it is called the "same"

The garden-bed was a blend of the heartiest of fresh soil. Finely mixed, with a dash of the right nutrients it was the deepest shade of black to which life would sprout from. However like many things in life are not isn't quite what it seemed because under the newly strewn soil was a hard clay surface that little would sprout from. Churning and mixing the soil a stray root appears. Like a fine fishing wire it appears and runs deep to its core, searching for nutrients from the clay netherworld.

As thick as molasses on a cooling autumn day, roots tend to appear slowly over time. They are like ripples from a skipping stone, though they may appear to drift away, eventually they come back and if roots were from poisoned soil they equally contaminate the new. The delicate test is knowing which roots need to be protected and allowed to spread throughout the land and others that need to ripped out with their core.

This wandering tale of oh-yes agricultural science, applies to many considerations far beyond the plight of your magnolias as you may have guessed. Though a commentary or two of a green-thumb might be welcomed amongst the stone-roses, it appears that few understand the long reaching impact of decision-makers in society and for that matter, the need to build a root system that will nourish society always.

Roots need to be built with a system of unparalleled education. Though I imagine some can debate line items, I have yet to find an educational budget that spilled over its limits that I could truly call "unfavourable". It is the peculiar area, you can spend too much here, there or just about anywhere except in the classroom. Whether it is the individual, the family or government agencies, you can never spend "too much" on education as it is the bedrock that all life springs from.

Yet the problem becomes if you do not put education on a pedestal it will be jostled and slowly chipped away by those who lack appreciation for it. Gradually it will come off the rails and eventually society is looking up in the midst of the downward spiral with the realization that there is no escape from its plight. Unfortunately if there is one thing you can count on from a society that has devalued its education, is that it will consistently make unsound decisions, which will include reducing education budgets on its ride downward.

Examples are endless really in a world that no longer understands "right is never wrong" and "principles never have a price-tag", yet I am still taken back how poorly much of the western world has responded to the recent economic turmoil. While governments should be instilling comprehensive improvements to education budgets, they look to "cut corners", though no-one ever asks: are you not limiting future generations and effectively sealing their fate? Poor plan after poor plan have been tabled of dealing with banking matters but few have looked to bottom-up the approach starting with the public such that it trickles upstream and please..government plans are focused upon the boom-bust cycle of overspending as opposed to actually increasing the savings function. While North America's success in the balance of century will be heavily influenced by mass transit, heavy cargo rail and air cargo, little is being invested in these areas. Cut, paste or simply save but if there is one overall plan that is being built, it should be called the "same" as the powers that be are merely creating a inflationary bubble over the next generation. "Same" will undo the promise of future and must be pulled from the roots of the system or next bubble that bursts will cause even greater hardship.

Why such erroneous decisions are being made stems from the simple fact that the foundation has eroded. To stride forward old dying roots must be eradicated so that new life can flourish. In its place a system with the arts and education at its core must spread the roots for tomorrows generation.