A View Askew
(Or: Did the Dinosaurs See the
Comet?)
Short Takes
Conversation and Emails
I really
enjoyed the conversation on the last issue – I have smart readers! I do
apologize about the number of emails that the comments may generate but hope
that is overcome by the interesting things people have to say. It is my hope to
convert this newsletter into a single source where all the comments are held
there and not sent out all the time. Please hang in there!
No Sex Please, We’re Japanese
- A survey this year by the
Japan Family Planning Association (JFPA) found that 45% of women aged 16-24
"were not interested in or despised sexual contact". More than a
quarter of men felt the same way.
- Japan's Institute of
Population and Social Security reports an astonishing 90% of young women
believe that staying single is "preferable to what they imagine marriage
to be like."
“Were not
interested in or despised sex. . “ Yikes! So what do you make of this kind of
information? Do you sympathize with the
women of Japan . . . or the men? Pretty much everyone knows that Japan has
demographic problems i.e. too many old people and getting older - this would
seem to say that they are REALLY going to get older!
Do you think
this is in our future too, something that most so called “rich
nations will
be facing? Geez, I don’t know but I sure hope not – I want to be a grandpa
before I’m old (and don’t say it’s too late for that!)
What Next? Vote!
As a good
friend and retired big wig city administrator (calls himself the Reluctant
Bureaucrat) says, local government is the most important government because it
affects your everyday life. After all, who picks up the garbage, cleans the
streets, puts out fires and polices your neighborhood? Many cities and counties
are having elections at least here in MN so I encourage you get your butts down
to the polling place and participate. You won’t have as much fun as me (see my
commentary on Mpls election) but it is important. Or so says the Reluctant
Bureaucrat.
Things That I Think About
What to make of the
term “Upscale.” Is it just me or is everything going upscale? I mean you can’t
swing a dead cat without hitting an upscale shop, house or apartment complex.
My God, I just read that good, old Bernatello’s Pizza is going to change their
name and go upscale - what next, upscale McDonalds?!
So this begs the
questions: where did this term come from and why do we hear it so much?
Before we had the
term upscale it’s seems like we just had stuff that was expensive, classy, high
quality – or all the above. (Not that I could be identified by any of those adjectives.)
Perhaps even more important, those things were exclusive. By that I mean it was
rare; relatively speaking, these shops were few and far between. Upscale homes
were just in some tiny but exclusive neighborhood (you know, where the bankers,
lawyers and school superintendent lived.) You could think of all these things
as aspirational. Some people have always wanted to be able to live in an expensive
neighborhood or shop at ritzy stores because it was a sign of working hard and
succeeding. The same reason you would drive an expensive car – it’s an symbol
of “arriving.” (So what statement does my 2005 Taurus make me? Retired on fixed
income!) But relatively speaking, this was a very small percentage of people –
early One Percenters? – and was a very small percent of the overall
economy. The real money got spent by all
the rest of us, the greatest and wealthiest middle class the world has ever
seen. (And, as with today, the hell with the actual poor people!)
So what, you may
wisely ask. Why do we need a term – or population group - called “upscale”
today? Who knows but
here’s my theory in a nutshell: there are not enough people in the “middle
class” anymore for businesses to make any REAL money on them; they need an “upscale”
class. Read on.
Okay, so the top
20% of households in America make $100K/yr or more (In MN the top 20% make around 125K/yr – we are
special!) So think about this for a second: 80% of households in America DON’T
make $100k/yr – before taxes. (And in case you’re interested, 50% make
less than 50k/yr which is worse than it was in 1999.) Now, I’m no expert but even $100k family
income doesn’t really go all that far anymore - do you know how expensive
essential things like green fees can be?! – so maybe I’m being generous with
top 20% but we gotta start somewhere. As another good friend of mine says, H-m-m-m.
Anyway, if you make
much less than a hundred grand a year how likely are you to buy an expensive
(and very profitable) car or plan extravagant vacations or move to an expensive
neighborhood? More likely: Welcome to Averageville where all the houses, cars
and people are average (Dollar Store and Walmart here I come!) So, no money in those folks, the money is in
upscale. Soup Nazi - No Chevy for you; Beemer!
So that, my friends,
is why the “upscale” experiment was created. Businesses need to single out
those folks who have the money – admittedly still a relatively small percentage
overall – and, more importantly, are willing to spend on “upscale,” profitable
things. (And, by extension, do NOT want to be associated with the “average”
putz.) I don’t intend this to sound petty or jealous, that’s just how society
and the economy work. And a fine experiment it is.
I think it is an
experiment because if I’m right we’re going to find out over the next several
years if roughly 70 million people can drive the entire economy of a country of
300+ million.
