Do you want to see how deep the rabbit hole goes?

A riddle, wrapped in a conundrum, smothered with melted cheese on warm focaccia bread.

If you are looking for pat answers and handy little thumbrules about how the world works, and you are happy to just conform and live in Ozzie-and-Harriet homeostasis, then you've turned down the wrong dark alley, Jack! Tough Nuts is where I ask the questions. Hard questions. The questions your parents were afraid you would ask them. The questions your minister gingerly dances around. The questions that scare the shit out of your Congressweinie.

The questions that bother you and keep you up all night.

But this is about real life, so we'll try to have some fun along the way, too.

As you have probably noticed already, the world is an exciting and fascinating place, full of myriads of interesting people and things. And in a lot of ways it's also pretty screwed up (notice, I could have said "f***ed up", but I'm not ready to alienate my fledgling audience just yet!). There are millions and millions of people, trying their best to lead good, productive lives, and to provide a decent future for their children. They volunteer, vote, go to church, donate to charities and even try to be conscientious and helpful...hell, some of them even go willingly to jury duty! And a good number of the people they elect try to serve the public thoughtfully and solemnly.

So: why is everything as screwed up as it is?

This is the first question, the question that is the door to the rabbit hole. But of itself it's too broad, too general. We need to proceed down the hole into Wonderland to start finding the kinds of questions we need to be wrangling. I won't attempt to "answer" it, but I will provide a hint at the beginning of an answer: The world is not in the better state that well-meaning people intend with their hard efforts because...most of them ask the wrong questions. And because of this, they spend their time and effort creating the wrong solutions.

Sound a little strange? A little spooky, even? You betcha. Most people go through their entire lives without grappling with some of the stuff you're about to encounter here. It disturbs them; it is painful to think about; it forces them to look at themselves too closely for their comfort.

But it's the best thing they could do for themselves, their communities, their world.

Remember...all I'm offering you is the truth. Wimp.

Phil