Finding the Real Problem

In almost any management program there will come a time in which you must develop the ability to solve problems. Most students will laugh at the concept until they actually start to grapple with the process. The default response is, "everyone knows what the problem is, we've got to figure out how to fix it."

That sounds logical, but with a good professor you soon learn that you can't fix anything without clearly understanding what the real problem is. Most quick fixes are band-aids for symptoms. Rub some analgesic on the pain. Take two aspirin and call me in the morning. That won't deal with the actual infection. Until you figure out what is really wrong you will fail at solutions.

Until you recognize the core problem your solutions will do nothing. And when you define your actual problem you may find that your solution is obvious and may be extremely effective.

Don't you love the voter ID pseudo-debate? States increasingly are apprehensive about ineligible individuals casting votes and skewing elections. For border states, that inevitably devolves to a suspicion that undocumented aliens, i.e. illegal immigrants, are casting votes. For other states it is a question of multiple voting, unregistered voters, restricted voters, or non-citizens voting.

You need a photo ID for at least a dozen common tasks in modern life. Why not voting?

The counter-argument is that a requirement for voter ID is discriminatory against minorities, the elderly and the poor. Ignore for the moment that they can get registered to vote but can't get out to make a one-time trip to get a free ID card.

Read what Jonah Goldberg has to say and notice what he identifies as the REAL problem needing a solution. There's a place where we could really get some bi-partisan support to help Americans. But that wouldn't be what they want, would it?

Recognizing and Fixing the Digital Divide

Of course that would assume that the Democrats really want to do something to improve the quality of life of the minorities, the elderly and the poor wouldn't it?