Solving a problem can be divided into a few steps, with a loop on the last two.
1. Find the desired goal. This is the hard part and the genuinely variable part. In politics the right goal should be a functional civilization and a functional economy for ordinary people.
2. Know your baseline and measure in a meaningful and CONSISTENT way. If you aren’t measuring the same way each time you might as well not bother.
3. Figure out a likely and practical way to reach the goal. This is usually easy, at least at the start.
4. Try the first way. Measure how close this gets to the desired goal.
5. If it’s not close enough, modify the method or try a different method, and loop to step 4.
FDR worked this way. His goal was a civilization and economy that worked for ordinary people. He tried all sorts of different methods for different parts of the problem, always measuring the approach to the goal consistently.
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When you limit your goal by blocking out ISMS or theories, you are automatically EXCLUDING most of the practical solutions. If you must avoid “communism” at all costs, you will always take steps that enrich Morgan or Bezos and destroy common people. If you must avoid “fascism” at all costs, you will skip the mixed corporate-public solutions. Many if not most real solutions require a mix.
Our modern politicians are failing all of the steps. Their goal is enriching Bezos and ruining everyone else, including foreign countries that have the wrong ISM. They use fake inconsistent numbers for inflation and unemployment. They never alter their methods in response to negative feedback. They just keep doing the same thing, or doing nothing at all.
Polistra's Mill 