Note: The Waterpomptang family is fictitious and occasionally a Waterpomptang story appears on the M&O website. Some say their adventures resemble real events, but that is just a coincidence.
It was Christmas time, and the Waterpomptang family had congregated at the Truus and Bolle homestead.
Presents had been opened and the big push for the family meal was underway with the kitchen filled with Waterpomptangen finishing the various dishes. Bolle had opened the wine and sat down in front of the fire. Polara placed her deserts on the sideboard next to the coffee urn. She brought her grandfather a cup of black coffee and the same thing for herself and she sat next to him by the fire.
“So how are you doing mijn vriendinnetje? Bolle asked.
Polara was blowing on her coffee and looking at the blurb of a book on decision making that her brother had given her.
“Well what do you want to know Opa? My life is good. I like my job, and as an environmental activist I am encouraged as far as local wildlife is concerned. On the other hand, I am worried about our lack of progress with world problems like sustainability.”
Bolle grunted, “Sustainability is strange, I like to think I am too old to worry about it too much, but as an engineer I can state that your father and sister have pretty much convinced me it can be solved. I too would like to see it move much faster, because that is a much better deal for the world. Potentially we can ruin the world before we fix it. That would be sad, because it will affect wildlife and poorer people too, but from an engineering point of view there will almost certainly always be solutions. Although the sooner we fix it, the less it will cost.”
Polara did not seem to be encouraged by Bolle’s answer. “But why can’t we go faster if it makes sense?”
Bolle grunted again, “Because people are very bad at making decisions. Or maybe I am not saying that right. People are very bad at seeing the connection between a problem and its solution. There is always a path between the two and sometimes the path is clear and sometimes it is not, and sometimes there is no solution. Strangely some people may think a problem has no solution, other people may think the solution to the same problem is unclear, and still other people may clearly see a solution to the problem. In other words, it is not the problem or the solution. True problems are generally clear. Say there is a war. The problem is clear and the solution, peace, is clear too. However, the path between the two is often unclear.”
Bolle took a sip from his coffee, “Often that path is made unclear for nefarious reasons. And often people become befuddled by the path and then think there is no solution. Actually, there are very few problems that have no solution.”
“What problems have no solution, Opa?” Polara asked.
“I would think you would have to reach into religious problems or problems that have no rational basis. Most other problem should have a solution, but it would not always be a solution with a universal benefit. That goes back to the mantra that a good deal is a deal where everybody walks away slightly dissatisfied, but the best solutions are those where everybody wins and those solutions actually exist for many problems. Vaccines are a good example of a universally beneficial solution.”
“So the Israel Palestine problem cannot be solved, because it is religious?” Polara asked.
Bolle shook his head, “No, it can very much be solved. It is not even a religious problem or an irrational problem. It appears to be that, but it is much more a commercial, economic or governance issue and there are paths to resolve it. Religious co-existence is not hard to do, as long as religious issues are not drawn into trade, money or governance. What is very sad is that a culture that has created so much science and knowledge, somehow thinks that Palestinian resistance can be solved with fire power. Quite frankly, the Israel Palestine conflict is much more about tribalism than religion. Tribalism is very destructive and is the cause of that rotzooi.”
“So how do you solve that rotzooi?”
“By taking many small and continuous steps for re-approachment with high levels of generosity by the more powerful party. Break the tribal boundaries. That, or extermination of the weaker tribe, but that is a purely technical solution, or a logical solution, but not an engineered solution. Unfortunately, in over 60 years there has not been a concerted effort at an engineered solution.”
“Should we focus on re-approachment with Russia in the Ukrainian War?”
“Ultimately yes, but that requires the creation of a stronger party that is not interested in extermination. Russia is interested in extermination and that is where it is so important to support Ukraine.”
Polara lit up, “So lots of US money to Ukraine, but nothing to Israel unless they use their more powerful position to be generous with Palestine?”
Bolle nodded: “Yes, and, besides that, the money spent in Ukraine has many other massive carry-on benefits and that is where we get to the importance of investigating the void between problems and solutions. Examination of the void shows that dollars for Ukraine is an uncommonly good deal for the US and the democratic world.”
“Better than peace in Palestine?”
“On a dollar effectiveness level, support for Ukraine is in a category all its own. Money to Israel alone cannot solve the Palestinian problem, while money to Ukraine can make a world of difference. At this stage sending dollars to Israel simply helps Israel beat up harder on Palestine, but it does not fix the problem. On the other hand, think of what dollars alone does for us and Ukraine. It is a no-brainer super deal and may very well be the best deal for the United States in my lifetime.”
Bolle raised his hand to count them out, “One, we beat up on Putin, who deserves to be made as miserable as possible. Two, other shady leaders know they should not invade other countries with decent levels of freedom. Three, it takes no American lives. Four, it keeps our military technologies up to date. Five, it strengthens our ties with NATO and Europe and other allied nations.”