You upscalers out there, get to work! (Or the
US might become a cold Guatemala.)
As the Common Man, Dan Cole, says, am I on
to something . . . or on something?
Did We Make a Mess of Potamia?
British Gen S. J. Maude to the people
of Mesopotamia, March 19, 1917
Our armies do not come into your
cities and lands as conquerors or enemies, but as liberators…. It is [not] the
wish of [our] government to impose upon you alien institutions…. [It is our
wish] that you should prosper even as in the past, when your lands were
fertile, when your ancestors gave to the world literature, science, and art,
and when Baghdad city was one of the wonders of the world…. It is [our] hope
that the aspirations of your philosophers and writers shall be realized and
that once again the people of Baghdad shall flourish, enjoying their wealth and
substance under institutions which are in consonance with their sacred laws and
their racial ideals.
Fast
forward 86 years:
President George W. Bush to the people
of Iraq, April 4, 2003
The government of Iraq, and the future
of your country, will soon belong to you…. We will end a brutal regime… so that
Iraqis can live in security. We will respect your great religious traditions,
whose principles of equality and compassion are essential to Iraq’s future. We
will help you build a peaceful and representative government that protects the
rights of all citizens. And then our military forces will leave. Iraq will go
forward as a unified, independent, and sovereign nation that has regained a
respected place in the world. You are a good and gifted people — the heirs of a
great civilization that contributes to all humanity.
Cost
of Iraq war as of Oct 2013: $815,114,893,164 (Excluding VA Disabilities)
US KIA – 4486
Wounded 32223 (Thru 2011)
Afghanistan (in case you’re interested):
$668,784,999,848
US KIA – 2289 Wounded 17674 (Thru 2012)
(Info
courtesy of website from Bill Ferguson)
Was it worth it? You will have to be
the judge of that for yourself.
This Isn’t Russia
. . . Right?
35 mayor
candidates, 13 city council all (mostly) DFL
While listening to Joe Soucheray and his Garage
Logic show (sometimes tedious but always entertaining) I was reminded again
about the uniqueness of the state and city I live in today. He was discussing
the elections that are coming up in the Twin Cities (St Paul and Mpls, where I
live.) He was taking great pleasure in the fact that so many (most?) of the
people running are basically socialists, dilettantes, professional protesters
or all of the above. I’m sure that it was exaggerated for effect but there was
some of truth in it. I don’t necessarily agree that all these people aren’t
suitable for office just because they have the backing of a lot - a LOT! – of odd
constituent groups: Pro-transit, anti-growth, pro-union, anti-big business and pro-diversity,
which seemed to be his main contention. It did highlight, however, several
things that have also occurred to me; how can big cities like Mpls and St Paul
be so bereft of competing St
Paul be so bereft of competing political ideas that they can’t have opposing parties? I mean, face it, both
cities have 2 white liberals of the same party as their mayors (although the
white part could change in Minneapolis after the election) and the city
councils of both cities are dominated - if not totally comprised of - people
from the same party. The school boards, the park boards, the obscure policy
boards and I think even the damn dog catcher candidates, are all endorsed by
the DFL! How the hell can everyone be endorsed by the same party?! (As Ty Webb
said to Danny Noonan in "Caddy Shack," You don’t have to do anything,
Danny, this isn’t Russia.. . . This isn’t Russia, is it?")
I
understand that all these candidates (and incumbents) don’t necessarily agree
on everything but it really does seem like the old Soviet Union. I’m certain
that this has happened in the past - remember Tammany Hall and Mayor Daley’s
Chicago? - but in Minnesota? In 2013? I’m also certain that this still happens
in other cities and probably in the other direction (think all of Texas) but it
is still an interesting phenomenon; a single Republican candidate (who will get
about twelve votes) in a big city like this? Huh.
As I
mentioned before, excluding ideas different than our own and having that
confirmed by surrounding ourselves only with people who think like us is very
dangerous. It has even greater ramifications when it’s an entire city.
I
like Minneapolis and I like living here but it’s been my experience that while no
one wants to be wrong somebody always is – how will we know if we all think
alike?
You know, I might
have to vote for the guy from the Minnesota Pirate Party or maybe Cap’t Jack
Sparrow (two different but actual candidates - I kid you not!)
More Paper for the Bottom of the Birdcage (online version)
Thanks
for reading and all your comments. I hope you will continue to feel free to
speak your mind.
If
you like this, please feel free to share with others.
Next
up, Pt One of grading our babyboomer presidents
In
the meantime, as Lizzy Rain says, “Be a good citizen of your world . . .” and don’t be a dope!
Quote Du Jour
“Hell, I never vote for anybody, I
always vote against.” W. C. Fields
A View Askew
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