Common Ground Emerging?

While Watson, the smart computer, has been kicking human butt in Jeopardy, people at Google were Tweeting their congratulations to Watson's maker, IBM, and IBM Tweeted back ts thanks.

If we haven't already entered an age where machines are more in control than humans, than we probably won't know it when it happens. I'm comfortable with what's happening; making technologies smarter is in our collective interest for all sorts of reasons.

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Against the odds, the political environment inside the U.S. may be shifting to a state where necessary cuts in the federal budget may actually get the honest debate it deserves. The main reason this seems possible is that a large group of Tea Party Republicans have voted to cut military spending, thereby breaking with GOP tradition in the House.

That kind of independent streak could provoke some Democrats to break with members of their party who resist any cuts to government spending.

I'm more sympathetic to those who favor cuts, although I do not support zeroing out critical social programs. Rather, I'd like to see defense spending reduced significantly, and redundant, multi-agency social programs that reek of inefficiency cut as well.

President Obama is leading the latter effort; presumably Republicans will support him in this effort to trim government and make it more effective.

The ideological extremes are simply based in fantasy or ignorance. This political system does not in any way resemble socialism, nor are those trying to cut federal spending necessarily trying to destroy government. Both sides need to explore where they can locate common ground.

Meanwhile, the Wisconsin protesters have adopted Egyptian tactics, even as other Middle Eastern populations agitate for change. The Madison protests may auger the return of left-oriented demonstrations due to the budget cuts championed by Tea Partiers.

There never has been a monopoly on public outrage by right or left. People sincerely worry about losing services that provide some semblance of a safety net for the most vulnerable; other people sincerely worry that we cannot simply spend ourselves into an unending state of indebtedness to China without severely weakening our national security.

As with most complex questions, rather than a right or wrong answer, this government spending controversy is not so much an ideological matter as a pragmatic necessity. Anyone thinking clearly knows cuts have to be made. The question is how many and to what programs?

And that is a question that deserves an honest debate.

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Simple things can improve mood. You know things are better when you walk with new confidence and start smiling more often. Also when the world seems interesting again, even fascinating.

That's a pretty good indication you have turned a corner. And that you've finally started connecting again...

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