[MD] Krimel's Manifesto - A first draft

[Arlo Bensinger]

[SA]
Well, we both agree on this.  We just have different solutions.  Mine 
begins with ones' own self, yours with representatives to do it for you.

[Arlo]
This is an incorrect distortion. There is a division of labor 
necessary for the continued functioning of the infrastructure we all 
enjoy. Let's start with those hiking trails, SA. Do you really think 
if sold them off to Exxon or Walmart they'd be there for you to 
enjoy? Or do you think they'd disappear, replaced either by exclusive 
private lands, cheap Disneyish "real forest" attractions, or mined 
for their resources? They are there because we, as public stewards, 
have a system in place where representatives of the public's 
interests ensure that they remain unspoiled and accessible by all.

Would you feel safe if all our diplomatic efforts overseas were 
replaced with representatives of Standard Oil or any of the big 
pharmaceutical or defense companies? Would you think your interests 
are being represented? Would you think they'd work on behalf of 
what's best for the American people, or what's best for their own 
bottom line, their own wealth creation, their own power? And, before 
you say, this is the way things are, that's my point. They are this 
way because of we have accepted mediocrity, we simply do not care, 
and into that vacuum of apathy, clowns, buffoons and self-interested 
money hungry capistocrats have poured by the bucketful.

I, too, think the solution begins in each and every person, it begins 
with people making Quality decisions, as Pirsig reminds us in ZMM. It 
begins with people "caring". You do what part in the overall process 
you can do, whether its help wayward youth, or teach languages, or 
nurse the sick, or build computers, or weld motorcycle frames. But, 
our eye always has to be on the larger picture as well, and that is 
on our civic and social responsibilities. If our government is 
corrupt, it is because we have let it become so, it is our fault. Not 
some "other" somewhere out there mucking up things for you.

Those lands you enjoy are there because citizens, you and me, got 
together and recognized that there is more and greater value to a 
public stewardship over them. And that public stewardship will only 
succeed when citizens are involved and care. When they are not, that 
stewardship fails.

[SA]
See, this is the problem with people who invest in others to 
represent them.  They begin to see that other people must do 'things' 
for them, and when somebody doesn't invest in their representational 
way, then they think those people are apathetic just because they 
don't follow them like good little sheep.

[Arlo]
The alternative to public stewardship is to allow people do not 
represent you to make these decisions that effect your life. You bet 
I invest in my public representatives to protect our national and 
state forests, keep our roadways functional and freely accessible, 
ensure that information is not the exclusive domain of the wealthy, 
ensure that we negotiate peaceful relations with our international 
neighbors, and of course to protect us from aggressive enemies, to 
secure our borders, and to provide an infrastructure of police, fire 
and EMT services that treat all citizens as equals. When someone's 
home is on fire, you bet I invest in public representatives to ensure 
that your fire department gets there, has the means to put it out. 
When there is an auto accident, you bet I invest in public 
representatives to ensure that local EMT services are fast, 
well-prepared, well-equipped, and unconcerned with anyone's "private 
wealth status".

And here's the kicker, SA, everything I have been saying is that you 
should NOT follow your representatives like "sheep". You should 
actively and passionately become involved. The only "sheep" in the 
equation are the people who want to bury their heads in the sand and 
wait for other people to save them from a system that they themselves 
passively accept.

[SA]
You keep saying I'm not doing anything.

[Arlo]
No, I'm saying with regards to public stewardship, you are content to 
passively do nothing and wait for others to change a system you are 
apparently unhappy with. I am sure you do things, valuable things, in 
your private life. And that's great. But turning a blind-eye to 
responsible citizenship is what is giving us the deplorable 
mediocrity we have.

But if you would be content to let Exxon and Walmart buy up and 
control our public lands, so that you didn't need to be bothered by 
the idea of having "representatives do something for you", than I 
think that's where our conversation hits a brick wall.

[SA]
 From my perspective your saying I don't hit home runs for theYankees 
because I didn't try, but I don't play on that team Arlo.

[Arlo]
If you were a shareholder of the Yankees franchise, and complained 
about how poorly the team was playing, but said your solution was to 
not do anything and wait for the other shareholders to get better 
ball-players for the team, then I'd say you had an apt analogy.