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Outside-the-Box
First Light
by David Sadler
www.david-sadler.org
Published: 2003.02.12
Revised: 2003.02.12
This is the first ‘Outside-the-Box’ column. It’s titled ‘First Light’ after the term astronomers apply to the first use of a new telescope. ‘First Light’ is a christening that represents the hope of seeing new things and seeing old things in a new light.
Most have heard the term, " Thinking Inside-the-Box. " Such thinking forms the conventional wisdom of any age. It is acceptable because it is familiar. It is safe because it is politically correct. For these reasons, thinking inside-the-box is accepted by society even as it fails to produce solutions for many very serious social and political problems. Problems may go unsolved, but people aren’t called crazy and branded nuts for thinking inside-the-box.
Such thinking is constrained by the status quo, convention, tradition, peer pressure and corporate politics. Such thinking restricts the problem solver to a certain set of ‘official’ and ‘approved’ rules. Thinking inside-the-box is self-limiting in its ability to solve unconventional problems. In many cases, such thinking is the very source of the problem it is trying to solve.
Unimaginable social and political storms are coming. Any mode of thinking that fails to solve or avoid these problems represents a clear and present danger to, not only the national security, but to our quality of life and standard of living, as well.
History records that all previous empires have fallen. Americans must think and act differently to avoid the destiny of history. We must begin thinking " Outside-the-Box " when conventional solutions don’t work. The future of America depends upon our ability and courage to do so.
We must be of courage and go where others fear to tread. Thinking differently draws criticism and ridicule because it is unfamiliar. It falls outside the bounds of broadly accepted behavior and thought. It challenges authority, the status quo, convention, tradition and peer pressure. In short, it doesn't follow the rules.
When solving problems, rather than starting with a page filled with the official rules, lines and boxes of politically correct problem solving, thinking outside-the-box begins with a " clean sheet " without restrictions. This is threatening to many.
For the life of this column, I hope to live up to the perception of me held by Charles Key, Executive Director of the Oklahoma City Bombing Investigation Committee, when he honored me by saying,
" David Sadler is a truth seeker, more afraid of the harm caused to our nation by denying the truth than facing the ridicule for seeking and speaking the truth. " (1)
So let us begin with the next column to exercise the First Amendment and question the wisdom of our government’s domestic and foreign policies when they seem off course. We should not forget that America’s genesis was the result of our founders thinking outside-the-box as they challenged the authority of their day.
America is about to go to war for oil --- again. We are about to commit, not only the current generation of youth to fighting this war, but perhaps the next as well.
The political map of the Middle East could be on the verge of vast change as the New World Order makes its move to dominate world energy supplies and with those, the economy and conventional war making capability of the rest of the world. This will be the subject of the next " Outside-the-Box. " The Oil Wars are coming.
" There is a chance for the President of the United States [George W. Bush] to use this disaster [9-11 attack on America] to carry out … a ‘New World Order.’ "
-- Gary Hart, former Democratic Senator and presidential candidate -- (2)
NOTES:
1) -- Charles Key, Executive Director of the Oklahoma City Bombing Investigation Committee, endorsing David Sadler for Congress, 12th CD/IL, 2002 General Election, archived home page --
1b) -- John Doe #2 // Great Dreams
2) -- Gary Hart, former Democratic Senator and presidential candidate, U.S. Commission on National Security 21st Century Co-Chair, carried by C-SPAN, CFR banner clearly visible behind the panel of speakers --
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