Skip to main content

Just a Few, Ma'am


3/27/18. Now retired! Spend much time watching the stock market, where many of my $$ are invested. Last week was depressing. So, I watch the business news, a lot.  Fact about business shows: they trot in well dressed bull market advocates alternatively with equally well dressed bear market advocates. After enough of this, you are totally confused. What I've noticed about these "experts" is that each uses only a few parameters upon which they rely.  These are mixed with a rather heavy helping of intuition. Just like us in every day living.
Turning to politics, we are led to our leaders and which or what are the few parameters that guide them.  For Obama, it seemed that globalism and its corollaries were at the base of his thinking.  Namely, his desire to convert the world to a globalist Utopian dream.  Simple and idealistic.  For Trump, the parameters are not that clear, but he seems to prefers a more nationalistic view of the world where it remains divided into smaller zones of special interests. In this, his thinking is naturally led to preserving and protecting his particular region, namely the USA. He does this partly through deal-making, his preferred modus operandi. He also uses uncertainty constantly, and this causes consternation to many.
In details, of which you are spared today, we see both are messy. Both involve devices, deception, derogation, distraction, deceit, demonization, derision, and potential disaster. But…
Globalism has its flash points with the possible rampant cheating by some of its partners, putatively everyone.  We’ve seen this.  Nationalism has its flash points as well, with the traditional possibilities of zonal conflicts. We know this.
Doesn’t matter who’s elected in the next round.  That person will use only a few parameters plus intuition as a basis for all decisions. Thus, as always, it comes down to Trust, yes with a capital “T” !!!

P.S.  In a way, Trump must be a most serious businessman.  However, in dealing with politicians his projection to consternation is easily matched by their recourse to duplicity.  

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Behavioral Science and Problem-Solving

I.                                       I.                 Introduction.                Concerning our general behavior, it’s high about time we all had some understanding of how we operate on ourselves, and it is just as important how we are operated on by others. This is the wheelhouse of behavioral sciences. It is a vast subject. It touches our lives constantly. It’s influence is pervasive and can be so subtle we never notice it. Behavioral sciences profoundly affect our ability and success at problem-solving, from the elementary level to highly complex wicked problems. This is discussed in Section IV. We begin with the basics of behavioral sciences, Section II, and then through the lens of multiple categories and examples, Section III. II.     ...

Where is AI (Artificial Intelligence) Going?

  How to view Artificial Intelligence (AI).  Imagine you go to the store to buy a TV, but all they have are 1950s models, black and white, circular screens, picture rolls, and picture imperfect, no remote. You’d say no thanks. Back in the day, they sold wildly. The TV was a must-have for everyone with $250 to spend* (about $3000 today). Compared to where AI is today, this is more or less where TVs were 70 years ago. In only a few decades AI will be advanced beyond comprehension, just like TVs today are from the 50s viewpoint. Just like we could not imagine where the video concept was going back then, we cannot really imagine where AI is going. Buckle up. But it will be spectacular.    *Back then minimum wage was $0.75/hr. Thus, a TV cost more than eight weeks' wages. ------------------------- 

Principles of Insufficiency and Sufficiency

   The principles we use but don't know it.  1.      Introduction . Every field, scientific or otherwise, rests on foundational principles—think buoyancy, behavior, or democracy. Here, we explore a unique subset: principles modified by "insufficiency" and "sufficiency." While you may never have heard of them, you use them often. These terms frame principles that blend theory, practicality, and aspiration, by offering distinct perspectives. Insufficiency often implies inaction unless justified, while sufficiency suggests something exists or must be done. We’ll examine key examples and introduce a new principle with potential significance. As a principle of principles of these is that something or some action is not done enough while others may be done too much. The first six (§2-6) of our principles are in the literature, and you can easily search them online. The others are relatively new, but fit the concepts in the real world. At times, these pri...