Looking past accusations to agree on solutions
I guess the real path forward is moving away from the accusatory tone, and towards a tone of understanding. It’s acknowledging that certain industries, practices, and products, were not invented with malicious intent or for nefarious purposes. But, now that we know the harm they cause, can we come together to figure out a way to reduce the harm and make progress.
The Green Revolution grew (no pun intended) out of innovations discovered during WWII. By repurposing chemical and synthetic fertilizers developed for wartime use, they figured out how to drastically increase crop yields, and feed a lot more people than we’re being fed before. I read recently that death by famine in 1960 was 5 out of every 100,000 deaths. Currently, it is 0.5 out of every 100,000 deaths. That is a drastic improvement, and so I don’t think anyone can say that the Green Revolution, which introduced pesticides, fertilizers, monoculture agriculture, and factory farming to the world, was a totally terrible thing. Especially not for the people who were able to avoid famine as a result. But, now that we’re here, can we agree that the impact of those methods are doing more harm than good, and it’s time to change direction.
Can we agree that conventional farming is no longer the correct path forward? Can we agree that the abundance of cheap processed food devoid of nutrition that was made possible by conventional farming is causing more sickness than it is sustaining life? Can we agree that confined animal feeding operations are not in the best interest of the animals, the consumers, and the environment, and change paths? Can we agree that better solutions are possible, and it is possible to implement them, the way so many small farms around the country and the world already have?
Can we skip past the blame game and move to the solution, understanding that while there is plenty of blame to go around, laying blame will only delay us from implementing solutions?
Social media was born in the age of the internet as a way to connect people. It was invented with the intention of connecting people who share similar interests. It was invented with the intention of making it easier for the world to come together. And in many ways it has done all of those things. It has reunited family members. It has allowed people to find support during difficult times. It has allowed small business to flourish online, and even ushered in the new ‘influencer’ industry (like it or not, it’s created a new way for people to earn a living). It has even allowed people across many countries mobilize as one to demand change. But, there is a dark side to social media that is only becoming more and more pervasive.
There is the polarizing side of social media, that has caused the greatest ideologic division in human history. There is addictive side of social media that emphasizes likes and instant gratification. There is the critical side of social media that allows anyone from anywhere to attack anyone from anywhere without repercussions. Depression, suicide, and division, especially among teens and younger, are all at all time highs, and we know that social media has played a direct role in that. But we’re here, and there’s no going back, so can we at least agree on the future.
Can we agree that we need to regulate the way social media platforms use like buttons, notifications, and algorithms to target us? Especially children. Can we agree that there should be limits put on how much we can use these platforms? Can we agree that the way politicians use social media, to attack one another and announce life changing events, is unhealthy and unproductive? At the same time, can we agree that social media platforms should not be beholden to the narrative of any political party, regardless of who’s in power?
There are so many of these examples. Online gambling is another one that people pushed for. But now that it’s here and we see how it’s negatively impacting our lives, can we agree that there needs to be strict regulations around it? That gambling ads and money lines should not be part of every sports broadcast. Same for alcohol. Can we agree that sports sponsorships by alcohol brands, and relentless marketing of these brands on television, is not helping society? Same for pharmaceutical advertising. We made it illegal to market cigarettes. Why cant we do it here?
I think that in a lot of the conversations we have blame is the number one thing that a lot of us want to assign before moving on. I know that I am guilty of that as well. It’s so much easier to take an accusatory role than it is to come together and agree on solutions. But really, for the most part, it gets us nowhere. The energy we spend placing blame could instead be used to start making progress. If we could get everyone to first agree that we don’t like the current direction, then we can start to steer the ship in a better direction. And that’s the tone I really want to take. The older I get the less I care about who got us here and why, and the more I want to focus on solutions. How do we get past our current state to a better future state.