MLK quote

The simple truth is that MLK didn't actually say this.

I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy.

Here are some references:

• Anatomy of a Fake Quotation - Megan McArdle - National - The Atlantic
• Change of Subject: Some real thoughts on a half-bogus quotation

That said, the quote is interesting.  It appeals to the notion of "love thy enemy."  It appeals to our better gentler self.  It confronts the unseemly demonstrations around OBL's death.

But, how relevant is it in the real world?  Should the death of evil not be a cause for joy?  Should we turn the other cheek on evil that forfeits the lives of innocents and denies their basic humanity?

Common Sense is glad bin Laden is dead.  I hope that the women I know who lost her finance on 9/11 will finally find closure.  I'm glad that the families of my dead colleagues have finally received some measure of justice.  When evil that has no regard for innocence or humanity is destroyed the world is a better place.  That's just common sense.

Celebrating bin Laden's death

Ahmad Fuad Rahmat, "Why Are Americans Celebrating Osama's Death?" 
Stop Public Celebrations of Osama's Death

The inevitable backlash over bin Laden's death have arrived.  These are two rather thoughtful examples.  Common Sense has also received several posts concerning the celebrations, characterizing them negatively.

Common Sense has mixed views in this regard.  On one hand there is an essential sameness between the US celebration of bin Laden's death and the celebrations in some radical Muslim societies over the events of 9/11.  Common Sense's reaction to one is revulsion but to the other a mixture of fundamental agreement and cautious concern.  That's a personal reaction of course, not an objective evaluation of either.

Celebrations of this sort are in many ways simply human.  While we are all human, as a species we remain generally tribal.  When my tribe triumphs I quite naturally feel pride.  Celebration is not far behind.  In this way such celebrations are just expressions of humans being human.  That makes them understandable.

The two links are interesting but in Common Sense's view fail to grasp the essential issues.

Consider John McWhorter's  

I will experience my joy at bin Laden's death as a private sentiment best gotten past as quickly as possible -- and all lusty, communal "Ding dong, the witch is dead" celebrations of his death as unfortunate.

Is bin Laden's death simply "unfortunate."  Common Sense wonders when did the death of a mass murderer become unfortunate.  Common Sense has seen real evil disguised as a human first hand.  Common Sense wonders should such people retain an absolute right to life?  Most of the world, including much of the western world, continues to recognize the death penalty in law.  Underlying the death penalty is a recognition that some people forfeit their right to life by their actions.  Is execution of a murderer "unfortunate?"  While Common Sense has reservations about such executions, they are on balance not "unfortunate" but just.

Being part of a civilized just society requires rather more than two arms and two legs.  It requires an acceptance and participation in the essential norms of civilized society.  Bin Laden rejected those norms and actively participated in the terror death of thousands of innocents.  His death is thus just.

Ahmad Fuad Rahmat's remarks

The triumph can only lie in the feeling of redemption: Americans can finally convince themselves that the War on Terror has been, after all, worthwhile.  Bin Laden's death lets it all make sense: they can now proclaim that the deaths of millions of Muslims, the sacrifices of thousands of American soldiers, and the depletion of America's own wealth in the process, have not been in vain.

also miss the mark focused as they are on the cost of the War on Terror and the notion of its justification/redemption. 

Does the War on Terror make sense?  Common Sense thinks that depends on what you think it is.  Do the Iraq and Afghanistan wars make sense?  That's certainly a valid question given the state of their governments and marginal success the US has had at establishing a civil society in what was previously a largely lawless tribal region.  Common Sense notes that there are not many examples of military imposition of a civil society where one did not previously exist.

But the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are not the only part of the War on Terror.  The US intelligence community has been remarkably successful in thwarting terror activity in the US and elsewhere.  Surely that part of the War on Terror is just common sense!

As to Mr Rahmat's notion of redemption.  Common Sense notes that there is no redemption nor, for that matter, justification necessary when an elected government in a democratic society acts consistent with the wishes of its citizens.  Here Rahmat's concern seems to Common Sense rather political.  As such they are not so much about celebrating an enemies' death as objecting to a political decision.  While questioning that decision is certainly reasonable attaching that  question to the celebration of an enemies death is little more than a crude attempt to change the topic.

