You'll notice that though I talk economics in this blog, I am careful around the subject of politics. In some cases, where politics intersects economics (which really is in most cases), I also am cautious about what I discuss.
So for a moment let me throw some caution to the wind and watch it blow away.
I'd like to discuss my caution.
To me, economics is about how things are produced and distributed. To me, politics is how we achieve specific cultural, economic, and related goals. I'm practical about them, really. A lot of political and even economic terms are just tools, no more, to help people understand and classify things so we can achieve our goals.
I'm a practical geek. You know me – goal oriented, numbers-oriented, results oriented.
One reason I'm careful discussing politics and some parts of economics is because in far, far too many cases politics and economics is not about results – it's about faith, fanaticism, and belief. In short, it's really more about religion in the negative sense. There are far too many cults out there that were once political and economic thought, and now aren't thought at all.
Thus, when discussing economics and politics, too often I've found I've ended up offending someone's deep held cult belief – the unquestionable power of their political faction, or economic school, or opinion about fiscal policy. In short, it leads to a bunch of wank in the fandom sense – pointless, dramatic meltdowns.
Really. A lot of politics and economics is really just a bunch of people with old rules and ways of thinking, people in their own shells, not connected to reality or our lives, but pretty bloody sure that they can tell us what's true and false. Even when the ruins of pension plans, companies, and policies are smoking around them, they're still quite sure they were right.
Thus in this blog I'm cautious. Because I am a practical guy, I want to help people find practical advice, or inspiration (which may at times be overwrought and emotional, but the goal is practical). I'm not interested in the econo-political equivalent of "Can the Millennium Falcon beat the Enterprise D in combat".
I'm interested in results, just like my economics, just like my politics. In my cases here, I'm interested in people's jobs, callings, and careers.
So If I'm cautious, it's because I've got better things to do than argue dogma – which really can't be argued, of course.
Or of course put a column under frustration Friday, so I can rant harmlessly about important things . . .
– Steven Savage