He switched hands, “Six, the overall cost is small compared to our total military budget, and disproportionally strengthens our military capabilities. Seven, the money is mostly spent in the US and it revives our ability to build weapons and helps our own economy. And eight, on a human level, it is the right thing to do. Beating Putin even helps Russia as a whole. There are few just wars and Ukrainian resistance is one very rare one.”
Bolle paused and Polara jumped in, “But Ukraine is very corrupt and maybe some of those funds will flow to corrupt characters in Ukraine.”
Bolle nodded, “Well let’s parse that: First we do not actually send money; we mostly send weapons. There is a possibility that some of those weapons will be stolen and resold to other players. But, so far, we do not have any significant evidence in that regard. Is there corruption in Ukraine? Almost certainly. Does it negate the above benefits? Highly unlikely. There is great clarity in the void between the problem and the solution in Ukraine. As long as Ukrainians are fighting with our, and their own weapons, we have nothing to complain about. And they are fighting, and the price they pay for the benefit of all of us deserves our deep respect and gratitude.”
Polara raised her finger, “But right now, the dollars are tied up with money to be spent on immigration control.”
Bolle frowned, “It is strange that money for Ukraine and money for immigration control are tied together, because the voids between the problem and the solution are so different. Ukraine is clear, but immigration control is incredibly fuzzy. I am sure that the void can be filled with measures that fix the immigration problem, but the weirdest thing is that we cannot even define the problem and the solution properly and until that is sorted out, there is no way to fill the void in a rational fashion.”
“So Opa, you asked me how I am doing. With all this misery and confusion what am I supposed to answer to your question?”
Bolle finished his coffee and started to shift his rump to get up and walk over to the dining room table. Once he got up, he put his arm around Polara. “Maybe a good answer is: I am a stubborn optimist and will fight for freedom and do good wherever I can. At my age I know am not perfect, but it worked for me most of the time.”
“That is a great Christmas present Opa. I really like it. Thank you” and she kissed him on the cheek.
“You are most welcome. Let’s eat, thank our lucky stars, and see what we can do for our fellow world citizens in 2024.”
Characters:
Wim (Willem Fokko) Waterpomptang, originally a blacksmith, but became a Chief Engineer in the Dutch Merchant Marine (this would be Hoofdscheepswerktuigkundige Waterpomptang) and mostly sailed to the Great Lakes and the Mediterranean. No fan of the English, but loved the Scots. Referred to as Oudopa by his descendents. Passed away in 1992.
Wim Waterpomptang, President Emeritus, Watt & Fulton, Ship Surveyors and Engineers
Started as a sailing engineer at Holland America Line and then started to work for an American Ship surveying company in Rotterdam.
Transferred to the United States with his family just before the Bicentennial.
Joined Watt & Fulton in 1980 and bought the company with his son, Willem, in 1993.
Owns a 28 foot Olson Sea Skiff named “Froetjers” and drives a 1993 Dodge K car. Hates cars. Keeps his boat at the Molly Pitcher.
Nicknamed “Bolle” by his old friends (Means “round one”). Called Pa by his kids and Opa by his grandchildren.
Any stranger he meets he calls “My Friend”. Anytime somebody says something that makes no sense he says: Rotzooi! (A not too rude word for mess, mix-up or confusion)
Loves his wife Truus and bacon, hates to travel. Drinks Lairds and cold beer. Is distrustful of people that eat porridge and oatmeal for breakfast. Hates melted cheese.
Willem (Willem Fokko) Waterpomptang President Watt & Fulton, Wim’s son
Sails and iceboats. Aerospace and Ocean engineer and Professional Engineer. Is somewhat autistic and sometimes has trouble figuring out what people mean. Helped by his partners and office staff in maintaining human contact. Nicknamed “Dutch Uncle” due to his inability to behave tactfully. Married to Anne Gardiner, fortunately of Scottish descent.
Marina (Marina Gretchen) Waterpomptang. Economist and Environmental Scientist with a Masters degree in System Engineering from Columbia.
Daughter of Willem. Works for the company as an independent consultant. Travels the world and does weird things, sometimes for W&F.
Will (Willem James) Waterpomptang
Son of Willem. Mysterious Character. Also an engineer but now works as a lawyer in mysterious acquisitions and deals. Married to Shruti a big data engineer from India.
Polara (Polara Ruth) Waterpomptang
Daughter of Willem, marine biologist, artist and environmental activist.
Watt & Fulton, an ancient ship surveying and engineering company, founded by descendants of James Watt and Robert Fulton and world renown for dealing with the thornier maritime issues.
The company used to be based in New York City, but moved to Red Bank, NJ after the Whitehall Club closed.
Today W&F is located across the railroad station above a packy store in the Mexican section of town.
