In a lot of ways this is the height of arrogance, that we are so all knowing. Well, we didn't do a very good job of passing this knowledge along or we'd be having no reason to stew. On the other hand maybe we don't.
We listen to our leaders trying to divide us knowing it's vain effort to protect policies that have been proven faulty. We dwell on the effort rather than the faultiness because we have little faith in anyone else seeing it as we do, ignoring the powers that be and fixing it.
Then I get on my computer. There is far more I cannot do with it than I can. The same holds true for my "smart" phone. I can make a call. That's about it. Twitter? Forget it. I haven't a clue as to how to establish a presence nor am I sure if I want to. Linkedin is a social network of sorts for those who actually have careers or want to. I marvel how many like me are also members. It started as a mistake answering an invite from a friend. I just never left and periodically add to my contacts. I've found a few old friends on it - maybe it has more prestige than Facebook. Why else would 70-somethings be there?
There are tens of times as many networks to which I do not belong nor even know about. Where did they all come from? Thankfully, it isn't the government. They are about as tech savvy as I am which isn't saying much. And you know what, they need to be if they're going to make their income inequality hype work in their favor. It isn't going to happen.
When I was younger it was a couple of college drop outs by the names of Jobs and Gates who revolutionized the world. Today it a guys like Mark Zuckerberg who make the world go round. How does this fit into income inequality?
It's pretty obvious. A plan is hatched by a bunch of kids, literally. On line it goes. Next thing you know it goes public and you have a zillion or so new millionaires under the age of 30. So much for equality. The government can whimper and snivel all it wants about how unfair it is that these riches exist but don't bet any of those young techies are going to give up what they've earned!
They're so far ahead of the curve it makes my head spin. Do I resent them? Absolutely not. I admire them. Even the government does in a back handed way that was made evident when they began talking about getting the health care programs as up to snuff as those in the private sector. I don't think it even occurred to them that they admitted the private sector does it better.
The politicians will continue ranting about the poor getting poorer while the rich are getting richer and wringing their hands about what to do about it. Meanwhile the young turks will continue innovating and running rings around the rest of us. They have little patience for those who can't keep up and because of that the government will be left in the lurch. Don't look for the kids to move to government, they're going to take it back so they can move ahead. Google glasses and self driving cars are out there. Who knows what will replace Facebook and Twitter but I'm willing to wager it's already in the works. Lead, follow or get out of the way. A young persons mantra.
In the end it only seems like they don't understand what's being lost as much as I do. They've determined that in the time it took me to come up with this subject and have already moved on.
The only thing that's swinging back is the pendulum - to a time when creativity and entrepreneurship reigned. May it do so again. The sooner the better. And may the government continue to be as slow at catching on as they are at admitting they are prone to making bad decisions.
There are huge egos involved on both sides. The government makes a move then preens. The young entrepreneur makes a move, realizes it's already obsolete and moves on to something better. Here's to the millennials. It's time you replace we near centennials! America needs you.