Just a Common Sense POV.

Tech and jobs, part two

There's an interesting company, Kiva Systems, that make a very cool robotic shelving system.  Here's a video.



OK, so it's technologically cool.  And, more to the point, it's very efficient.  According to an interview with Wired, it allows a single person to pack three times the number of orders!

Now think about it a bit.  Unless the warehouse needs to pick and ship three times as much product they no longer need as many pickers.  A classic case of technological job destruction in the absence of growth.

But, that's not the only risk associated with this kind of technology.  Consider that when a customer places an order the order can get filled faster.  Faster fulfillment means faster delivery.  Faster delivery means less need for inventory on site.  Don't think so?  Go down to a nearby CVS or other chain drug store.  Walk around the building.  Note that there is NO inventory storage.  Hang out in the store a bit and watch a store employee open a shipping container filled with a variety of products and restock shelves with 3 of this and 5 of that.

Part of what's going on here is, of course, real time inventory control.  Part of it is much more efficient restocking systems.  Now consider what happens if something goes wrong with that wonderfully efficient restocking system.  CVS is out of stock very quickly.  Not much of an issue if it's toothpaste.  Perhaps a bunch of bad breath but no big harm.  But what if it's a patient's medicine?  Now there's a bigger downside.

There's a bit of supply elasticity since there's another CVS in the next town along.  But how long will their inventory last?

Technological efficient systems while wonderfully efficient are not very elastic.  They are not very robust and are often subject to cascading failures.  If something goes wrong with such systems negative consequences occur very rapidly and can cascade to effect many many people.  Don't think so?  Remember the 1965 North East blackout caused by an improperly set relay.  A small human error caused 30 million people to loose electrical power.  Of course, there were a few independent power companies whose customers were blissfully unaware of the problem.

Common Sense's point is that technology doesn't care about such things.  It is entirely neutral when it comes to jobs, stability, elasticity, and many many other values that most people desire.  Technology isn't good.  It isn't bad.  It just is.  If we exercise common sense when we use technology then we can create a better world.  If we don't, then we can be sure that the results will be a very mixed bag.  It's up to us and such common sense as we can muster.

How much high tech is in your life?

Common Sense has a number of watches.  Actually, I don't really know how many I have.  One of the watches dates to the late 1800s.  Another, a Timex, is now about 50 years old.  Yet another that was purchased for less than $20 is digital and has more computing power than the first computer I worked on.  But each of these watches perform the same essential function.  They each show the time.  While it is certainly true that the inexpensive digital watch is much more accurate than the others and has additional functions, it still is simply a watch that shows the time.

This got Common Sense to wondering, how much high tech is really part of everyday life?  How much of everyday life is really about manufactured goods?  How much high tech is really high tech or just another way of doing something that was previously being done?

By way of full disclosure, Common Sense is a geek!  I like my gadgets and tech toys.  I've got rather more of them than the average person.  I think they are neat. Fun.

So consider Common Sense's day so far.

I woke up this mourning about 7am.  The bed I sleep in is, well, just a bed.  It was manufactured somewhere as, of course, were the sheets, blankets, pillows, and such.  Doubtless there was some high tech involved in the manufacture.  Perhaps some computer control.  Almost certainly computerized accounting of the manufacture process, shipping, etc.  But all said and done, while there may have been some high tech involved I could have the same bed and bedding without it.  High tech content so far - zero.

Time to shower and get dressed for the day.  I live in a nice house with a nice master bath, shower, etc.  But these things are much like my bed and bedding manufactured goods.  High tech content so far - zero.  I dress.  My cloths are much like everything else so far.  High tech was doubtless involved but the cloths are essentially low tech contemporary renditions of the same cloths my father and grandfather wore.  High content so far - zero.

I wake up hungry and so fix myself a bowl of cereal.  High tech content so far - zero.

I check the mourning news.  I have a rather nice Samsung flat screen TV served by a cable service with recording cable box.  This is definitely high tech.  Count the TV as one and the cable box as another.  High tech content so far - 2.

