Richard V. Rupp

February 21, 2024

I'm author Richard V. Rupp, writing to you from Burbank, California, where it's raining, it's pouring, and to this old man, it's getting boring.

 

Because of some of my comments in this post, I want to point out that most of my business life was spent doing research, which resulted in writing reports to senior management about what is happening in society and how it could impact the insurance industry and risk management. In my posts, I make observations that I try not to slant one way or another. I'm not trying to sway beliefs but rather inform you about where things are headed. Though I don't consider myself a "journalist," I believe in the "Journalist's Creed."

 

For those interested in the Journalist's Creed, which has been translated into more than 100 languages and is prominently displayed on a bronze plaque at the NATIONAL PRESS CLUB in Washington, D.C., click here - Journalist's Creed - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journalist%27s_Creed

 

YOU NEED TO VOTE

 

It's apparent that apart from those at the two extremes of the political spectrum, there is little interest in voting in the November presidential election. According to the polls, most American voters don't want either of the two candidates (old guys at the extremes of the spectrum) picked by the two major political parties running for president.  I'm in that group.

 

An ABC NEWS/IPSOS poll indicates that 86% of Americans think Biden is too old to serve, and 62% said the same of Trump.

 

Unfortunately, the two major parties have been hijacked by extreme elements, who have mastered how to take advantage of our changing society communications, which are now swayed by artificial intelligence-enhanced social media and the disappearance of traditional journalism.

 

Over a couple of beers with my buddies at Story Taven, my local watering hole, my gut started telling my mind there must be something "we the people" can do about this. Others have the same concern as mine. Here's some examples -

 

There is an article by Jeff Jacoby in THE BOSTON GLOBE titled "I was a young Republican. Now I want nothing to do with either party." In the article, Jeff indicates – "As a conservative teenager, I gravitated to the GOP. Gradually, the 'Reaganesque style of Republicanism' was overshadowed by 'intolerant' culture warriors. Like millions of other, 'I find myself politically homeless today," equally "turned off by the Democrats' toxic obsession with race and gender" and "the Republicans" shrillness on immigration. Maybe America will move on to "something better," like it did when the Federalist Party and the Whigs "finally breathed their last."

 

From the other end of the political spectrum, there is Charlamagne tha God, who co-hosts a show called THE BREAKFAST CLUB on IHEARTRADIO that appeals to a younger audience of over 6 million. On Sunday, I watched him being interviewed on ABC NEWS – THIS WEEK, where he indicated to co-anchor Jonathan Karl that "nobody is inspired" by the 2024 presidential election and "nobody wants to see" the likely rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. The interview also included these remarks – Kark states, "I saw you describe this campaign that we're headed into as a race between, the cowards, the crooks and the couch."

The response is, "Yeah, the crooks are the Republicans, the cowards are the Democrats because they don't fight hard enough on anything, and the couch is voter apathy, and right now, right now it feels like the couch is going to win."

 

And we have Jon Stewart back on THE DAILY SHOW commenting on the upcoming election. He starts by shrugging his shoulders, "The question then becomes, what the f--- are we doing here, people?" Followed in a more sober tone by, "What's crazy is thinking that we are the ones as voters who must silence concerns and criticisms. It is the candidates' job to assuage concerns – not the voters' job not to mention them. Come Election Day if your guy loses, bad things might happen, but the country is not over. And if your guy wins, the country is in no way saved. So, the good news is, I'm not saying you don't have to worry about who wins the election. I'm saying you have to worry about every day before it, and every day after, forever."

 

There is no question in my mind that both traditional parties have gone off course, and we (you and I) need to tell them that. But how???

 

We are not going to be able to change the names on the November ballot. Our first stumbling block is that, according to NBC NEWS, "even if the parties could replace their nominee, it would be a daunting task for a new candidate to enter the race at this stage. Nearly 80 percent of filing deadlines for upcoming primaries have already come and gone."

 

We are going to end up with one or the other of the two current candidates, no matter what we do. Unless what I am going to suggest produces some really weird outcome. But "we the people" can indicate you're not really our choice, and you don't have a mandate to go off on an extreme. We can pass on a message to the entire country and to whoever is elected by doing what I suggest.

 

I want you to get off the couch and vote. I want to see the largest voter turnout in history. If you have a preference between the two "old guys," go ahead and vote for them. If you can't stand either, I want you to "clearly print" your name (if you live in one of the 48 states that allow write-in voting) on the ballot. This is not a wasted vote! Could what I'm suggesting impact the election? Maybe, but with these two candidates, does it make any difference?

 

I've tried to figure out with our electoral college system what would happen if the number of write-in votes exceed the number of votes either of the two "old guy." The more I researched it, the more confused I got. If I figure it out, I'll let you know. I know we can bring on the start of change if both "old guys" lose the popular vote by millions. Yes, we can do that! I suspect it would cause the parties to change or will result in a new moderate third party being formed four years from now.  

