177th Edition
Get Smart
One of President Ronald Reagan’s many famous lines was that “All great change in America begins at the dinner table.” In my experience, great ideas are also launched and discussed at the breakfast table. Hyped up on coffee, energized to begin a new day, the breakfast table is where it all starts. But not always…
Recently, I met a new friend for breakfast at a place in Charlotte which I hadn’t been to in almost twenty years. In the booth behind me was a younger man with two young children, a daughter who looked to be about six years old and a son two or three years younger. What struck me was how loud and constant his dialogue was with them during breakfast. Almost as if he was saying to the people in close proximity that these are my kids and aren’t I a wonderful and wise father. The man was totally insensitive to the impact he was making on other people around him. I doubt very much whether patrons three booths away, who could hear him clearly, were impressed or cared at all about the man explaining to his kids the difference between sausage patties and sausage links.
I’ve noticed similar behavior in other public places like the airport for instance. People with air buds carrying on loud conversations oblivious to the individuals around them. Just another one of the countless examples of the continuing deterioration in civility in our country.
A popular show when I was a kid was Get Smart, starring Don Adams as secret agent Maxwell Smart. Whenever it was time for a top-secret conversation Max and his fellow agents would use the cone of silence. I think every public place should have a few of them available for use.
Another disconcerting trend is the decline in the number of children, especially in large cities. Overall, families are moving away from the city and are also having fewer children. Why is this happening? Several factors seem to be in play. First, and likely the major cause of smaller families and the exodus away from major cities, is the exorbitant cost of living, especially housing. The decline in social interactions has made people feel isolated and unsafe. People today are more fearful, which translates into a desire to have fewer children.
Major cities like Portland, San Diego, Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles and San Jose have all experienced a double-digit decline in child population over the past ten years according to a recent Wall Street Journal article – “America’s Big Cities Are Rapidly Losing Kids.” How will these cities cope with this situation? Cities led by socialists will raise taxes and try to provide more affordable housing through subsidies. Unfortunately, as taxes increase, more people move to lower-tax states, a phenomenon that has been going on for years. Even worse, the first to move away from higher taxes in states run by progressives and budding socialists are the job creators and entrepreneurs which are the engine of a thriving economy. If all these trends continue, and there are few signs that they won’t, eventually, the big cities will have more people looking for handouts, and fewer entrepreneurs, small business owners, and families with multiple children. Sadly, that is a recipe for economic disaster. Time will tell whether the politicians running these cities will change course or continue with the same playbook – raise taxes and offer more subsidies. Good luck with that.
The final unsettling trend, at least for this week’s edition, is the rise in loneliness that seems to be pervasive across our country. Both the U.S. Surgeon General and the World Health Organization have both called loneliness a public health problem. According to the Wall Street Journal article – “The Economics of Friendship,” 1 in 6 people describe themselves as being lonely. The article goes on to state – “Loneliness has been linked to higher risks of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety and premature death.” Yikes! What has led to this dire emotional health situation? The list is quite long. Working remotely, social media, cell phone addictions, back decks, home gyms, Amazon, Uber Eats, homeschooling, to name a few. OK, I guess I should also add the cone of silence. For the record, I am happy for families with multiple children. Some of these youngsters are going to grow up to do extraordinary things. Hopefully they will fix at least some of the problems that my generation has caused.
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Michael Kayes
*These views are my personal opinions and are not the viewpoints of any company or organization.