Recently @nlw posted this image and lamented the fact that we are repeatedly let down by our elected officials.

I agree, it's incredibly frustrating.

However, what I'd like to do is put this into a context that can help to explain just what the hell is going on here...

What I'm about to say is not the product of my mind. Rather, it's a set of ideas presented by George Friedman in "The Storm Before the Calm"

My aim isn't to claim intellectual insight that I don't have. Rather, I would hope you'll check out George's book.

Ok. Here we go...

What we have in America is a problem with centralized control. It's not that the government is necessarily evil, the problem is that the federal government is still trying to govern in a way that's become outdated...

Pre-internet we needed a central control structure to guide/control/lead the country. We needed a strong Federal government to unite the country against the Soviet Union.

The top down governing approach made sense, or at least more sense than it makes now...

The problem is that we're still using this model today, even though it's become inappropriate.

We don't need/want a federal agency in Washington dictating the terms of a vaccine rollout on a state by state basis. Instead, what we need to do is...

Decentralize. We need to invest more authority in the states, counties, cities and council leaders.

Right now local leaders are hampered/hamstrung by regulations which dictate how they can act.

A great example are all of these absurd...

Rules about who can get the vaccine. We've created a situation where we're not allowing the person doing the vaccinating to use common sense.

The result? We're throwing away vaccines!!!

All because the person giving it is not empowered to act according to...

What makes sense.

You can see examples of this literally EVERYWHERE. All of these top down regulations that prevent the people on the ground from actually doing what they need to fucking do.

It's not that this system is as malicious as some would believe, it's just...

The husk, the ugly remains of a system that used to work OK but now doesn't.

Now, back to Friedman.

Similar to Neil Howe with his 4th turning, Friedman postulates that we are coming to a turning point in America. A point where...

We will radically overhaul the system, such that we restore power to people on the ground.

We say to the nurse, vaccinate as many elderly/at risk people as is humanly possible... And then if there is any leftover, vaccinate whoever the hell you can find!!!

We say to the state leaders, city leaders, local leaders, create your own vaccination programs that will work best for your community.

Etc...

In a nutshell, we get rid of these top down mandates and restore power to the people on the ground...

This is just the most basic summary. I would really recommend that you check out The Storm Before the Calm.

Great book and an enjoyable read.