conversant in the details, sense something needs to be done. And yes, it sure as hell does. There is no lack of bright ideas out there either, a lot of them coming from well connected folks soaking up what's left of endowment or grant money. There is a push here locally as well to get involved with local issues, and one can see the well intended efforts of of FoPF and others as examples of people participating in what they personally perceive as constructive good for the community.
The question I'd like to ask is this: In light of the world economy, in context of the economy of Hawaii and where it's going to end up--Do you really believe that personal civic involvement or government in general even remains relevant to our future?
More to the point--how valuable is local law enforcement?
I don't ask this in a snarky manner whatsoever. I don't ask this in a rhetorical context either. I'm asking directly--can we in the forthcoming environment expect any constructive aid, or services, or leadership from government entities in general? Personally, I think not. Even if the good will was there, and the process allowed for timely policy that reflected real needs in a timely manner--and there was actually any sort of funding to do anything with--I might be able to be persuaded otherwise. As it sits, with a massive budget shortfall in this state, and the Federal government committing half of GDP of next year already to bail out bad banks--not a chance.
Is anybody paying any attention to Hawaii's budget shortfall for 2009? If we put someone in jail, if they were actually apprehended, how long would they stay there?
The point of ask this question isn't to berate the attempts of those who might still seem some viability in the government sector. The point is rather to suggest, in fact insist, that the vast bulk of the work that is going to be required to keep society intact is going come directly from the hands of individuals--not from a government agency, and we may as well be prepared for that inevitability. That process of "keeping things running" is a large one, and there's much work to do. As far as I can see it, we really need to get started.
Obviously protecting our own, and our own property will necessarily be part of our forthcoming future.
This being said: please let's not make this topic a excuse to start yet another firearms shouting match. Let us agree that such tools are tools of last resort. Let us also make sure that those who would like to deny some access to those tools step up to the plate and provide effective alternatives to that very undesirable last resort.