GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS
by Mike Manes
Before the days of political correctness, there were great 'good news and bad news' jokes. 'Did you hear the one about the doctor who told the patient 'I’ve got good news and bad news. The bad news is… The good news is…?' Get the good and the bad economic news in this document by Mike Manes.
There was humor in these stories: hurtful to some, funny to others, and truthful in depicting human nature. These jokes are still told — only with more caution in the presentation.
Because of their staging and timing, they’re funnier today to a more select audience and hurtful to fewer people. Political correctness has narrowed the audience, without changing the soul or nature of man (oops — people) or our social environment.
Yesterday, a friend and I were discussing the short-term success of a certain industry’s lobbying efforts. Those responsible for 'winning' the war at the capitol were bragging about the good news of their victory. Much as terrorists wrap themselves in the security blanket of religious dogma, these lobbyists spoke in the language of consumers: 'We’re doing this to protect our customers!'
Careful analysis reveals that both groups are wrong. God doesn’t condone killing and special interests don’t work for some ambiguous mass of consumers. They represent the interests that pay them — and define the term 'special.'
The good news: these campaigns often succeed for those paying the freight in the short term. The bad news: such lobbying efforts usually damage their sponsors or benefactors over the long term.
Lobbyists usually attempt to delay or deny the impact of the laws of natural selection. They seek to protect the status quo for their benefactors by lowering the bar — which makes the system weaker, not stronger.
Unfortunately, in the long term, their efforts are counterproductive. Propping up the dying, weak, and wounded slows the entire pack by keeping its healthy, effective, and capable members from roaming free and growing stronger. The environmental restraints intended to protect the weak reduce them to the lowest common denominator.
In the long run, the pack as a whole becomes so weak — so average — that it’s vulnerable to new predators who haven’t been softened by the protection of a special interest. When these marauders attack, they quickly consume the dumb, fat, and happy, as they roam free in their carefully legislated preserve.
For example, Ford Motor Co. recently announced that it’s cutting 35,000 jobs (leaving behind those who can’t keep up with their now 'average' pack). This results partly from systems structured for the special interest of unions and employees, and executives who are extracting from an entity more than the market is willing to pay.
Likewise, the Japanese economy has gone 'in the tank' because it became increasingly responsive to the needs of its internal constituents (employees with lifetime job protection) rather than of the nation as a whole. In the long term, this type of artificial protection can’t — and won’t — work.
This special interest mentality is especially dangerous to those groups that define themselves as 'victims' of one situation or another. With such special interest groups as Ford or the Japanese economy, the toll taken by complacency might be gradual. Being the best in an average or declining group might allow one to be the last survivor if the entire pack is lost.
However, as soon as an individual or group assumes the mantle of 'victim,' they immediately surrender their independence, freedom, opportunity, dignity, etc. to the person, disease, group, circumstances, or condition to which they feel they’ve fallen victim. Instead of choosing fight or flight, they merely lie on the ground and wait to be consumed.
Human nature is such that, without the 'stick' of extinction, the 'carrot' of comfort won’t motivate people to develop and maintain the conditioning and skills they need to protect themselves against newly evolving threats. Bluntly stated, they become dumb, fat, happy — and vulnerable.
Special interest groups should not attempt to manipulate the marketplace to benefit their constituents. If they want to benefit those they represent, they should seek to make their constituents stronger — not more comfortable or pathetic (victims seek sympathy!).
Even if tenure, civil service, a union, or time in service make you feel 'protected,' never forget that you’re far more vulnerable than the hungry, cunning predators who must survive by eating you. As soon as you define yourself as a victim, with no chance of survival, you’re toast.
Every morning in the jungle, a lion awakens knowing that she must run faster than the slowest gazelle if she wants to eat that day.
Every morning, a gazelle awakens knowing that he must run faster than the fastest lion if he’s to survive.
Every morning, whether you’re a lion or a gazelle, you’d better hit the ground running and not depend on your 'special interest or 'victimhood' to protect you!
Michael Manes can be reached at Square One Consulting, 625 Weeks Street, New Iberia, LA 70560, (337) 577-3885, fax (225) 922-9106, E-mail [email protected], Web site www.squareoneconsulting.com.