It’s easy to look at the protesters and the politicians in Greece — and at the other European countries with huge debts — and wonder why they don’t get it. They have been enjoying more generous government benefits than they can afford. No mass rally and no bailout fund will change that. Only benefit cuts or tax increases can.
Yet in the back of your mind comes a nagging question: how different, really, is the United States?
Continued...
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
The Exception
So I had a long conversation with a very good and old friend of mine the other day. First time we had seen each other in years. It was fabulous, great memories of great times, and lots of mutual admiration. But there was one huge remembrance that I came away with that has been tough to move beyond. She has become the epitome of the individualistic person that half of this blog consistently rails against, and presented that point in full throughout. We were talking at length about society and how it functions and what people want and expect from it. She is very wealthy at this point, talking of a second home on that beach that would cost a million dollars to just to build (let alone the existing property value). Funny though, as I sit across the table from her wondering what the heck I'll do with myself and ate that day using food stamps.
She went down all the same familiar roads, about how people who work for things should be able to keep them, that taxation is what is stifling America's economy, that the poor are merely there because they don't want to put in the effort and are just looking for hand-outs, etc. I was of course in her words "the exception". I had told her of my efforts to keep moving, to stay afloat, of my inability to gain true employment, the side jobs on top of the part-time work, and my continual effort to come up with businesses to start and to try to 'make' my own living instead of waiting for someone else to give me a job. She stuck to her line of thought, I was the exception. Everyone else was just sitting there waiting for 'the gift'...
But I know this not to true. I know people in my position, I talk to people on the streets, at the social services building. I have studied poverty both personally and academically. Think of how many people out there would like to start their own business. I assure you that I am not the only one. I think it is safe to say that if the system made it easy to start and maintain a business that most people would be very happy to be their own boss, run their day-to-day lives, and make money their own way. No stretch there, we all want to control our own destiny. BUT, here I am trying. Yet I can't get anywhere. And you know why? Because I don't have any money. I have several ideas that I have worked on this past year and over the last several years. But without money, I / YOU CAN NOT DO ANYTHING. And this is where we as a society, and my friend's logic fails miserably.
She kept talking about initiative and how no one would step up and really work hard to get their job, that their didn't seem to be a hard worker among anyone in the area there. Now I don't know the specifics of it all, but I've never heard of such a thing unless there was some sort of catch, or the project wasn't really feasible. But anyway, this isn't necessarily the point. The point is, that it isn't about initiative, or desire, because there are plenty of people out there with that. It is about support and financing.
The project that I am looking at now is straight forward. It is a retail establishment. It is a highly viable specialty shop in a $ 650 million market sector that currently has 713 stores nationwide. Almost a million dollars per store throughout the country. And the area I'm in has over a million people and one store that is not two years old and is doing a horrible job in both management and marketing. I know this because I have worked in this industry off and one since 2003, and I currently work at that specific store part-time (for basically a local minimum wage) and I see us losing money and business daily. The business concept is well researched, thought out, and written, yet I have no money. So here I sit, another good idea (and this time a simple, well grounded one), yet it is most likely going to be highjacked by other people with no clue about the industry, only a view to a money making opportunity. You get out what you put in, if you only put in money you only expect money in return, however, if you put in your soul, you would love to see it come out the other side in a better position. And this is where our society has gone so far wrong, we base our value of things so thoroughly on money. Everyone talks of 'well if I am putting up the money then I am taking all the risk, I should have a higher valuation'. No, the person putting up the money is not the one taking the true risk, it is the person that is going to commit the next however many years of their life, time, and effort to it that is risking everything. Their heart, their soul, sleepless nights on the stores couch, missed wages, seven day weeks, and no time off or vacations. This is a sacrifice, this is worth something. Time, effort, struggle. This matters, a few thousand dollars is important of course in our world, but Money without an investment, will never grow, just as a business without money will never grow in today's world. Neither can succeed without the other. But I am sorry, though they are both needed, money is way to overvalued in our society. It holds all the sway, and pulls all the strings. If I am lucky, I will end up with a small minority ownership stake. I will take all my experience and knowledge, work my ass off, and then other's that haven't put in any effort will see the majority of the rewards. That is the way our system works. It does not actually reward the hard worker, it rewards the person with the money. And yes of course, this money was made and the financial investors risk may have transversed a different course, but that doesn't make past risks any more important than present ones. Risking one's sanity and soul should carry a greater value than risking one's money.
