Wise words from Kurt Vonnegut

by David Safier

With so much going on and so much to write about, it seems a little silly of me to take time out to quote one of my favorite authors. But his words are more appropriate than ever.

In "Sirens of Titan," the main character wrote a note to himself to remind himself of things he should never forget. This is the best of the bunch:

"If the questions don't make sense, neither will the answers."

When I read that line back in the 1970s, it was a cloud-parting moment for me. I had to put down the book for a minute or two and let it sink in. I always try to keep the statement in the back of my mind.

Here are a few ways the "Nonsense questions lead to nonsense answers" idea fits in today's political world.

Conservatives ask the question, "Why should we let go of bright young teachers and keep older, mediocre teachers around just because they have tenure?"

It's a nonsense question, so all the possible answers are wrong. The right question is: "Why are we cutting school budgets to the bone so we have to let go of teachers?"

Conservatives ask the question, "Why should government workers have higher salaries and better benefits packages than workers in the private sector?"

Another nonsense question. The right question is, "Why have most workers' salaries stagnated or declined over the last four decades, along with their health care and retirement benefits, when their productivity has increased and all the added profits have gone into the hands of the wealthiest Americans?"

Our Russell Pearce Republican legislators ask the question, "What choice do we have but cut government services when we have to balance our budgets and we're running a deficit?"

Yet another nonsense question. The right question is, "Why do you insist on cutting taxes, especially for the rich and corporations, when that means you can't fund schools, health and human services, etc.?"

The way conservatives frame questions results in answers fitting their agenda — usually wrong answers. They consistently and purposely ask the wrong questions. Ask the right questions, and you get very different and more far more valuable answers.