Ω What is prettier to the eye, the roses on a rose bush or the roots? Of course, the roses are prettier to the eye just as the political, feel-good rhetoric is easier to the voter’s ear. We can smell the rose’s fragrance, enjoy its beauty, and romance about the way our lover swooned the last time we shared the flower’s beauty with them. Of course, we must avoid the thorns or they will prick our skin and cause us to bleed. Also, the roses we presented lasted for a short time and, if we failed to empty the water vase soon enough, we learned the stench of dead roses is quite unpleasant. Despite that we still marvel at their beauty and pick or buy them over and over.
Although the rose is pretty to the eye without the plants roots what beauty would we find? The roots provide the life of the bush, the thorns, the limbs, and the beauty of the rose. The planter of the bush must care for the roots for if a single rose is picked it merely dies soon without the roots but if the roots die the entire bush dies with them and no longer are there any roses for us to enjoy. Those ugly on the eye, dirty roots are the key to a beautiful rose or no rose at all.
Whenever any business or organization is attempting to improve productivity or solve complex problems the goal is to identify the root cause of the problem. There are many challenges that spring up around the root cause. If we fail to identify the root cause and only address the surface challenge problems will continue to blossom although they won’t be as pleasing as a rose. New managers and supervisors often are plagued with spending their day putting out fire after fire while failing to extinguish the source of the fire. Management consultants and industrial engineers earn a good living helping organizations identify and solve root causes of problems. Once those are solved the never-ending surface challenges finally end!
One problem with identifying and dealing with the root causes is the fact they are often the most unpleasant to admit to having. Especially if the root cause is found at a high enough level within the organization, specifically if they involve a key employee or a long standing process that has become accepted as necessary. While working as an Air Force Management Engineer I remember Commanding Officers who refused to accept our study’s findings at first. The solutions usually took less time to implement, measure, and verify with positive results than did the initial acceptance the root cause was in fact a policy or process they personally implemented. "That’s the way I’ve always done it," does not mean it has always been done the best way possible.
It is this basic understanding of the importance of identifying root causes prior to attempting to solve problems combined with my knowledge of the other candidates that really made me finally realize they don’t want the voters to understand the real problems, the roots Ron Paul keeps digging up! During the recent ABC debates Ron Paul once again talked directly about root causes to problems facing us and how to begin solving those problems. Once again the other candidates provided merely lip-service, feel good, empty words. The words sounded good to the viewer’s ears while Ron Paul’s message is harder to listen to. If anyone missed reading Nolan Chart columnist John Armstrong’s article, "Ron Paul: A Man Among Boys at ABC Debate" please do. Clearly Ron Paul dug up the roots of the problem surrounding the rising cost of oil in the United States and our ensuing energy crisis.
When Dr. Paul clearly identified the weakening of the dollar and our failed monetary system as a major root cause he was right on target. Yet, the most experienced and skilled business man among the candidates, Mitt Romney, applauded each of his opponents’ answers to the energy crisis EXCEPT our weakening dollar. He knows without a sound financial base a business will fail. So why didn’t he help explain the connection of our monetary system to rising oil prices? Why don’t most of the politicians trying to gain our vote for President talk directly about root causes?
To admit the root cause is a failed policy is unpleasant and difficult for any person in our leadership to share with the voting public. If the root cause is failed policy those in charge of the policy have to then admit there were errors made. The vicious cycle of dealing with surface problems persists but in the end the bush will die if someone does not attack the real problem, if the roots aren’t cared for. In 2008 it is not a rose bush that dies; it is the very prosperity so many promise to deliver and so many of us want change to deliver.
The American roots are rotting; I know how ugly that is to look at directly. Politicians want us to believe our problems in foreign lands are the terrorist’s fault, not ours. Politicians want us to believe our high prices for oil are due to company greed or dastardly Middle Eastern rulers who control the oil production. Politicians want us to believe illegal aliens are invading our country to merely escape their country’s problems. Politicians want us to believe our public education system is failing because our educators simply are not measuring up to the standards they should.
Politicians want us to believe we can solve these problems by having our military kill the terrorists where they live. Politicians want us to believe the government can force the greedy companies or dastardly rulers to treat us fairer. Politicians want us to believe a fence and more border patrol agents can stop the invasion upon our borders. Politicians want us to believe we can force teachers to perform their jobs better by testing them and punishing them if they fail to measure up. Politicians want us to believe it is not our fault and they can take care of us and provide for us solutions to our woes.
Ron Paul wants us to understand our root causes are real and destroying our way of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. He also wants us to understand the root causes are difficult to solve yet together we can solve them. He wants us to understand by solving the real problems, at their roots, can be achieved. By taking the time to understand, by implementing real solutions, measuring the results, and verifying those results not only can we restore prosperity, we can insure our children’s children will be able to enjoy the beauty of the rose.
Here is a little secret all voters need to understand, Ron Paul is not alone in wanting to attack our problems at their roots. There are thousands of economists, business leaders, military leaders, every day citizens, and even some politicians that will join in the fight to restore this nation to the healthy roots we once flourished with. It is up to you to join those thousands; it is up to you to insure future generations enjoy the beauty of the rose. There is Hope for America if we dare only to understand the answers are in our roots.
©2008 by Gary Wood
- Permission to copy with attribution granted.
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