So what then do I do? Is it even worth it? Is it simply another good idea that may just not be worth pursuing because the system doesn't actually allow the individual to really take the initiative, but more for those with the money to dictate initiative? It is in fact, my friend that is the exception to the rule. She is the one percent of the US population that has been able to get 'there'. If such a small group of people is there, then it is them that are the exception to the rule - not the almost 40 million people living in poverty in the US, or the rangy middle class that struggles to make ends meet, those with no insurance, the 17% un/underemployed (in real terms). It is the rich that are the exception, it is those people that 'worked hard' and have made so much money that they are the exception. But it is not that they have 'worked hard', it is that they have worked in a certain manner. She is against regulating the banking industry (yes, she has, and her husband does work in finance), the industry that started this financial crisis, and that I lasted barely six months in for my first job before the ethics of it nearly destroyed me. No, fact of the matter is that it is not about hard work (if that was the case the 'ditch digger' would be paid better), but it is about incessant drive, focus on personal individual wealth and 'growth', and a subtle disinterest in others (or at least the ability to overlook there plight).
I am not the exception, I am just another person out there trying to find a way to survive in this world through my own or any initiative for that matter. But this is not truly possible for all. If it was, I would have already succeeded based solely on my effort, experience, and education alone. But that is not the case, I needed money to make things happen, and I didn't have it. So those few living the exceptional (American) dream should enjoy it, because its far nicer than my, our nightmare... ;)
She went down all the same familiar roads, about how people who work for things should be able to keep them, that taxation is what is stifling America's economy, that the poor are merely there because they don't want to put in the effort and are just looking for hand-outs, etc. I was of course in her words "the exception". I had told her of my efforts to keep moving, to stay afloat, of my inability to gain true employment, the side jobs on top of the part-time work, and my continual effort to come up with businesses to start and to try to 'make' my own living instead of waiting for someone else to give me a job. She stuck to her line of thought, I was the exception. Everyone else was just sitting there waiting for 'the gift'...
But I know this not to true. I know people in my position, I talk to people on the streets, at the social services building. I have studied poverty both personally and academically. Think of how many people out there would like to start their own business. I assure you that I am not the only one. I think it is safe to say that if the system made it easy to start and maintain a business that most people would be very happy to be their own boss, run their day-to-day lives, and make money their own way. No stretch there, we all want to control our own destiny. BUT, here I am trying. Yet I can't get anywhere. And you know why? Because I don't have any money. I have several ideas that I have worked on this past year and over the last several years. But without money, I / YOU CAN NOT DO ANYTHING. And this is where we as a society, and my friend's logic fails miserably.
She kept talking about initiative and how no one would step up and really work hard to get their job, that their didn't seem to be a hard worker among anyone in the area there. Now I don't know the specifics of it all, but I've never heard of such a thing unless there was some sort of catch, or the project wasn't really feasible. But anyway, this isn't necessarily the point. The point is, that it isn't about initiative, or desire, because there are plenty of people out there with that. It is about support and financing.
The project that I am looking at now is straight forward. It is a retail establishment. It is a highly viable specialty shop in a $ 650 million market sector that currently has 713 stores nationwide. Almost a million dollars per store throughout the country. And the area I'm in has over a million people and one store that is not two years old and is doing a horrible job in both management and marketing. I know this because I have worked in this industry off and one since 2003, and I currently work at that specific store part-time (for basically a local minimum wage) and I see us losing money and business daily. The business concept is well researched, thought out, and written, yet I have no money. So here I sit, another good idea (and this time a simple, well grounded one), yet it is most likely going to be highjacked by other people with no clue about the industry, only a view to a money making opportunity. You get out what you put in, if you only put in money you only expect money in return, however, if you put in your soul, you would love to see it come out the other side in a better position. And this is where our society has gone so far wrong, we base our value of things so thoroughly on money. Everyone talks of 'well if I am putting up the money then I am taking all the risk, I should have a higher valuation'. No, the person putting up the money is not the one taking the true risk, it is the person that is going to commit the next however many years of their life, time, and effort to it that is risking everything. Their heart, their soul, sleepless nights on the stores couch, missed wages, seven day weeks, and no time off or vacations. This is a sacrifice, this is worth something. Time, effort, struggle. This matters, a few thousand dollars is important of course in our world, but Money without an investment, will never grow, just as a business without money will never grow in today's world. Neither can succeed without the other. But I am sorry, though they are both needed, money is way to overvalued in our society. It holds all the sway, and pulls all the strings. If I am lucky, I will end up with a small minority ownership stake. I will take all my experience and knowledge, work my ass off, and then other's that haven't put in any effort will see the majority of the rewards. That is the way our system works. It does not actually reward the hard worker, it rewards the person with the money. And yes of course, this money was made and the financial investors risk may have transversed a different course, but that doesn't make past risks any more important than present ones. Risking one's sanity and soul should carry a greater value than risking one's money.
