Micah asks to approve the government’s decision to classify documents by Jury Duty. Phil suggests that this Jury Duty can also audit the government actions (like no-bid contracts for the military industry complex) and that the threat of auditors is a good first step to curb corruption. K Sera has other ideas.
Note: This was recorded in the winter of 2020 (about a year prior to the publication of this episode), and thus it was during the first real winter of the pandemic with the 45th President still in charge. There is a light to the end of the tunnel, which is sadly the same light in this publication-date tunnel of the winter of 2021.
K Sera’s after thoughts:
- Bad idea, Micah. Bad idea. Random, non-experts can have their (usually misinformed) opinions on matters, but I tend to want experts who are actually qualified to pass their verdict on things that impact the safety and security of our nation. If I’ve learned anything from living through the last few years of this anti-vax-but-have-you-tried-essential-oils garbage, it is that the average person knows very little outside of their specializations. Cries of “do your own research” haunt my memories. Listening to family members tell me that they refuse to get themselves and their children vaccinated for various reasons (some valid, most not), drives me crazy - because the logic and knowledge behind their reasoning is absent and they keep moving the goalposts any time one of their hold-ups gets resolved. I can only assume that they are either lazy or too afraid of what they don’t understand. Why on earth would I want people like this to receive, pass judgement and potentially reveal sensitive information? These people are about as likely to comprehend the contents and the consequences of revealing that information as they are to get vaccinated to help their community.
- Of course, later on in the episode, I mention my (probably) unsubstantiated faith in humanity, which seems counterintuitive to my feelings noted above. Listen, guys, just because I have faith in some people does not mean I extend that faith to ALL people. I would rather have a vetted and qualified person making these important decisions, not some random stay-at-home father in Nebraska who pretends he’s an entrepreneur/fitness coach selling Beach Body shakes to quietly ashamed friends and family members.
- My favorite, truest quote from this recording: "You are only as good as you can afford to be." - Phil Osoffee
Phil’s after thoughts:
-This was originally recorded in the winter of 2020, a year prior to the publication of this episode. We talk about the 45th President’s ability to classify most documents to prevent citizens and journalists alike to ask what is truly going on in the highest echelons the offices of our government. One year later, we still do not know.
-Checks and Balances is the theme of this episode, but without a proper way of getting our citizens educated (with critical thinking) the idea of a civilian review board (jury duty pool) may not have the intended impact desired. The fact that so many Americans are so behind in mathematics, science, biology, statistics, physics, theology, literature, and basic geography it really dampens my belief that we can rely on the average citizen to uphold our democracy, much less sensitive information. But at the same time turning off our brains and reluctantly trusting the bureaucratic system to represent our best interest is much worse.
-So how do we go about getting a well-educated, well informed, critically thinking people? I am not asking for a friend, I am asking this for myself. I need this for myself.