Fair: Why Public Policy is Not.

In the light of recent public policy controversies (not only the 9/11 Victims' Compensation Fund, but some under scrutiny in today's administration), questions arise as to what makes any one policy "fair". In order to ask this, one must take at least two factors into account: the definition of "fairness", and who - in terms of the public at large - matters in the policy. Firstly, the dictionary defines the word "fair" to mean without bias, dishonesty, or injustice¹. With that foundation for discussion, we can apply the concept of fairness to policymaking. An unfair policy, then, would be described by this definition as any piece of legislation which gives an undue amount of preference to any group. The controversial factor in this definition, it would seem, is the notion of what is "due". Using the example of the 9/11 Victims' Compensation Fund, we see that Mr. Fineberg found the task of translating deserts (derived from malady) into monetary awards a rather daunting one. While most would agree that the horrific circumstances demanded some sort of compensation, in a much milder situation of the same nature, the argument that "life is not fair" would inevitably counter any such compensatory notions. We can see from this that no good deed goes unpunished, in that any attempt to apply fairness in a situation will illuminate any failure to do so, invoking complaint and criticism from those who are "wronged" by the unfair policy. Personally, I favor the obvious view that universal fairness will never be attained, and support this belief with the absolute evidence that it has never been attained. Secondly, if universal fairness is impossible to achieve, and no policy can serve everybody, who do the policymakers focus on serving? This question is a good deal more difficult to answer, as the conditions vary from one policy to another. Fairness, being unbiased by nature, does not adhere to the opinion of the majority of the population. Policymakers, by job description, have an incentive to maintain some level of popularity in order to retain their position as policymaker (eg. adhering to majority opinion). Therefore, logic dictates that fairness is only utilized in public policy when majority opinion favors it. This conclusion, however, is, itself, not a popular one. For this reason, I would argue, are cases such as the 9/11 Victims' Compensation Fund considered acceptable to implement. Such cases serve as Red Herrings to distract from the true impossibility of fairness in public policy. But hey, What can you do? ¹dictionary.reference.com/browse/fair

iTunes Surfing: A Guide.

1.) Acquire an iPod.
2.) Acquire friends with iTunes libraries.
3.) Whenever possible, sync your iPod to a new iTunes library; don't be afraid of losing artist you like or discovering new ones. Life is change. Change is constant.
4.) Whenever you can, peruse iTunes University to find always free courses and lectures which you couldn't afford at an institution.
5.) Never stop learning. Our technology is meant to expand our intellectual and creative horizons - not limit them. So go, expand your horizon, and remind others to do so.



Harry

Progress.

I have a niece, named Amy, who is eight years old. When she was born, I was not much older than she is now. At ten, I had little perspective on life outside of my family group. I had no use for e-mail, or a cell phone, and the communication outlets available to me were limited. The last time I visited with my niece, she informed me of the benefits of owning an iPad to utilize as a social medium and to better stay connected (specifically, with her.)
In the eight years that have lapsed between my childhood and hers, our species has seen a tremendous increase in communications and pro-social capabilities in each new generation, exceeding those of the previous. This is based on a simple evolutionary paradigm, that the learned abilities of the former generation are instilled in the latter in increasingly earlier phases of development. My niece, for example, possesses outstanding spoken and non-verbal communications skills that few people in my generation had attained by her age.
Said plainly, the children are becoming smarter. With each technological, scientific, philosophical, and interpersonal advancement in human consciousness that is learned by adults, there is a generation of children born into the inheritance of that knowledge as a priori information - "common knowledge," if you will. This is exciting because the expansion of common, or "shared" consciousness increases exponentially as each generation of intelligence ushers forward even greater intellectual discovery in the next.
I, personally, find it exciting to think of the capability modern humans have to shape the future of our lives and the lives of others, with whom we share this planet. Human rights movements everywhere are beginning to change our individual perceptions on, well, the individual. What makes "you" a separate entity from the rest of society, and, based on that trait, to what rights are you entitled to secure your ability to demonstrate your humanity? These questions open discussion on other controversial topics such as an animal's rights.
We are making important and vast changes in our global consciousness, simply by making changes in each of our personal consciousnesses. Every day I am reminded of the vast potential that modern humanity has to change our perspective on the human experience, and am greatly excited to see the advances brought about by people with similar goals as myself, who want the human race to reach our potential - together.
What changes would you like to make to the planet? I mean, you live here, too. Right?


Harry

The Starting Point.

Whenever I meet someone new, if they strike me as an individual with the desire to live up to their potential, I ask them what they hope to accomplish before they die. I don't care what school you are going to, or what you are majoring in, or what career you plan to follow if you don't plan on using the limited time you're given on this planet to create and produce something worth having lived for.
Too often do I meet middle-aged people with children who are annoyed by them because they expect their children to pursue dreams that aren't genuine, chances that they missed because they chose to take the "safe" route and make a decent living instead of doing what they loved. Looking back at the most influential figures in recent human history, a majority of them started with little more than a passion for what they believed in. That passion, however, found attention and favor with the public and those who saw something that they wished they had - purpose.
The most prominent issue that most people face in taking chances is the inability to know what you're taking chances for, knowing what you believe in. Most of us assume that someday, when we graduate college or find a steady job to keep us financially afloat, we will magically discover what our purpose is. I have never seen that to be the case. More likely, in the trivial pursuit of the means, we tend to forget about the pursuit of a satisfactory end. We so easily get caught up in trying to live, that we oftentimes forget to actually live.
I laugh when people jokingly reference today as being the first day of the rest of their lives, because it is. Every happy (or sad) ending has a staring point. I, personally, dare you to make this moment yours.


Harry