 

I did note that if no candidate reaches 270 electoral votes, the House of Representatives chooses from the "top three" electoral college finishers via a simple majority vote. I have no idea who would end up being the third finisher.

 

My (tongue-in-cheek) suggestion is that you could write in TAYLOR SWIFT. If this caught on with the SWIFTIES, she could win it all. I can visualize a musical/singing State of the Union Address in my head.

 

THE DYING FREE PRESS

 

I remember learning in school that there can be no American democracy without a free press. The FIRST AMENDMENT OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION explicitly protects the freedom of the press. It states – "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of THE PRESS; or the right of the people peaceable to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

 

It was anticipated that the "free press" would serve as a "watchdog on our government." It's the press that cannot be controlled by the government, offering an independent, regular update on behalf of the rest of us.

 

We have a problem, folks! The "free press" basically no longer exists.

 

I started noticing the change with my local LOS ANGELES TIMES when billionaire Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong purchased it. I stated in a previous post that the L.A. Times no longer needed an opinion page as the entire publication had become opinion-oriented. This month, I canceled my subscription to the publication when Dr. Soon-Shiong terminated 23% of its newsroom staff. This is just part of what has happened to our traditional free press. What happened at the Times is just the tip of the iceberg. Most of the major newspapers in our country have either gone out of business or have been purchased by billionaires. Billionaire Jeff Bezos owns the WASHINGTON POST. THE BOSTON GLOBE and MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUE have billionaire owners. As these billionaires are finding, the traditional print and even digital newspaper concept no longer makes business sense. In the U.S., 2,500 local news outlets have closed in the last two decades, and nearly two-thirds of journalists' jobs have been eliminated since 2005.

 

This presents a problem that is indicated by David Zurawik, professor of media studies at Goucher College, "A democracy cannot function without accurate, vetted, factual information that citizens can trust in making decisions like who to vote for, one of the most important civic decisions in a democracy." 

 

Last October, a GALLUP POLL indicated that only 34% of Americans have "a great deal" or "a fair amount" of confidence that news is reported fairly and accurately.

 

The concept of the traditional free press with a journalistic staff no longer exists. What's going to replace it is up for debate. I'll keep you posted on what I see and hear.

 

MY OLD GIG

 

For my insurance and risk management buddies, more changes are ahead for you. As driving continues to become more deadly, the current auto insurance mechanism becomes less realistic. The rate of crash deaths has gone up since 2020 and has been further aggravated by Americans' love of large vehicles and smartphones. The rise in deaths likely points to larger mental health struggles, with the car becoming an outlet to express anger and frustration. Traffic deaths in the U.S. also largely outnumber traffic deaths in other comparable countries. 

 

Since 2023, car insurance rates have surged 26%, and they'll likely remain elevated until 2025, according to Bankrate's True Cost of Auto Insurance Report. The report determined the annual cost for full coverage car insurance in 2024 to be $2,543, compared to $2,014 in 2023 and $1,771 in 2022. As many state insurance departments are not approving rate increases, the largest insurance companies are withdrawing from providing auto coverage in that state. As rates increase, low-income and even some people at the bottom of the middle class cannot afford to buy the coverage.  

 

WALLED GARDENS

 

As part of my new gig, yesterday, I participated in a movie industry Zoom meeting titled 3 TECH INNOVATORS BREAKING OPEN THE PRODUCTION INDUSTRY. My main motivation was to learn more about the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the movie industry.

 

I didn't learn much about AI, as the discussion was more about the use of digital technology to improve production communications, integration, and cooperation. In other words, replace all the paper (such as call sheets, time cards) with digital programs and devices. I smiled a lot while listening to three young digital technicians and a moderator discuss their problems in convincing the movie industry that they should change how they did things. I remember my sister saying that our dad had a great job because of the strong movie industry unions. The movie industry is like a "walled garden." Don't mess with us.  In my notes, I wrote down the response of one of the techies who indicated that he constantly heard, "If it's not broke, don't fit it," and "Don't rock the boat." The old behind-the-camera crew is still in charge for the moment.

 

I first heard of the "walled garden" terminology at another meeting, where it was described as "the practice of studios and streaming services creating exclusive content that can only be accessed through their platforms."  I like the term because I can visualize what it is conveying.

 

READING LIST

 

In doing further research for my upcoming novel SKYWARD I'm reading the NEW WORLD ON MARS: WHAT WE CAN CREATE ON THE RED PLANET. This book by Robert Zubrin, world-renowned space authority and founding president of the Mars Society, taps today's newest science and most dogged research to foretell in astounding detail the brave, new Martian civilization we will achieve when (not if!) humankind colonizes Mars.

 

* * *

 

All of the above are signs of a changing society, changing business models, and possibly changing our governance.

 

Stay tuned.

 

Until next month.

 

Cheers,

 

Richard V. Rupp, Author

Website – www.richardvrupp.com

Email – rupprisk@gmail.com

Copyright@2024 by Richard V. Rupp