So what then do I do? Is it even worth it? Is it simply another good idea that may just not be worth pursuing because the system doesn't actually allow the individual to really take the initiative, but more for those with the money to dictate initiative? It is in fact, my friend that is the exception to the rule. She is the one percent of the US population that has been able to get 'there'. If such a small group of people is there, then it is them that are the exception to the rule - not the almost 40 million people living in poverty in the US, or the rangy middle class that struggles to make ends meet, those with no insurance, the 17% un/underemployed (in real terms). It is the rich that are the exception, it is those people that 'worked hard' and have made so much money that they are the exception. But it is not that they have 'worked hard', it is that they have worked in a certain manner. She is against regulating the banking industry (yes, she has, and her husband does work in finance), the industry that started this financial crisis, and that I lasted barely six months in for my first job before the ethics of it nearly destroyed me. No, fact of the matter is that it is not about hard work (if that was the case the 'ditch digger' would be paid better), but it is about incessant drive, focus on personal individual wealth and 'growth', and a subtle disinterest in others (or at least the ability to overlook there plight).
I am not the exception, I am just another person out there trying to find a way to survive in this world through my own or any initiative for that matter. But this is not truly possible for all. If it was, I would have already succeeded based solely on my effort, experience, and education alone. But that is not the case, I needed money to make things happen, and I didn't have it. So those few living the exceptional (American) dream should enjoy it, because its far nicer than my, our nightmare... ;)
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Under Employed and Under Represented
I find it truly amazing and even humorous, that I wrote a letter to every possible representative of mine from local town government all the way up to US senate and house and have gotten so little feedback that it is almost insulting. I wrote regarding my experience in applying to social services and wanted to see what could be done to make changes in the treatment of people seeking help. It seems that nothing will be done regarding this though. I got a couple of automated responses, one person from within the organization asking for the name of the individual/s I dealt with (I've heard nothing from them since I responded), one response telling me that times get tough and I should just keep my head up and keep trying, and one rep which covers the office location that I applied in - but not my home - that they weren't my rep and thus should look for help elsewhere. As if the issue wasn't relevant to them even though it happened in their jurisdiction. To one person's credit though, I did get a phone call expressing regret (Kudos to that rep), yet I have never heard anything since. I sent things to probably 20 people and two emails, one phone call. Sad.
But I'll tell you what is absolutely atrocious, is that I seem to have gotten my email address on the marketing and mass mailing lists of some of the representatives - none of which responded to my inquiry at all. Are you serious?!?! You are not actually interested in representing me, but you are interested in sending me your propaganda in an effort to tell me how great you are!! Listen if you aren't going to help me (i.e. do your job) then don't expect me to help you - let alone like or vote for you. No I understand that you have so many people to represent and its tough to speak to them all - but don't take my email and use it for your purposes but not respect efforts.
But what can I really say, if it was just one person that didn't respond I could blame them, but it is not. It is all of them, which means it is the system itself that produces representatives that don't actually represent the people they should. These reps only care about getting re/elected, and as i only have two choices, can I really vote for someone else? Does this incident actually matter? I will bet you this though, if I was a wealthy donor I bet you they'd take my call, respond to my email, and maybe even take me out to a strip club and make sure I'm taken care of. But no, I'm on food stamps. I'm underemployed. Just trying to put one foot in front of the other. To make ends meet. I can provide nothing for them, save fulfillment of their constitutional duty, their job description, and their own respect as they look in the mirror. But then again, why would that ever be important?
But I'll tell you what is absolutely atrocious, is that I seem to have gotten my email address on the marketing and mass mailing lists of some of the representatives - none of which responded to my inquiry at all. Are you serious?!?! You are not actually interested in representing me, but you are interested in sending me your propaganda in an effort to tell me how great you are!! Listen if you aren't going to help me (i.e. do your job) then don't expect me to help you - let alone like or vote for you. No I understand that you have so many people to represent and its tough to speak to them all - but don't take my email and use it for your purposes but not respect efforts.
