Yes, at least every human is “LOCO”.  LOCO stands for “Limits on Constructive Output”.  That sounds as dry as a wind on a hot Arizona day.  Until we consider what LOCO means.

             LOCO means that  

·        human diversity due to genetics and culture is so great that teachers can never know how to handle every situation or teach every child to everyone’s satisfaction;

·        the tax code is so complex that the IRS or the taxpayer makes a mistake which necessitates that time and money be spent fixing the mistake;

·        human diversity due to genetics is so great that pharmaceutical companies cannot create drugs which work equally well for everyone, nor can the companies create drugs which are free of side effects;

·        the space shuttle is so complex that there is a high probability of catastrophic failure, as has happened twice;

·        physicians and medical specialists misdiagnose more often than anyone finds acceptable;

·        human diversity due to genetics, culture, and history is so great that police can never know how to handle every situation to everyone’s satisfaction;

·        management of systems—like local governments and corporations—has become so involved that specialists become necessary, making it more difficult for people—like voters and shareholders—to understand how best to govern;

·        even legislators, with their consultants and lawyers in Washington, D.C., and Sacramento, deal with such complexity in lawmaking that, at times, technical legislation is introduced to correct the mistakes which they have inadvertently introduced into the law;

·        human diversity due to genetics, culture, and history is so great that it is very unwise for one country to think that it could apply its historic success to another country, as the US is very painfully finding out in Iraq;

·        preparing preschoolers for success in school and life has become so involved that we are moving away from parenting and moving toward pedagogy, an example of which is Head Start. 

However, our human spirit is undaunted.  We look LOCO in the eye and we growl our defiance.  We give teachers and police officers more training, we add warning labels—using illegibly tiny type—on bottles of medicine, we dutifully go to the polls on election day.  But here are the nagging questions:  are we taking the wrong action?  Are we punishing and rewarding idealistically, as our Constitution and laws would have it, or, realistically, as LOCO would have it?  Is there a better way to deal with LOCO than what we have been doing? 

February 15, 2007