Idealistic policies in the real world

I recall while working we had a person in our department, a very smart (PhD), very liberal change management specialist or as I referred to it, HR foo-foo. She would come up with grand plans for improving or changing the culture or this or that, all of which were worthy goals. She would then present the ideas and how to implement them to senior management. As I recall, all the presentations “went well,” agreement was reached and we were moving forward.

I was always the naysayer at staff meetings asking things like how were you going to measure that and do you really think they buy into all this and are actually going to do it? I was ignored. The reply was always that the leaders liked the idea and said they were going to implement … they never did or if they did, it lasted a few months and they were on to something else.

What are the key words here? “Very liberal,” of course. Nothing much has changed in the world and the well-meaning, idealistic liberal mindset marches on ignoring human nature, self-interest, facts, history and anything else that reflects reality.

Here is the latest example from the Center for American Progress:

After more than a decade of extended U.S. military deployments and costly counterinsurgency efforts, the United States needs to find a new pathway that employs a more targeted use of force in coordination with reliable partners in the region. The United States must use all elements of statecraft to get countries in the region to stop engaging in policies that undermine long-term stability and start taking steps to respond to the crushing social, economic, and demographic trends that are affecting every country in the region.

Targeted use of force? Reliable partners? Respond to crushing …

Some of what is causing problems in that part of the world goes back 5,000 years, some of these people are living in the 8th century. They are driven by religious zeal, they remember the crusades, they sentence people to a 1,000 lashes for speaking out, they behead people for changing their religion and stone others for adultery, they don’t let women drive or leave the house alone. Their allegiance is to the tribe, or religious sect, they believe in honor killing. The United States should take steps to correct all this? What steps will accomplish all this and who says they want to change?

Remember the much maligned (by liberals) George Bush who naively thought that ousting Sadam would cause the masses to rise up and establish Democracies?

Read more here

All these well-intentioned, naive initiatives would be fine if they did not result in such dire consequences or simply wasted money. Consider all the domestic programs focused on the poor and middle class; decades and trillions of dollars invested with little in return. With poverty still with us, with high unemployment in minority communities, with growing dysfunctional families and with more and more American families dependent on government programs, has there been a return on these investments?

Even Obamacare creates negative incentives for personal growth. A family receiving tax credits to pay for or subsidize health insurance premiums will have those premiums lowered or eliminated as their income rises. In some cases, getting a raise or a promotion will create a negative impact on net income.

What message does the liberal strategy for solving social problems send to families about improving themselves and taking responsibility?