But what can I really say, if it was just one person that didn't respond I could blame them, but it is not. It is all of them, which means it is the system itself that produces representatives that don't actually represent the people they should. These reps only care about getting re/elected, and as i only have two choices, can I really vote for someone else? Does this incident actually matter? I will bet you this though, if I was a wealthy donor I bet you they'd take my call, respond to my email, and maybe even take me out to a strip club and make sure I'm taken care of. But no, I'm on food stamps. I'm underemployed. Just trying to put one foot in front of the other. To make ends meet. I can provide nothing for them, save fulfillment of their constitutional duty, their job description, and their own respect as they look in the mirror. But then again, why would that ever be important?
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
A Job Clearing House
The more jobs one applies to the more one realizes that the system is set up for us to fail. I recently started approaching my job hunting in a different way. I was simply looking at opportunities through various media sources and searches, but then more recently I started focusing more on networking type of opportunties, volunteering, etc. My chances suddenly looked up. People tell you about jobs you might not have found otherwise, maybe you even have conversations with people about them. They'll "put in a good word... blah blah blah". But then what? I still have no interviews. Friends, family, acquaintances, professionals, etc. It doesn't matter how qualified I am. Companies have hundreds of applicants to hire from, if I don't have the job title on my Resume/CV, ten others might, and probably do.
This is one of the foundations of capitalism - a 'reserve' labor force. That is why they always say that 4% unemployment is actually good for the economy. This 'excess' puts the strength at the negotiating table in the hands of the producers rather than the laborers. This keeps wages down, as if one person doesn't want that job for that wage, there is always another one that will. Think sweatshop labor in the developing world, they'll take what they can get just to have a job - no matter how suspect the conditions are.
So... what can be done to better employ others while we wait for 'systemic evolution'? I had a thought the other day about how the job search process could be aided. As the current problem is that the people that you are applying to really have no clue of who you are or what your work capabilities are (other than the two pieces of paper that you sent them), why not find a way to neutrally evaluate people. A clearinghouse of sorts that could act as an evaluator of personal ability for prospective employers. A way for them to 'know' more about you specifically, the things that don't necessarily fit neatly into bullet points on a piece of paper. It is people, not experience, that get jobs done.
I guess the bottom line for me is that my experience doesn't fit nicely into a cookie cutter. I have lived in many places, had many different jobs, and studying a quite a few different things. But I don't have the step by step employment history that seems to be desired. Does this mean I am not capable of doing the job or even perhaps doing it better than others? Of course not. As a friend of mine said, "I can't believe that these people I work with have jobs and someone as capable as you does not." But that's the system we live in. Everything is subjective and specified. Gone are the days when you would walk into an office, shake a person's hand, and deliver your resume. They see you, they interact with you for a moment, they get a sense of 'you' - not the narrative you. Everyone interprets things differently and one piece of paper is never enough to sum up a life's work.
So how about it? What if there was an neutral agency that would evaluate people and give them a score or evaluation of some sort to show there current day capabilities. There could be an interview process, resumes, recommendations, whatever. This would give everyone the chance to be 'interviewed'. To become more than a piece of paper. If a person can never sit in front of someone and state their case as a living breathing human being, how can they ever differentiate themselves from others?
This is one of the foundations of capitalism - a 'reserve' labor force. That is why they always say that 4% unemployment is actually good for the economy. This 'excess' puts the strength at the negotiating table in the hands of the producers rather than the laborers. This keeps wages down, as if one person doesn't want that job for that wage, there is always another one that will. Think sweatshop labor in the developing world, they'll take what they can get just to have a job - no matter how suspect the conditions are.
So... what can be done to better employ others while we wait for 'systemic evolution'? I had a thought the other day about how the job search process could be aided. As the current problem is that the people that you are applying to really have no clue of who you are or what your work capabilities are (other than the two pieces of paper that you sent them), why not find a way to neutrally evaluate people. A clearinghouse of sorts that could act as an evaluator of personal ability for prospective employers. A way for them to 'know' more about you specifically, the things that don't necessarily fit neatly into bullet points on a piece of paper. It is people, not experience, that get jobs done.
I guess the bottom line for me is that my experience doesn't fit nicely into a cookie cutter. I have lived in many places, had many different jobs, and studying a quite a few different things. But I don't have the step by step employment history that seems to be desired. Does this mean I am not capable of doing the job or even perhaps doing it better than others? Of course not. As a friend of mine said, "I can't believe that these people I work with have jobs and someone as capable as you does not." But that's the system we live in. Everything is subjective and specified. Gone are the days when you would walk into an office, shake a person's hand, and deliver your resume. They see you, they interact with you for a moment, they get a sense of 'you' - not the narrative you. Everyone interprets things differently and one piece of paper is never enough to sum up a life's work.
