Part of the scientific method is eliminating or ruling out possibilities. With narrow material research, engineering, basic biology and more, the process and revelation of the things ruled out can be quite straight forward. A problem composed of yes, no, multiple choice answers, base two or base ten responses, it seems to work or it doesn't seem to work, or this works a little better, can be termed a simple problem.
Sometimes there's decent peer review and panel studies of problems. Sadly, everywhere there are the scholarly equivalent of quote whores: Scholarly journals with distinctive titles and lofty boards of directors, but very few knowledgeable people are actually reading the submitted and published documents. Then there are the private, big business interests disguised as scholarly institutes.
But when it comes to the human condition and improving the human condition, then simple technical problems become wicked problems. Wicked problems look different from different perspectives. What actually is the problem? The solutions might bring up these other problems. So we don't want to define the problem a certain way to begin with.
Solving what might be the problem in an open, fair, democratic, moral and respectful way, in the best long term interests of all human beings, future generations, the animals, the air, the water, the earth, might be the worst, communistic, anti-American, loonytoons, demonic thing you tiny number of crazies could ever bring before the Texas state legislature or US Congress. Get out of here before we have you arrested!
Wicked problems might cry out to be solved but some people don't want them to be solved and they're angry that you even pointed out that there was a problem to begin with.
Some of you may have heard that I attempted to contact the Lord of Finance to get his help in setting up a publicly owned, non-profit bank. They said that if they were concerned or interested they'd contact me.
I took that to mean that heaven is high and the czar is far away. No help or hindrance is coming from up top. If anyone is going to rescue us, mitigate current problems or prevent crises from occurring in the first place, its going to have to be us.
In my initial thoughts about establishing a public bank I had a very staid, conservative ideal that wouldn't rock the boat. Now I think the whole ship should be either commandeered or scuttled.
So, what's a publicly owned bank?
Based on the model of the Bank of North Dakota which is basically a state agency the lends to the state at much reduced costs and pays any resulting surplus back to the state. It acts as a bank for bankers, a clearing house for locally owned banks and does low cost student loans.
To set up a new bank outside of North Dakota, the capital would be the revenue stream of a public entity like the State of Texas, the City of Houston or Harris County. Any large public entity could set up a bank, lower its interest costs on loans, and act as a support to for-profit, independent, community banks.
Allegedly the original proposal for the Bank of North Dakota included direct lending to businesses and individuals with individual bank accounts like every other bank. But apparently, even at the height of the progressive era when the Bank of North Dakota was set up in 1919, private banks and financiers managed to scuttle that portion of the BND establishment bills. Other states set up their own public banks but those were slowly but surely destroyed by private interests.
Probably the reason that the BND hasn't been destroyed is because it's one of the least revolutionary, anti-innovative, bureaucratic, private business civic boosters around. In my attempts to talk with them, email them or just get some kind of indirect help in setting up something like BND outside of North Dakota I found them downright unhelpful.
In no way, shape or form do I want to sound like some Y'all Qada militia survivalist guy. But, frankly I'm finding lots of government agencies to be either unhelpful or actively opposed meeting the needs of the people.
"Don't wait for orders from headquarters. Ride to the sound of the guns!"
Pat Buchanan
Darn! Sorry. Okay back to the initial paragraph: I'm dealing with the process of elimination portion of the scientific method. I've ruled out divine intervention from a big, rich, connected guy. It's time to do what people in a number of other areas to set up a non-profit bank, in support of people, state and local government and small business. In Washington DC, Pennsylvania, and many other areas, groups are doing the long, hard work of persuading the public that public banks are a good idea and support communities.
Well, if you look at the newly created Civic Bank Texas website you'll see the beginnings of an alternative economy which includes public banking. I look forward to working with a committee to make it fit the needs, directions and support of the people.
Sometimes there's decent peer review and panel studies of problems. Sadly, everywhere there are the scholarly equivalent of quote whores: Scholarly journals with distinctive titles and lofty boards of directors, but very few knowledgeable people are actually reading the submitted and published documents. Then there are the private, big business interests disguised as scholarly institutes.
But when it comes to the human condition and improving the human condition, then simple technical problems become wicked problems. Wicked problems look different from different perspectives. What actually is the problem? The solutions might bring up these other problems. So we don't want to define the problem a certain way to begin with.
Solving what might be the problem in an open, fair, democratic, moral and respectful way, in the best long term interests of all human beings, future generations, the animals, the air, the water, the earth, might be the worst, communistic, anti-American, loonytoons, demonic thing you tiny number of crazies could ever bring before the Texas state legislature or US Congress. Get out of here before we have you arrested!
Wicked problems might cry out to be solved but some people don't want them to be solved and they're angry that you even pointed out that there was a problem to begin with.
Some of you may have heard that I attempted to contact the Lord of Finance to get his help in setting up a publicly owned, non-profit bank. They said that if they were concerned or interested they'd contact me.
I took that to mean that heaven is high and the czar is far away. No help or hindrance is coming from up top. If anyone is going to rescue us, mitigate current problems or prevent crises from occurring in the first place, its going to have to be us.
In my initial thoughts about establishing a public bank I had a very staid, conservative ideal that wouldn't rock the boat. Now I think the whole ship should be either commandeered or scuttled.
So, what's a publicly owned bank?
Based on the model of the Bank of North Dakota which is basically a state agency the lends to the state at much reduced costs and pays any resulting surplus back to the state. It acts as a bank for bankers, a clearing house for locally owned banks and does low cost student loans.
To set up a new bank outside of North Dakota, the capital would be the revenue stream of a public entity like the State of Texas, the City of Houston or Harris County. Any large public entity could set up a bank, lower its interest costs on loans, and act as a support to for-profit, independent, community banks.
Allegedly the original proposal for the Bank of North Dakota included direct lending to businesses and individuals with individual bank accounts like every other bank. But apparently, even at the height of the progressive era when the Bank of North Dakota was set up in 1919, private banks and financiers managed to scuttle that portion of the BND establishment bills. Other states set up their own public banks but those were slowly but surely destroyed by private interests.
Probably the reason that the BND hasn't been destroyed is because it's one of the least revolutionary, anti-innovative, bureaucratic, private business civic boosters around. In my attempts to talk with them, email them or just get some kind of indirect help in setting up something like BND outside of North Dakota I found them downright unhelpful.
In no way, shape or form do I want to sound like some Y'all Qada militia survivalist guy. But, frankly I'm finding lots of government agencies to be either unhelpful or actively opposed meeting the needs of the people.
"Don't wait for orders from headquarters. Ride to the sound of the guns!"
Pat Buchanan
Darn! Sorry. Okay back to the initial paragraph: I'm dealing with the process of elimination portion of the scientific method. I've ruled out divine intervention from a big, rich, connected guy. It's time to do what people in a number of other areas to set up a non-profit bank, in support of people, state and local government and small business. In Washington DC, Pennsylvania, and many other areas, groups are doing the long, hard work of persuading the public that public banks are a good idea and support communities.
Well, if you look at the newly created Civic Bank Texas website you'll see the beginnings of an alternative economy which includes public banking. I look forward to working with a committee to make it fit the needs, directions and support of the people.
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