RE: Feeding People

["John Constantine" <thesfg1@home.com>]

Jean-Marie Gogue writes:

"On the long term, expanding education to all the population is absolutely
necessary. I believe that it's possible only if the middle class people
commit themselves in educative programs. Next the practices what we call
here "democracy" may become reality in your country, and perhaps you will
get competent and honest political leaders."

While it may be deemed necessary, is it even possible?

In the context of the Tragedy of the Commons, wherein individuals make
singular decisions for their own betterment which ultimately destroy the
group interest, at what point does  the dilemma of educating all the
population become untenable? Does each individual know what being an
educated citizen entails? Worse yet, do political leaders have this
awareness and if so, how did they get it? When will education reach this
necessary critical mass, capable of a self-sustaining chain reaction?

Are we merely re-visiting Plato's Republic for our vision of enlightened
leadership? Does Jack Welch represent the modern thinker, the
philosopher-king of the Republic? If Deming were alive today, how would he
be regarded in these "modern" times, as a communist, a socialist, a
philosopher-king, or a conservative thinker. Add your own.

In these "enlightened" times, there are no more accidents, no more mistakes,
only "facts" from numbers. Will this lead to enlightenment? When fear
reaches the highest levels, such as the CEO/CFO or Board Chairman, there
will be sub-optimization; everyone will be looking out for themselves. It's
the American Way.

It's no wonder that, from his vantage point, Deming saw it coming.

(I now step down from the soapbox.)
---------------------------
John Constantine
thesfg1@home.com
Phoenix, AZ