Let me know what you think
Want to help make the fight against SoluProbs a reality? As this website is being launched in late-April, 2016, it should be regarded as a Beta version of what it will become, and your help is needed for it to evolve. (I’m asking for your ideas, not your money.)
Welcome aboard. Here are ways to help.
First, listed at the bottom of this page are some SoluProbs I am considering for future posts. Your observations, knowledge, and comments about any are encouraged and welcomed. Your input can make a difference helping to shape our articles and spread the word.
Second, I am especially interested in identifying SoluProbs that have escaped my attention. I know they are out there. I encourage you to suggest new SoluProbs with a Comment at the bottom of this page, or make a more structured suggestion, using the Join the SoluProbs Team section provided in the right column of this page. Join our growing team and help spread the word. Your participation in this growing community makes a difference, and is welcomed.
Third, if you want to try your hand at drafting a SoluProbs article, or just provide the details to the degree you are aware of them, the outline to the right provides the format that helps pull it all together. Using the outline, remember the key elements of a SoluProb are:
- A presumed problem, such as voter impersonation in polling places that, in truth, is not a real problem.
- A solution to the presumed problem, such as Voter ID laws.
- Empirical evidence that the “problem” does/did not exist, such as the several studies indicating voter impersonation in polling places almost never happens. Empirical evidence matters, a pillar of our principled approach to raising awareness.
- A background narrative, that provides context, history, and discussion of the presumed problem that led up to the “solution,” how, when, and where the “solution was implemented, and anything else that fleshes out the story to help readers make sense of it. And finally…
- Negative consequences of the “solution.” This is the meat that matters, why it is important for all of us to raise our cultural awareness that ultimately affects public policy decisions that can help or harm society. Identifying the true, often horrifying consequences to individuals and society is necessary to reach inside of people, have them care, and take action that brings forward more enlightened, constructive, and healing social policy.
Any Comments you make will be automatically posted. I will review your more extensive submissions and, as appropriate, post exactly what you submitted or ask if you are interested in co-authoring a more extensive treatment.
Subscription: If you would like to stay in touch with this discussion, please use the subscription form to sign up for periodic notices.
Working together, I am confident we can shame this lunacy into remission, help our society Stop Shooting at Ghosts, and bring about more enlightened, constructive public policy.
If you have any questions, just ask. If you want to share your thoughts or throw yourself into a SoluProbs article, go for it. Welcome aboard and thank you for taking action. Tell your friends.
So I invite your participation and partnership. For now, here are some of the SoluProbs I am considering and/or working on.
Presumed Problem: Vietnam attacked the American Navy at Tonkin Bay
SoluProb: Vietnam Escalation by USA
Presumed Problem: Mexicans and others are pouring over our Southern border
SoluProb: The Trump Wall
Presumed Problem: If women enjoy sex, they will be promiscuous
SoluProb: Female Genital Mutilation
Presumed Problem: Terrorists will enter the USA pretending to be refugees
SoluProb: Block Syrian Refugees
Presumed Problem: Foster Parents use clothing allowances for drugs
SoluProb: Make Foster Kids use thrift shops
Presumed Problem: The Federal government is dictating what students should learn
SoluProb: Dump Common Core
Again, your thoughts and further participation with these soluprobs and any that I have not yet identified, are welcomed. Together, we can help our society and its public policy makers stop chasing ghosts and ease the enormous human suffering these misguided “solutions” cause.
© Earl Babbie 2016, all rights reserved Terms of Service/Privacy
Congratulations on the site launch addressing SoluProbs, Solutions Without Problems. What a great way for people to participate in fixing so many social problems resulting from so much misguided social policy. Wonderful.
Earl,
You’ve begun a great endeavor. Please sign me up! (Maybe you should write another book. I’d be pleased to be your editor again!) Gayle
Great to hear from you, Gayle. In addition to the website, I’m working on a book, too. Stay tuned.
Half the art I have encountered in recent years is a demonstration against cities getting too nice. Who would have guessed 40 years ago when the death of cities by sub-urbanization seemed destiny that the new problem would be nice cities. NY and Oakland were headed toward collapse. Is there a human need to have a problem? We should be able to agree getting nicer is nice. Enjoy this era of urban vitalization. Thanks
I understand the dilemma you describe, but I’m not immediately clear on what’s the presumed problem and what’s the solution. From the standpoint of the anti-renewal folks, I can imagine the presumed problem could be the displacement of poor folks in the inner city or perhaps that money is being wasted on renewal. The solution would be to stop urban renewal. In the SoluProbs schema, the qustion would be whether the presumed problem really existed or was imagined. Does that make sense?