Saturday 12 October 2019

A Short Thirty Year Story

Back in 1992, some business folks analyzed things in the Americas, and noted that Venezuela was now classified as the third-richest nation (out of 35).  Oil, natural gas, tourism....were all booming.

Five years later, an amazing thing happens.....the Ford F150 pick-up picks up purchase steam, and is the number two vehicle purchased in Venezuela. 

You could have sat there and grinned...being a resident of Venezuela, and felt that life was getting a lot better.  The middle-class was growing, and things looked great.

Around 2001/2002, the word 'inequality' starts to be used by various political groups.  There's unfairness being discussed by the public.

Around twelve years would pass, and now you have opposition political leaders arrested or detained on a weekly basis.  The country is in turmoil.  The economy is wrecked, and just getting enough toilet paper for daily use....is a big deal. 

Within three years of that point, the Constitution is suspended, and elections, while discussed, are a forbidden action.

'Equality' now?  It's a pretty sure thing.....everyone is now equal, and living in a third-world country....suffering economic woes, and everyone agrees that they made it as equal as possible.  No one wants equality now, but they can't find the way back out of this maze. 

Kinda funny to think how it was in 1992, and how far things have fallen. 

Me and the Pronoun Crowd

First, let me be honest and just admit up front, there are a hundred pronouns that tend to be accepted in the English language.  Even 'whoever' and 'whom' fit within the pronoun listing of the hundred.  To quickly assemble a thought for a stranger, you go to that hundred....assemble your sentence structure, and prepare to receive their comeback, which hopefully will make sense and resolve your problem or question.

But then you walk into a room with a gender-maxed group....say seven of them.  Each different from the other.  Basically, I don't know them, and in my case....dealing with strangers....I really don't want to get into some hour-long introduction phase where I need to know their personal issues and emotional woes. 

In this case, I need to convey a comment and resolve a issue.  I'm going to the standard hundred pronoun list.  The minute you stop or hinder me on my problem or question....I'm discarding you as an effective answer-person.  I'm going to the next person.  And I'll repeat that if necessary.

For me, it's simple....I divide people into three categories.  First, there's strangers and I really don't need to waste time on knowing strangers.  Second, there's associates (typically people I work with, or people that I have to deal with once a day).  For associates, it's nice to know their hobbies, their passions, and their general background.  For emotional woes or sexual interests?  No....associates aren't in that category.  So finally, I come to friends....where some personal woes or great personal battles in life can be explained in detail. 

It's safe to say I don't have a thousand friends, or for that matter....even a hundred friends. 

For the pronoun crowd, I'm a problem because I really just want simple communication to occur.  For their agenda to work, I need to be on a friend-to-friend level, and that's just not going to happen.

To be honest, looking around.....I kinda suspect that the vast majority of people operate with the system I've described.  So selling another 300-odd pronouns is not going to be easy or simple.  If I choose not to get into your personal business....it's my own personal choice.  I don't need to waste 30 minutes learning your pronoun path to happiness...to reach the point of asking about information on buying a vacuum cleaner or a dishwasher. 

I'm sorry if that seems harsh.