From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@tsoft.com)
Date: Thu Mar 13 2003 - 10:19:31 MST
Arti writes
> John Leppik writes:
> > what percentage of people in the world" do you think "think "?
> Maybe the question should be rephrased as: "What percentage
> of the population thinks about things important to our collective
[gasp!]
> future, and how much of that brainmatter is devoted to putting
> those thoughts into action?"
I agree that this is a good question, but I disagree
with its presumptions. For me, it's far from clear
how wise it is for most people to excessively ponder
times and places about which they understand very
little.
Recall the bromide, "Think globally, act locally". I'd suggest
instead, "Think locally, act locally". The most extensive
treatment of the question I've found is in Thomas Sowell's
"Knowledge and Decisions", though the emphasis is on economic
decisions.
Now it's one thing to be extremely curious about our universe
in any of its manifold dimensions, historical, psychological,
scientific, political, and so on. It's another entirely to
become wrapped up in economic and political question to the
extend that you feel it to be one of the most important thing
in your life that you participate, and, if possible, determine
the fates of millions of people thousands of miles away.
Consider for example that 50 million people voted for George
Bush. Suppose that a mere one out of 20 of these people are
so consumed with their own feelings about the way he's being
treated in the world press that they want to engage in the
"action" you are apparently advocating. This would mean
two and a half MILLION people taking to the streets and deluging
their representatives with demonstrations and demands. Then, if
only one in 20 of the 50 million people who voted against Mr. Bush
do the same thing, a total of five million people vigorously
"acting" in the name of one cause or another.
A citizen interested in politics or in exercising his or her
duty to contribute to the democratic process probably should
restrict themselves to writing letters, engaging in discussions,
and voting. And the best way to do that, IMO, is to identify
those professionals whose general outlook most closely matches
your own, and listen very carefully to what they say.
Lee
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