So how about it? What if there was an neutral agency that would evaluate people and give them a score or evaluation of some sort to show there current day capabilities. There could be an interview process, resumes, recommendations, whatever. This would give everyone the chance to be 'interviewed'. To become more than a piece of paper. If a person can never sit in front of someone and state their case as a living breathing human being, how can they ever differentiate themselves from others?
The True Value of Work
What a world, what a world we live in. As you may have seen from some earlier posts, I am not exactly making ends meet these days. I am underemployed and not finding 'gainful' employment. But does this really matter? So what if I did have a job? I have a friend that is employed in their career path, through a respectable institution, and still has to take on other employment. They went to school specifically to train them for the career they are in and they have had great success in working their way up the ladder to a management position. Yet even with this position, they still can't quite make the ends meet as they'd like and are in danger of having to move back in with their parents. As per the 'American Dream' and our 'ownership society' they should be trying to buy a home, yet instead they are realizing that just making rent may be too much. There is something tremendously wrong with this picture.
What happened to the days fifty years ago when an entire family could live well and own a home off of a single salary? Today a couple that has no children is in a tough spot simply trying to obtain a 30 year mortgage, let alone actually be able to pay off that loan. So many people are defaulting, or never buying because they just simply don't have the means. And not because they aren't trained, experienced, or good at what they do, but because jobs just don't pay as well enough. My friend works a full time job, and now has picked up random work on the side: part time retail, some coaching, and high school officiating. They are looking for other opportunities, trying to not have to move back home, trying to buy a home. But come on, why should a person like this, trained, experienced, and good at their job not be able to make a functional wage? This is the true sham of American society. That hard working, qualified people still don't make enough, still can't have access to some of America's cornerstone dreams.
We as a country are closing the door on ourselves. In an effort to make our selves richer, we are in fact making the most of us poorer as the system increases wages slower than prices. My friend received a 3 percent raise this year - as mandated in their contract - yet their actual pay went down as the cost of their insurance went up. This is before they even had any money to consume with and inflation makes the cost of goods higher (usually averaging 3%). Since the 1970's real wages have been shrinking and people like my friend are definitely feeling the affects.
So would it matter if I even had a job? They have a job, a good one on a career path that they are trained to do, and having success in. But this doesn't matter, it doesn't even pay what is an appropriate living wage. Fact of the matter is, we are all in trouble no matter what. Job or no job, we just don't make enough money. Something has to change...
What happened to the days fifty years ago when an entire family could live well and own a home off of a single salary? Today a couple that has no children is in a tough spot simply trying to obtain a 30 year mortgage, let alone actually be able to pay off that loan. So many people are defaulting, or never buying because they just simply don't have the means. And not because they aren't trained, experienced, or good at what they do, but because jobs just don't pay as well enough. My friend works a full time job, and now has picked up random work on the side: part time retail, some coaching, and high school officiating. They are looking for other opportunities, trying to not have to move back home, trying to buy a home. But come on, why should a person like this, trained, experienced, and good at their job not be able to make a functional wage? This is the true sham of American society. That hard working, qualified people still don't make enough, still can't have access to some of America's cornerstone dreams.
We as a country are closing the door on ourselves. In an effort to make our selves richer, we are in fact making the most of us poorer as the system increases wages slower than prices. My friend received a 3 percent raise this year - as mandated in their contract - yet their actual pay went down as the cost of their insurance went up. This is before they even had any money to consume with and inflation makes the cost of goods higher (usually averaging 3%). Since the 1970's real wages have been shrinking and people like my friend are definitely feeling the affects.
So would it matter if I even had a job? They have a job, a good one on a career path that they are trained to do, and having success in. But this doesn't matter, it doesn't even pay what is an appropriate living wage. Fact of the matter is, we are all in trouble no matter what. Job or no job, we just don't make enough money. Something has to change...
Friday, March 26, 2010
How far can you pee?
I think it is worth listening to this piece about testosterone, and its possible contribution to the financial crisis we're in. It was music to my ears. For years I have attributed much of our problems to men. As a man I feel the inner drive and determining aspects of self that push from within. Granted no two people are the same, but I have seen what I would consider the dark side of men, and I work quite hard to tame it. I have been a very big proponent of balancing man and women, of realizing an egalitarian leadership structure for our world.
