This is a new concept that’s been evolving on my news websites: Informed Not Inflamed; Facebook; and Twitter.
If it takes off with other folks, great. If not, I will adhere to these principles to try to be an honest broker of information and to be an informed citizen. Feel free to join the experiment. Or just be aware how my postings and comments may change.
So what is Solutions Based News?
It is a grassroots way of looking at news. It will try to be entirely solutions-based free from the left-right, Republican/Democrat, the entertainment and sports bias in the media. We need to free our thinking from politicians who are, in my estimation, bribed by special interests; and the media’s business structure that creates more sideshow heat than intellectual light.
What will it look like?
- First, you will see a lot of content free of strict political ideology. We will ignore denigrating views that come strictly from the left or the right. I will try to post a number of articles, maybe with different slants, on the same subject from different publications. One of our biggest problems in America today is too many people are putting everything through a filter of left/right Democrat/Republican dogma that they believe in or makes them feel good. What that does is give us the political solutions from the 1980s and 1990s that don’t work today. Today’s world is different. We have an aging population that reduces government revenues and raises government expenses while technology reduces the availability of jobs or salaries that are needed to fund the government and what needs to be done in this 21st Century economy.
- Second, you will see a lot more book recommendations. Here are two current books worth diving into: Tom Friedman’s Thank You For Being Late; and Jonathan Tepperman’s The Fix: How Nations Thrive and Survive in a World of Decline. Reading books not only gives you knowledge, but it keeps many of us from speaking out loud too much or ranting online.
- Third, you will get some website and newspaper recommendations. And you will see content from the middle and the far right and far left that considers a lot of sides. But yes, I will point out the myopic political biases.
- Fourth, I will offer suggestions on how to use social media correctly to make you more informed while doing it officially. For instance, there is a way to set up your Twitter site to make yourself a news site. The tools are out there for everyone. Being uninformed is no excuse.
- Five, my biases will be out front. That will include any for-profit projects I am working on. For instance, I work with Liberty Health Share, a medical cost sharing non-profit that I think is the answer to healthcare. I am doing some work for a number of companies involving sales of furniture and access to crypto-currency. Some of the knowledge from these and other topics may be used here. If they are, I will disclose. I will openly state that I am what most people would consider a social liberal (so I have a tendency to be very inclusive and not exclusive) and a fiscal conservative (where I believe in real free markets and also that deficits are a massive threat to our nation).
What you won’t see:
- Political infighting that solves nothing but only helps someone win a race. For instance, we will ignore stories about the crowd size at the inauguration. We will negate stories or comments that state that one President is the greatest or worst of all time compared to another President from another era. That should be left in the sports bar.
- Crackpot extremists and their rants. Why give them any coverage for credibility? Sure we will look at a wide range of ideas, but not bullying or behavior that stifles communication that doesn’t acknowledge opposing ideas. The best way to get block is to be cruel or denigrating to someone in someone’s opinion. Check your inner A-hole when you click. Pretend that person on the site with you is sitting right next to you.
- Dogmatic extremist ideology.
- Pushing information that is proven to be wrong.
It sounds dictatorial. Well, they are my pages. That’s my freedom. But more importantly, not standing up to that behavior is wrong and damaging. That is my responsibility. And that behavior is causing many of the problems around the world today. Just like there is a strain of populism running through so many countries, there is also strain of Al Qaeda or ISIS in the online dialogue failing to see the benefits of the other side’s ideas. When that happens, trust is gone. And when trust disappears, you cannot live safely.
We’re looking for contributors with open minds. The irony of the 2016 election is that voters wanted change. And God Bless them, they got it. Unfortunately, there has been very little change from either side of the political aisle or the media.
The arguments from both Democrats and Republicans are the same old solutions to problems in the past. Sure, some of them touch on some solutions, but not all of them. Remember, these people are in office because of money donated to them; money that was designed to get laws passed on their behalf; and laws passed to stop innovation.
Again, join me or just sign on and watch. This won’t be for everyone. In fact, it might only appeal to a small minority of Americans. From what I can tell, about 80% of Americans are either: lazy, not wanting to take any effort to oppose or tests their beliefs no matter how many problems they cause; ignorant, because they have no desire to find real information; or too busy because our politicians have created a life that makes us jump through hoops to pay for the special interests.
Any suggestions are welcome.
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