The news is stunningly repetitive so I decide to read a book.  Are books high tech?  I'm not entirely sure.  On one hand they have been around for a few thousand years.  Printed books from around from somewhere around the 1200 to 1500 depending on who you want to credit.  Doesn't seem like they should be thought of as high tech.  High tech content so far - 2.

My day will continue much along these lines.  Most of my life will involve manufactured things.  Most of those will have involved high tech in their manufacture.  Few are essentially high tech.  Most have existed for many, often hundreds or thousands of years. 

The central common sense point here is that while high tech influences our lives, often dramatically, it is for the most part not a significant day to day part of our lives.

This observation has important implications for jobs.  In a consumer oriented society manufactured goods are at the base of economic activity. While high tech is fun and an essential part of efficient manufacturing, it is manufacturing and manufacturing jobs that should be the focus of government activity to promote job growth.  That's just common sense.

Osama bin Laden dead

Common Sense notes with great relief and no little satisfaction that Osama bin Laden is dead.  Make no mistake about it, that's good news and the world is definitely a better place without him.  But Common Sense thinks that while the news is good, it's not as simple as many think.

First, Common Sense notes that while killing a man is easy enough, killing an idea is extremely difficult.  Think not?  Consider the radical Jew Jesus of Nazareth that was killed a few thousand years ago.  His ideas lived on.  While Osama bin Laden is dead, the threats posed by radical violent Islam remain.  The ignorance, poverty, and hatred that fuel it remain.  Until these are changed the radical violent Islam will remain a threat.  That's just common sense.

Second Common Sense is concerned by the cheering crowds of young people chanting USA while holding up a finger to signal that "we're number one."  Don't misunderstand, bin Laden needed to be found and captured or killed.  But the threat posed by radical violent Islam isn't a game.  The US didn't just score a game winning touchdown.  While the accomplishments of finding and killing bin Laden is laudable all the US has done, in a fundamental way, is to find and kill a sick old man who is a symbolic leader and murderous international criminal.  Sadly, we are not much safer today than we were yesterday.  That too is just common sense.

While we're in the neighborhood, Common Sense notes that the greatness of a country is not defined by its ability to find and kill terrorist but rather by its ability to create a just and equitable civil society.  

Small business taxes redux - The Fact Checker - The Washington Post

Small business taxes redux - The Fact Checker - The Washington Post

Common Sense remembers a few weeks ago when there was a brief flurry of news about increasing taxes on business followed by bellows of rage that doing so would kill job growth particularly in small businesses that generate much of the job growth.  It turns out like many such claims that it simply isn't true.  Most small business are, well, small.  They don't generate income above $250K and thus would not be effected in any way by the proposed higher business tax rate.  Roughly 750,000 small business would be effected.  That's 750,000 out of roughly 22 million!  Of those that would be effected, roughly 540,000 have incomes around $600,000 per year.  Hardly small or middle class.

Now 540,000 taxpayers is a lot.  So is $600,000 per year.  It's time business, all business, paid their share of taxes.  That's just common sense.

Trump finds White House dinner ‘inappropriate’ – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs

Trump finds White House dinner ‘inappropriate’ – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs

Sometimes the news surprises common sense.  It seems that The Donald is a bit put off about being lampooned at  the annual White House Correspondents dinner.

“I really knew what I was getting into last night. I had no idea it would be to that extent where, you know just joke after joke after joke,” the mogul said. “It was almost like, is there anyone else they can talk about?”

He also found the event “inappropriate in certain respects” and spent the evening thinking about how “the American people are really suffering and we’re all having a good time.”

So it seems that

1. Having behaved like a rather bad joke, The Donald thinks he should be taken seriously.  Really?  Common Sense thinks that if he wants to be taken seriously The Donald should try acting serious.  It might also help if he joined the real world and got his facts straight.
2. If The Donald is so concerned about having a good time while the American people are suffering perhaps he ought to a) not attend the event and b) have his branded clothing line manufactured in the US not China.  Common Sense thinks that while The Donald is a bad joke his hypocrisy is anything but funny.