Politicians, in my opinion, have little influence on world-events and history. The industrial circles have the real power, in particular the inventors and scientists working in there. They gave us the car, the airplane, the atomic-bomb, the telephone, the radio, the TV et cetera, and in last years the computer.
And these things really changed the world and our way of living. Wars too are greatly influenced by modern technology made by industries and invented by their scientists.
Politicians have to follow accomplished facts then, can only try to lead developments in better
channels. And even then their power is little.
The only real influence politics can have is in those fields of society which are not lucrative for trade and industry. Payable education, health-care, social security, public transport and the like, for everyone. These activities do not bring any financial profit, and trade and industry therefore are not interested.
It therefore is a pity that in last years the government (the Dutch one I mean) has transferred
more and more of these activities (public transport, social security) to the commercial market. In the end nothing else is left for politics than bookkeeping.
Politics that is us, of course. We have the government we asked for.
So how can we increase our influence?
By making more demands on the industrial circles. They now decide what to offer us, without asking first. Why for example, there are so many different cars, printers, TV's et cetera? We all like a certain variation, but too much variation only is confusing and also useless.
We anyhow can ask the producers to bring more unity in the inner-technique of all their products. Just 1 or 2 different ink-cartridges for printers, that must be possible and would be very wise and handy. And we can ask the motor-factories to develop a worldwide standard 1200 cc or / and 1500 cc car-engine, gear box and the like. It would be the best engine, the cheapest as well. We can do that with all our products.
Furthermore we can also ask these scientists and inventors to think better or longer, when they
develop a new product. Is it really necessary? Does it fit to the other things we already have?
Such kind of questions.
These scientists even must do that, I think, since perfect fitting is the essence of every thing. The better it fits, the more truthful the thing is. And the other way around, a society in where many things do not fit, is an untruthful society. See more about that in the philosophy, II.8 for example.
end 1999 - beginning 2000