I always come back to the James Bond and Tomorrow Never Dies quote from "M" when it was proposed to her that perhaps she "didn't have the balls" for her job. To which she replied: "that means I don't have to always think with them". It has to me forever been a a perfect example of some of the world's problems. I think that men are too agressive and with the systemic instilations of capitalism this is being accentuated. We grow up, harnessing and instigating testosterone based lives. We bocome arrogant and far to self-assured and asertive.
This show itself spent time looking at the biology of financial traders and the male dominated society that the financial industry is. Even as evidence was being sited that showed how diversity and gender equality in corporate and decision making processes tended to lead to better performance, many people calling and commenting seemed to brush this possibility off as gendered grandstanding. But I will say this, my first job was in finance, and I can tell you it was so thoroughly testosterone/machismo based and overtly arrogant that I got out as soon as I could. I have been that guy, and I don't see how it is truly productive and helpful for society.
The dialog itself was great, however I did have one issue with it though. When it was brought up by a caller that to start thinking that testosterone could do such a thing would eventually lead to drawing a correlation between this male arrogance/agression and political policies throughout the world. That wars such as the one in Iraq could have fallen sway to such biological inspiration it was quickly dismissed. Not even worth discussion. I certainly think that this is not only discussable, but likely. I distinctly remember George Bush's hubris over attacking Iraq and his personal vengence for Saddam Hussein, who had 'tried to kill his daddy'. And in fact, more importantly, the foundation of modern international relations theory - 'realism' - is continually compared to a 'pissing contest', or a 'my dick's bigger than yours' scenario. It is not only not a stretch, but is wholly realistic to think that with possitions of power being domminated by men that the world is a much more 'testosterone' based place. More machismo, more I'm bigger, I'm tougher, I'm stronger, you're weaker, you're smaller, you're lesser.
Fact is, that if the world could find a way to balance itself in terms of gender in leadership roles we would get A, a leadership representative of our population, and B, a softer, less aggressive political and social lifestyle. I am not saying that people would not still fight, but a world with less 'machismo' would certainly be a safer and far more inclusive and inviting place. I mean after all, why can't we all just be happy with whatever it is that we've got, no matter what 'size' it is?
I always come back to the James Bond and Tomorrow Never Dies quote from "M" when it was proposed to her that perhaps she "didn't have the balls" for her job. To which she replied: "that means I don't have to always think with them". It has to me forever been a a perfect example of some of the world's problems. I think that men are too agressive and with the systemic instilations of capitalism this is being accentuated. We grow up, harnessing and instigating testosterone based lives. We bocome arrogant and far to self-assured and asertive.
This show itself spent time looking at the biology of financial traders and the male dominated society that the financial industry is. Even as evidence was being sited that showed how diversity and gender equality in corporate and decision making processes tended to lead to better performance, many people calling and commenting seemed to brush this possibility off as gendered grandstanding. But I will say this, my first job was in finance, and I can tell you it was so thoroughly testosterone/machismo based and overtly arrogant that I got out as soon as I could. I have been that guy, and I don't see how it is truly productive and helpful for society.
The dialog itself was great, however I did have one issue with it though. When it was brought up by a caller that to start thinking that testosterone could do such a thing would eventually lead to drawing a correlation between this male arrogance/agression and political policies throughout the world. That wars such as the one in Iraq could have fallen sway to such biological inspiration it was quickly dismissed. Not even worth discussion. I certainly think that this is not only discussable, but likely. I distinctly remember George Bush's hubris over attacking Iraq and his personal vengence for Saddam Hussein, who had 'tried to kill his daddy'. And in fact, more importantly, the foundation of modern international relations theory - 'realism' - is continually compared to a 'pissing contest', or a 'my dick's bigger than yours' scenario. It is not only not a stretch, but is wholly realistic to think that with possitions of power being domminated by men that the world is a much more 'testosterone' based place. More machismo, more I'm bigger, I'm tougher, I'm stronger, you're weaker, you're smaller, you're lesser.
Fact is, that if the world could find a way to balance itself in terms of gender in leadership roles we would get A, a leadership representative of our population, and B, a softer, less aggressive political and social lifestyle. I am not saying that people would not still fight, but a world with less 'machismo' would certainly be a safer and far more inclusive and inviting place. I mean after all, why can't we all just be happy with whatever it is that we've got, no matter what 'size' it is?
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