Coping: GOB Networks Vs. the Internet

Turns out it’s another “Ray & George” column this morning, since my friend Ray picked up on my discussion of the Good Ol’ Boy Network here in Anderson County, Texas which has allowed opening of an open pit (rock) mine just down the street from us.

The good news, such as it is, is that Wednesday the road was watered a couple of times, a stop sign that had been torn down was back up.  But we shall see how long it takes for oiling the road, replacement of trashed paving, and restoration of my property value (due to the torn up road) takes.

The county was no doubt aware the open pit operator had been previously fined for environmental concerns in another county.  But nevertheless, split the big between the open pit here and another one which (more research pending) isn’t how things are normally done.

But then this is the land of the Good Old Boy Networks.

Which gets me to my buddy Ray who wisely notes that the GOB nets are not a purely Southern phenom:

George, I think it’s cute that you think the “Good Ol’ Boys network” is a Southern, or a Texas, aberration.

AFAICT there is a “GOB” network in every county of every State in the nation. Sometimes it’s a Democrat machine, sometimes a Republican machine, sometimes there’s one of each, and sometimes it’s politically amoral, but it exists everywhere. In my county we’re blessed(?) with one of each, although having had, 40 years ago, 40,000+ UAW union members employed here (BTW current number = zero), the Democrat machine has classically been more powerful.

I’m only commenting on this because an interesting thing happened, beginning in 2008: Several people ran (and won) as Republicans, against the Republican GOB candidates (they were called “renegades” then renamed themselves “Team Republican” in 2009, after the Dems’ successes) and several Democrats ran (and won) as Democrats, against the Democrat GOB candidates (they called themselves “Team Democrat.”)

One of the Republicans and three of the Democrats won in the general election, despite having neither Party money nor support from their respective GOBs.

The “nonaligned” winners were not allowed into their respective Party’s headquarters’ either before or after winning. The Dems actually tried to enter Democrat Headquarters after the election, which resulted in a brawl and riot (IIRC 187 folks went to jail or the hospital, but there were no arrests…) To this day there’s no love lost between the GOB networks and their respective splinter candidates. Election night festivities were resolved by the county now having four “Party Headquarters” establishments… 
I mention this because I’d be interested to learn whether there were other non-aligned (non-GOB network) party splinters in other parts of the country. If so, where? If not, why not?

BTW I voted for ALL the non-aligned candidates save one, irrespective of party, not because they were non-aligned, but because they were the best candidate for the job…

Fine observations by brother Ray. 

He managed to touch on my new method of voting:  Simply vote for anyone who doesn’t have “Incumbent” next to their name.  It also makes the voting process very compact, since there are so few “Best candidates for the job” running.

But aside from this, there’s another important thing going on:  Namely that we are beginning to see the leading edge of change brought about by the internet.

Used to be the GOB nets pretty much “ran things.”  But what’s worth noting about the LBGT movement is that they have been the real pioneers in setting up online challengers to the GOB/GOG/GO[other] networks that actually are far more effective than the traditional GOB networks.

And example?  No names, of course.  But say you went to a school/college somewhere in the Phoenix area and were studying theater for drama.  As soon  as a part for a play opens up, what used to be the “leaders of social cliques” who used to tell their friends about such opportunities, have been about totally usurped by the online interest group which has the best connections into the theater/drama department.  And in the example, it’s the LBGT online pipeline that knows first and then, through serial Likes and cross postings alerts its members most efficiently.

The straight crowd has been seriously lacking, probably because being “in power” so long tends to make people lazy.

Then, when the straights (and particularly the conservatives) wake up to what’s happening, they reach out to the most convenient catch-up tools they can find.  Which turn out to be right wing radio bloviators and right wing specialty marketing companies.

They do a fair to good job of mobilizing people, but they do so on a proprietary basis.  In other words, in early adopting/self-organizing groups like extreme environmentalists and LBGT groups, they own the information high ground (presently) and thus are (more often than not) controlling the dialog.

On the flip side, I would note that the right side of the aisle didn’t exactly lead the charge to adopt new technology (*phones and texting) but the kids did and those groups that mastered the concept of branding while kids were in junior high school, are the groups in power now.

A lot of it is art, fashion, music, and such, but there’s more to it – namely the exploitation of young people while they are vulnerable to sexual marketing in school.

Hard question, that one:  But how many parents are aware that gender-changing marketing is now being done – in school?

