MUSINGS and other writing by Mark Kolke

. . . . . . there is no edge to openness

TODAY'S MUSINGS

FEEDBACK / COMMENTS

MARK SPEAKS

MARK'S SPEAKING TIPS

ARCHIVED COLUMNS

ARCHIVE WINTER 2020-21

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2020

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2020

ARCHIVE SPRING 2020

ARCHIVE WINTER 2019-20

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2019

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2019

ARCHIVE SPRING 2019

ARCHIVE WINTER 2018-19

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2018

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2018

ARCHIVE SPRING 2018

ARCHIVE WINTER 2017-18

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2017

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2017

ARCHIVE SPRING 2017

ARCHIVE WINTER 2016/17

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2016

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2016

ARCHIVE SPRING 2016

ARCHIVE WINTER 2015/16

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2015

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2015

ARCHIVE SPRING 2015

ARCHIVE WINTER 2014/15

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2014

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2014

ARCHIVE SPRING 2014

ARCHIVE WINTER 2013/14

CONTACT

MY REAL ESTATE LIFE

WHY I WRITE MUSINGS

SHORT STORY PROJECT

POETRY PROJECT

SELECTED OTHER WORK


ENTITLED TO SUFFRAGE, SAY-SO, AND CHOICES

Saturday, August 15, 2020
 
 
We don’t need distractions right now.
 
We need to focus on public health, healthy economies, healthy minds, and working through this current nightmare/agony.
 
But distraction is everywhere.
 
Binge-watching news has, in most countries, morphed into binge-watching politics in all its ugly manifestations. It’s not good TV, it’s not good drama, but it’s what is on. And on. And on …
 
We can’t ignore it, but we would wrong to give it too much weight.
 
The heft of every economy is the collective behavior of its citizens – yes, the masses, who vote with our feet and with our wallets. It’s our spending, our investment, our payroll deductions, and our giving/donations that make the private and public sector run. It isn’t run by opinion polls and policy-wonks, or politician-puppets with their strings being pulled by anonymous/invisible forces …
 
How we spend or save, how we work and pay payroll taxes, how we determine our lifestyle drives every up or down cycle of ever economy. If we all started wanting mini-houses, the market would respond. If we all wanted bicycles, then the market would respond – as it has recently. Not because bike sellers wanted to sell more bikes, but because people like you and I wanted to buy more bikes. My guess is, if the hills and trails are open this winter, people will buy more snowmobiles, skis, and snowshoes – and if the borders remain closed, staying home will have further economic impacts.
 
My point is that we drive markets, not the other way around.
 
Things are different now than they’ve ever been, and things ten years from now will be unrecognizable – because the market will respond (politicians too) to what we want. We don’t just vote with a ballot, we vote with our feet. Where we spend our time and money, how much attention we pay to things – across demographic lines, determines what the suppliers (Wall & Bay streets, main street, manufacturers, media, developers, importers, software, and hardware suppliers) …
 
This is no time to sit on the sidelines, waiting for others to make things happen. We should not be deluded that any political party is looking out for us first, or even second. We need to look out for ourselves, grow our ambitions and dreams into smart decisions, bold moves, and ambitious enterprises.
 
If not us, then who?
 
If not now, when?
 
 

 
 
Reader feedback:
 
THE TIMES, THEY ARE ALWAYS CHANGING
To get cell service in the badlands you need to rise above them. I really tried to resist but I am weak. Some really good writing to today’s Musings, RH, Calgary, AB (from near Drumheller, AB) .. p.s. Benny’s sometime soon. 




Find this and other articles by Mark Kolke at Medium



sign up to get Musings free daily



 
Read more of my writing by Mark Kolke at Medium

sign up to get Musings free daily

 


 
 


sign up to get Musings free daily


Comments are always welcome - please contribute to the discussion.  Reply to: kolke@markkolke.com

You can also connect with me on LinkedIn. This site is updated daily, each column is retained in the archive when the next day's column is loaded ...  


Copyright - all rights reserved - Mark Kolke, © 2003-2021