This might be a short title, but it an important one that I will explain in this blog.
What is your "horizon"? Do you even know what I am talking about? Most people don't. The "horizon" is that position in the future where you can not see beyond or you are not much concerned about what is beyond that "horizon". Still having problems understanding what I am talking about? Another way to look at it is how far into the future do your normal plans cover? It is clear that younger people have a longer personal planning horizon than do older retired people, but that might not be true.
Several years ago a friend told me this saying about American business men and their relationship with China. He said, "...an American business man will sell China the rope to hang himself with.." The lesson is that the American business men have such a short "horizon" that they do not see beyond their next sale. They don't care about what might happen in the future. They only think about today or tomorrow. After this conversation, I got to thinking about "horizons" and how they effect the country and individuals personally. Think about it.
Look at our kids in school who are only concerned about lunch, their girlfriend or some game they will be playing. They are the ones who really need to be thinking about the future and their "horizon". How else can they justify hard work on Math today if the payoff won't come until well into the future? Isn't it clear that someone like a parent has to show their children that they have to plan today for the future even if it means doing some things that they don't wont too?
Above, I said that older retired people have shorter "horizons" and they do for themselves, but not for their children and grand children. Because they are older, they see the need to have a longer "horizon". It is possible to have a "horizon" that is too long and the Green Movement is a good example. I think that planing for 500 or a 1,000 years into the future might be a little too long. Too many things might change in ways that we could never think of or the "present worth" could be so small that no expenditure today could be justified.
Horizons not only apply to decisions and plans of individuals, they also apply to our government. An example might be uncontrolled zoning that would allow homes and business to be located anywhere. Over time, I think you could see what a mess that this would create and thus good zoning can be a good idea. Our relationship with China is another good example where a longer horizon was not considered. In the short term we were able to buy many items cheaper from China than if they were made here in the USA. Many who only thought in the short term thought this was a good idea, but when their father or uncle were out of jobs because their plants closed they had second thoughts, but it was too late. We have the same thing with our colleges and universities today. The administration and the professors like having hard working Chinese student in their Engineering and Science classes because they can brag about their highly rated classes. The problem is that in some cases the advanced technical classes are made up of 80% or 90% Chinese foreign students who will take what they have learned back to China. Notice how good it looks for the colleges and universities in the "short term"? Us tax payers are paying them to teach and prepare "our" children for the future, not a bunch of Chinese foreign students
This business of "horizon" has may facets and is an indicator of the social maturity of a nation. I am concerned that many of us today have forgotten the lessons that many of our parents learned from the Depression and WWII. They worked hard so that they could have a better future. It is my observation that of all the groups in the USA who need to understand the importance of their "horizon", it is the Black community. I am not picking on Blacks, but pointing out how critical it is to be a responsible father and for a student to finish school and even tackle advance technology We all know that the currency of the future will be technology and thus we all need to start preparing today. I would like to hear the word "horizon" mentioned a lot more in our daily discussions and for our politicians to start focusing more on the future than getting reelected. What is needed today so that many of us can participate in a better future I challenge you to help! It is your future too.
PS--Why are over 50% of our medical doctors born in foreign countries? Didn't our Department of Education see this coming years before when they could have done something about it? What was their "horizon"? Until the next election, that's what! We can do better and we have too.
PS--In the case of China, they are always talking about their 100 year horizon. That means that they are doing things today that will pay off many years into the future while we only consider the next election in just two or four years. China is going to kick our ass and we all should know it!
What is your "horizon"? Do you even know what I am talking about? Most people don't. The "horizon" is that position in the future where you can not see beyond or you are not much concerned about what is beyond that "horizon". Still having problems understanding what I am talking about? Another way to look at it is how far into the future do your normal plans cover? It is clear that younger people have a longer personal planning horizon than do older retired people, but that might not be true.
Several years ago a friend told me this saying about American business men and their relationship with China. He said, "...an American business man will sell China the rope to hang himself with.." The lesson is that the American business men have such a short "horizon" that they do not see beyond their next sale. They don't care about what might happen in the future. They only think about today or tomorrow. After this conversation, I got to thinking about "horizons" and how they effect the country and individuals personally. Think about it.
Look at our kids in school who are only concerned about lunch, their girlfriend or some game they will be playing. They are the ones who really need to be thinking about the future and their "horizon". How else can they justify hard work on Math today if the payoff won't come until well into the future? Isn't it clear that someone like a parent has to show their children that they have to plan today for the future even if it means doing some things that they don't wont too?
Above, I said that older retired people have shorter "horizons" and they do for themselves, but not for their children and grand children. Because they are older, they see the need to have a longer "horizon". It is possible to have a "horizon" that is too long and the Green Movement is a good example. I think that planing for 500 or a 1,000 years into the future might be a little too long. Too many things might change in ways that we could never think of or the "present worth" could be so small that no expenditure today could be justified.
Horizons not only apply to decisions and plans of individuals, they also apply to our government. An example might be uncontrolled zoning that would allow homes and business to be located anywhere. Over time, I think you could see what a mess that this would create and thus good zoning can be a good idea. Our relationship with China is another good example where a longer horizon was not considered. In the short term we were able to buy many items cheaper from China than if they were made here in the USA. Many who only thought in the short term thought this was a good idea, but when their father or uncle were out of jobs because their plants closed they had second thoughts, but it was too late. We have the same thing with our colleges and universities today. The administration and the professors like having hard working Chinese student in their Engineering and Science classes because they can brag about their highly rated classes. The problem is that in some cases the advanced technical classes are made up of 80% or 90% Chinese foreign students who will take what they have learned back to China. Notice how good it looks for the colleges and universities in the "short term"? Us tax payers are paying them to teach and prepare "our" children for the future, not a bunch of Chinese foreign students
This business of "horizon" has may facets and is an indicator of the social maturity of a nation. I am concerned that many of us today have forgotten the lessons that many of our parents learned from the Depression and WWII. They worked hard so that they could have a better future. It is my observation that of all the groups in the USA who need to understand the importance of their "horizon", it is the Black community. I am not picking on Blacks, but pointing out how critical it is to be a responsible father and for a student to finish school and even tackle advance technology We all know that the currency of the future will be technology and thus we all need to start preparing today. I would like to hear the word "horizon" mentioned a lot more in our daily discussions and for our politicians to start focusing more on the future than getting reelected. What is needed today so that many of us can participate in a better future I challenge you to help! It is your future too.
PS--Why are over 50% of our medical doctors born in foreign countries? Didn't our Department of Education see this coming years before when they could have done something about it? What was their "horizon"? Until the next election, that's what! We can do better and we have too.
PS--In the case of China, they are always talking about their 100 year horizon. That means that they are doing things today that will pay off many years into the future while we only consider the next election in just two or four years. China is going to kick our ass and we all should know it!