Fox News recently reported that “Oregon allowing 15-year-olds to get state-subsidized sex-change operations.”  Gender change marketers trivialize the Fox story pointing out the age of consent in Oregon is 15.

(Oregon law seems conflicted to me, in that the age of consent for sex is 18, but that’s maybe part of the blue haze in Oregon thinking.  Oregon also jails people for collecting rainwater…which goes to show you how…..er……they operate.  And why we won’t live there.)

But, at the same time, there has been little outcry about Planned Parenthood sanctioning the sale of aborted fetal tissue for research.  And, as Elaine wondered yesterday, how long before the meth-head crowd starts holding up the docs and Planned Parenthood for the a piece of the profits and then, not to be overly gross about things at this hour, what kind of world will we have created?

The simple answer is “A Bad One.”

O course, iit already is and was.   Mass marketing of gender change in schools along with locking up all the theater parts is really minor stuff,  when comes right down to it.

Any “Civilization” that can invent atomic bombs and then kid itself about its potential to achieve liberty and justice for all (which holding civilian population centers hostage worldwide) needs serious counseling.

Ray and I agree about old boy networks, but if you look, I believe you’ll see the Internet is systematically destroying them, one-by-one.

There is – unfortunately – one GOB network that demands our attention, because when that one falls, we’re all in a heap-o-shit.

The good old boy network I refer to, of course, is called government.

The question is:  Have you seen a workable shadow government spring up on Twitter or Facebook?  Or, are we headed toward the logical conclusion led by the hacking crowd.

A cross between anarchy and a big data revolution. 

Call it Datarchy or Danarchy…take Ure pick.

PS On the Roads

By the way, the dusty road out front of our place was watered a couple of times Wednesday.  Perhaps showing up at government meetings helps.  But let’s see if the paving gets done…that will be the real test.  And whether Scott up the street can ride his bike again without risking a serious accident.

Motorcycles and bikes, ridden atop a thin layer of gravel on what used to be pavement is like riding on ice with small marbles on it.

Marketing $ex

By the way, I noticed the Seattle Times has come out in support of Planned Parenthood on the after abortion sale of fetal tissue.

Here’s my thinking on this, real simple-like.

When you bring sex education into grade school, you are bringing down the threshold at which sexual errors will occur leading to pregnancy while still in school.

The Planned Parenthood group should fully disclose that fetal issue may be sold; after all, it is part of their business model.

But there are several other business models in play, not the least of which is the gender-choicing business model which has invaded the school house.   In fact, up in Ontario, we see how plans are afoot to begin sex ed in first grade.  And the marketing of gay sex will begin in third grade.

I would ask “Have we lost our frigging minds?” (Alas, we already know the answer to that one.)

I figure 8th or 9th grade is a good age to begin formal education on point. 

But the real answer – regardless of age – would be to require a very cynically written prerequisite course.  A passing grade in this would be required before any discussion of sex..

Marketing.  Teach kid their consumer value and how to market it.

The whole thing: Subliminal (messages in the background below the perception threshold) along with overt (see lowest common denominator/idiot-level “comedies” for examples), and positioning, message reach and frequency…the whole lot of it.

You wouldn’t let a kid walk through a minefield without a map would you?  (Except in your previous incarnation as a drug lord, perhaps.) 

So why do we send the little darlings off to walk a bigger minefield/mindfield without teaching them how to read the map a bit?

I‘ll tell you why – pure and simple:  It would blow up the school age sex marketing consortium that includes curriculum specialists, textbook houses, special interest groups, drug companies, vaccine makers…anyone who can figure an angle to make a buck is knocking on the door of first grade.

And it works – Because the rest of us are too damn dumb and irresponsible to do something about it.

Everything is a business model.  And when  we ship all our jobs to Mexico and Asia, that doesn’t leave us much room to grow the GDP.  So let’s wreck Ferguson and Baltimore and Cincinnati may be next.. There:  Instant urban renewal jobs.

We are now monetizing really stupid things:  Racial differences,  excessive police powers, sexual preference, minutia that should never have been monetized (iot should have just been  fixed) in  the first place.

Oh wait!  We can’t fix anything unless it is monetized, right? FMTT

Until we get some people back in Washington who understand that people need real jobs, not jobs based on debasing our world,  we are in for a lot more of guess what?

Gee…how’s that for a comforting series of thoughts to start the day?

Write when you get rich.. (or find a new niche/victim class to monetize)

George   george@ure.net