The Struggle Between the Ambivalent and the Impassioned

The Koch Brothers (David and Charles) and their $35 billion net worth want drastically lower personal and corporate taxes (and drastically is much closer to zero percent than 35%).  They want less for the poor, sick, disabled, and young.  Gone would be the U.S. EPA - - Clean Air Act, Clean, Water Act, and other environmental regulations to the dust bin of history.  Having a net worth of $35 billion allows you the opportunity to rewrite the rules - - it allows you to rewrite the American economy in ways that have benefited the few at the expense of the many. (Note - - Bill Gates on the other hand has not been an advocate for a zero tax bracket - - he is working on helping people in some of the poorest spots on the planet.)

But one of the many lessons on the streets of Cairo over the last three weeks is that in a struggle between the ambivalent and the impassioned - - the impassioned can do very well against the rich and powerful.  Especially if the rich and powerful are overwhelmingly ambivalent.  As the streets of Cairo demonstrated, impassioned young people with technology can sweep away the rich, powerful, and old guard.  In the marketplace of ideas, the impassioned do very well - - passion and technology are a historically unique and powerful combination.

The marketplace of ideas is about the future and articulating your vision of that future.  Investing in our youth and quality education is an idea.  Investing in our public infrastructure is an idea.  Protecting the quality of our global environment is an idea.  Developing a sustainable civilization is an idea.  Social justice is an idea.  Income equality is an idea.  Creating a renewable energy future is an idea (don't expect the brothers David and Charles to have any ambivalence on this point).  These are the topics all engineers should be impassioned about.  With new avenues and technology to have a voice, engineers have the capacity and potential to be a force in the marketplace of ideas.  We need to willing and happy to make the case for not gutting the Clean Air Act or eliminating the Department of Transportation.  We need to be willing to fight for our vision of the future - - one based on superior principles.

As the streets of Cairo demonstrated - - in a modern revolution and foot race, passion trumps ambivalence.