Friction is one of those great words that has come to have so much more contextual meaning than its closely linked Dictionary definition of:
· The action of one surface or object rubbing against another
· Conflict or animosity cause by a clash of wills, temperaments or opinions
The Goal Is To Eliminate Friction
Friction, in its most positive sense, literally makes the world go around. We walk, we ride, we write, we type, we stop and on and on…because of the physics of friction.
And in its more challenging sense it requires more energy, more grease and oil, more repairs and more cooling as overcoming friction is critical to the very same things that make the world go around.
Friction, as in conflict or animosity, works the same way. The same forces required to make things happen often need to be overcome...lubricated…cooled down…otherwise nothing happens.
It would seem then, the ultimate goal is to eliminate friction…or at least as much as possible. It certainly isn’t wise or efficient to increase friction…..although, no doubt, I am missing some esoteric (or maybe not so) counter-example…..feel free to call me out!
The Trucks Are Backing Up and Products Are Rotting
Brexit is a great example of why….
The UK news is full of stories, everyday, about Brexit “trade friction”. And, as the press is quick to point out the issues are not about learning a new system or minor kinks in process. The two systems that had been rubbing against each other for years had been greased by the UK’s entrance into the EU. Now that they have exited and the rubber literally hit the road…export and import is hurting. English companies are looking elsewhere to manufacture and the line of trucks at the border gets longer every day.
Amazon Eliminated Friction
Maybe most used, in our time, is the notion of taking the friction out of business transactions. It's fairly safe to say that most Ultra-Valued companies…like Amazon or Uber succeeded because they eliminated much of the friction between buyer/user and company. One Click Shopping…. simple ride ordering… made us all realize just how much needless “heat-generation” there was in the system.
In fact…there is a hardly a company today…. that doesn’t have at least one serious work track dedicated to and focused on taking friction out of their system….be it internal or external and in best case fashion both.
And every start-up I see…and there are many…begin with how they are eliminating friction points…taking it out of the system they are trying to make a statement in.
The Price Of Democracy Is Some Friction
And then there is Democracy.
From a certain point of view…. back in the day…. Democracy increased friction. No longer could a single human make life altering….or other decisions….that is Monarchs and Totalitarian rulers were sidelined by the will of the people. Yes, it was more complicated….yes there was more heat….more wear and tear…..but the system has proved more robust….more agile and more forward facing then most….at least until recently.
Big Government Makes It Worse
The growth of Government and Bureaucracy doesn’t help…. that’s added friction. But it's friction of a sort we know how to deal with…find the pain points….cool them down…oil them up and before you know it the machine can hum again….or if not hum…at least chug along and not burn out.
But there is one friction that is an attack on Democracy and in my view threatens the very freedoms, we endure certain friction to enjoy.
Democracy Is Under Attack
The attack on Voting Rights and the move to add friction to the system in order to make the process more restrictive and difficult goes against the very reasons it’s being championed.
Voting in a free and open election….an election open to all who are eligible…. access to which is guaranteed to all who live here…is a core right of the US Democracy. Limiting that right, in any way, is an attack on that Democracy.
By All Means Demand More Voting Accountability
Now I get that some feel there were irregularities in the last Presidential election. I also get that the lies and misinformation that continues to be spread through Social Media, by the losers, has created an alternative narrative of win and loss which is fueling hatred and dysfunction.
Worst of all, for the future of Democracy, the stolen election myth is driving a tsunami of Republican Party legislation aimed at adding friction to the voting process….the casting of votes…the administration of elections…..and citizen led ballot initiatives.
Imagine If Amazon Had Made It Harder To Buy…Or Uber Harder To Ride?
The national Republican Party set up a Committee on Election Integrity…which basically questions election integrity…as its premise is that large urban turnouts favor Democrats.
I will let you read up on the initiatives… and I hope you do…because only a few of them actually touch on fraud concerns…most are about voter suppression.
Here’s the thing…..imagine if Amazon had added friction to the system…instead of eliminating it…. they would have failed….as would have countless other businesses that have flourished over the past decade.
Yet here we are talking about our most precious Democratic right and instead of facing up to potential fraud (minor as has been proven time and time again) and working together to eliminate the friction…there is a movement to add as much friction as possible…limit as many votes as possible….and thus limit our Democracy.
I’m All For The Lizard Aliens
Honestly…. believe, if you’d like, that the election was stolen…..that the wrong man and Party ascended the podium and that the Lizard Aliens rigged the voting booths and falsified the mail…….that is your right…even the Lizard part.
But then be honest in pursuit of your fix. Take the friction out. Make voting easier. Make it 100% transparent and simple. Don’t make it harder.
Think about that next time you order on Amazon…or get pizza from slice…..or get into an Uber or have your friends and colleagues meet you at the Capital to protest.
Friction is the enemy of Democracy.