Fuzzy Thinking
A Series of Challenging Editorials
by
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Last week I visited with a man from India. He came to this country as a student, studied hard, learned our language and received a Doctoral Degree in Soil Science. Now he is a Crop Consultant in Nebraska. He is in business for himself. He is very happy that he took advantage of "opportunity" as it exists in this country. He doesn’t want to go home. He said (in English) "I can’t understand why people in this country complain so much." He said the standard of living, even of the very poor in this country, would astonish the people in his hometown in India. He said one walk through the isles of one of our supermarkets or department stores, would seem like a fairyland to them. Then he added, "When this country has what all of the rest of the world wants, (Freedom and opportunity) why are we trying so hard to give it up?" He added, "The rest of the world can see that we are headed toward Socialism and the rest of the world wonders why we would do it." These are not my comments, they are the feelings of a foreigner who has found a home here, and likes it here. I thought about our conversation and I said to myself, we could see it here if we try. I believe we are gradually shifting our preference to "security" rather than to "opportunity." We keep asking for more help from the government and we are getting it. But whenever the government gives money or assistance to a person ,or a group, they always send along guidelines on how to use it. For example, our local school boards were once in complete control of local schools. Then we asked for State and Federal aid to education and we got it. Now we "cannot do without it" and the Federal Department of Education is telling us "what" to teach and "how" to teach it. The same is true of school lunch, A.D.C., low income subsidies, housing AIDS, etc. There is a one liner that says, " Opportunity still knocks but with the government calling, we can’t hear it." This simple statement indicates how easy it is to slide toward socialism and we hardly notice it. I guess we could say, it’s easier than starting a business or even working at a good steady job. It is not only "fuzzy thinking" it is not thinking at all. We should do better than that. We should try harder to protect and maintain our freedoms and opportunities.
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About the Book
The book expresses many circumstances of "fuzzy thinking." 40 years ago carbon dioxide was going to cool our planet and glaciers would come again. Today, the "same" carbon dioxide is going to cause "global warming"? There is "fuzzy thinking" there someplace. Why do we as a Nation, elect a draft dodger, womanizer, and anti-government demonstrator to be the Commander In Chief of our military forces? It doesn’t make much sense. It is Fuzzy thinking. Why do we put clamps on a free enterprise timber industry because of the fleeting whims of a spotted owl that adjusts easily to "other" circumstances? We need new, young, growing forests to use the carbon dioxide, and give off oxygen. We don’t need to save old dead trees just to satisfy the spotted owl. Fifty years ago, parents and school boards were in charge of education and kids could read. Today the Government is in charge and kids can’t spell or read. We must all be doing some fuzzy thinking on this one. Multiculturalism, diversity, social passing, no answer math, no phonics, etc., are all mistakes of the pseudo intellectual government educators.
About the Author
Ernest E. Behn (Ernie) was born on an Iowa farm during WW1, of German parents. He lived through the depression of the 1930’s. One day he figured that his family would never get out of debt with corn at 15 cents a bushel and hogs at 2 or 3 cents per pound. He then discussed with his father the possibly of going to college. His father said, "They don’t want people like us down there.’’ (We were too poor.) But Ernie persisted, saying he would work his way through. After contacting the dean of agriculture he was able to get a job cleaning out the experimental hog pens for 20 cents an hour. He would clean the pens, take a cold shower and go to class. This was not necessarily a romantic way to go to college. After 3 months of this he was able to get a better job in the University Art department doing show card lettering, building college exhibits for State Fair and doing illustrations for books for college professors. After four and one half years of work and study he graduated from I.S.U. with a BS. degree in the fall of 1939. After two years with the College Extension Service, and 3 years of military duty, he returned to Iowa and received an appointment to the Soil Conservation Service. While so employed he wrote his first book, More Profit with Less Tillage. It was designed to teach farmers the use of crop residues as an aid in controlling erosion and it was very successful. He is nationally recognized as a pioneer in the residue farming movement. His book was called the "Bible" of residue farming by farmers. Ernie is now retired from S.C.S. and from farming. He now spends his time talking and reading to get material for weekly editorials in newspapers. This is what makes up his new book titled, Fuzzy Thinking, a collection of his conservative editorials. He has a voice activated computer that types what he says. It has been a long wonderful trip from no radio, no telephone, no electricity and no running water to today's computer age.