Disposable data rarely is.

I sincerely doubt that anyone proposing simple solutions for complex problems should be trusted.

Moreover, I propose that any problems that still exist (that is to say is not already well-known to be solved) are complex problems.

To be specific, I’m talking about problems that have many inter-related parts, such as population issues, the relative need of religion and law, the relationship between education and quality of life, political shenanigans, etc. None of these are simple, because they involve large populations of people and in particular, when one is reviewing proposals to solve complex problems for large numbers of people (such as citizenry), it is worth taking into account that one cannot easily ignore those who would be smooshed, ignored, deleted, or killed by being disregarded as part of the solution.

This is the problem with most simple solutions. They may seem easy: “All we have to do is _____________ and it’ll all sort itself out,” but they are only easy if one ignores a non-trivial proportion of humanity. If one engages in “othering” people to such a degree that they become disposable.

I suspect that if there is any sort of actual god in the universe who truly cares deeply about how human beings act, then this “othering” could quite possibly be one of the worst sins imaginable.

As our society grows more complex, and as we try to accommodate people who have a variety of life experiences, it will become more difficult to find solutions that cover all the bases, so to speak.

But in all honesty, we’re going to have to. We can no longer pretend we’re a part of a village of 100 people. We are a nation. We are a species. We are a single planet with limited resources. Our questions become complicated, our system is complex and dynamic, and our answers are going to also be complex and dynamic.

Answers offered in the guise of simplicity almost certainly have other agendas, not the least of which is to assign the label of “disposable” to some group of people. And a solution that disposes of the people who would otherwise make the solution inconvenient isn’t a solution at all.