Being a pragmatist, I know that you all stopped reading after the second paragraph of the first post, so I thought maybe I could save us all some time and encapsulate the primary thesis. The simple solutions that I speak of all share a common genetic structure so the solution to each is the same for the rest.
But before we delve into that, one of the most fascinating events of the past year has been word usage vis a vis the mood of the country. The pundits like to call it rhetoric, whereas I prefer misrepresentation. Some of it has been quite nuanced, some quite blatant, and some violent. As an example, if health care had been separated into the two separate issues that it was, with one called reform and the other Medicare for All, I really don't think there would have been so much anger about it. The Dems missed the train and allowed the Reps and the T's to take over the message. It was doomed from then on.
Having said that, the first solution is to redefine our relationship to what it is supposed to be rather than what it has become. From this point forward, we are no longer your constituents, you are our representatives. See how changing just a couple of words simplifies and corrects the meaning? Now, go to your dictionary and look up the word representative and come back.
What's Right Simply...
We can complicate the heck out of trying to define what's right but the whole point of this series is simplification. There are those that would argue that Right is a matter of perception and opinion. They would not be wrong in arguing that point, but it rather misses the larger picture. For the purposes of our discussion, Right is not The Right, nor is it having a right, nor is it even right vs wrong. It is the communal, human, internal sense shared by the majority of people that what's right essentially...
...Is What's Simply Right
The bowing and scraping at the Temple of Greed has got to stop. It started at the top and with Trickle Down Economics it has seeped into the rest of us. Every aspect of our lives has been consumed by money. You can't even go to church without being hounded to give more. Airlines want to now charge you to use the bathroom (uh, the floor is free) and overhead bins and we actually have to have legislation drafted to prevent this?
There is so much misplaced anger, undefined hatred of the government, imaginary enemies at the gate, vociferous talking heads spouting half-truths and vitriol, placards and banners that are both evil and generic simutaneously, and politicians who fan the flames instead of extinguishing them.
We've lost our collective minds.
The ultimate in fairness is that everyone gets an equal share of everything, but even I know that won't work. The Grand Design requires the division known as The Haves and The Havenots. That system is part of the human condition and as such is incurable. However, one of the major lessons in history is that when the haves have too much and the havenots not enough, trouble ensues. We are fast approaching that history repeating itself lesson, I fear.
As we have also learned, you can't just throw more money into the problem since the haves end up getting all of that, too. The hundreds of billions of dollars given to the very same people who took all of it to start with did not result in a sudden largesse. Nope, they just said thanks and headed off to the Cayman's for some retirement banking and fun in the sun.
Simple Solutions at their Genetic Root
The common genetic root of simple solutions is common sense. I have stated before that I believe this particular aspect of the human condition may have been bred out of our genetic material. As I look around, it seems to be the one commodity most lacking in our culture. Let's break it down: Common can be used to describe a general acceptance and Sense in this case means applicable practicality benefitting the majority.
Despite the obvious divisions within the Parties and the People, there is one common thread which has the unfortunate distinction of being the least recognized component: Enough is enough and we've had enough of not having enough. Anger, like nearly every other emotion, has at its core fear, and the fear that you are hearing is not political or ideological it is simply that we have no more to give and are afraid of having even less.
Job creation is first a function of the private sector and secondarily of the government. The Capitalists must first create the jobs to expand the tax base to allow the government to provide the public jobs. Build windmills throughout the open spaces. Build and install solar panels in every coporate building in America. Put the drill bits away and forget nuclear. Get the oil companies moving faster on alternative fuels while pushing the auto industry into making nothing but alternative fuel vehicles. Jobs, jobs, and more jobs.
The government begins hiring to repair infrastructure and installing solar panels in every government building and school. Return the stimulus money and bailout funds to the people by hiring for infrastructure development and repair. This reduces the welfare rolls and puts the money to better use than simply giving it to the crooks.
Corporate America needs a lesson from the Republicans that self-regulation and restraint is a far better solution than legislation. Creating more agencies and commissions and bureaus is not the first or best use of our resources. Enacting laws to force you to do what you should be doing on your own is counterproductive and senseless.
Corporate America is about to get a real lesson from its customer base too, and that lesson is simple: Continue to try to gouge us for every nickle and we will cease using your product or service and end your business entirely. Simple and to the point. And to the stockholders of these corporations I say this, we are your neighbors and friends and your greed is a part of the problem. Because, despite the Supreme Court's ignorant decision, a Corporation is a sum of its people and is not a living entity on its own. All we ask is that you become more reasonable and remember that you are part of a community from which you are draining the lives of others.
I already pointed out to you that jobs in energy and the development of alternative resources has many benefits. It improves and stabalizes the economy, it's good for the environment, and it ends wars. A little something for everyone.
Immigration sounds difficult, but it really isn't. The solution is neither amnesty nor deportation. It is legalization and assimilation. It isn't feasible to try to send them all back to where they came from any more than it is to allow this situation to continue as it is. The drain on our resources cannot be sustained and the only way out of it is to get their contribution. Legalization, unlike naturalization, does not grant citizenship, just a legal right to be here. It requires the payment of taxes and affords legal rights and responsibilities. It can be revoked and the person deported
for violations of our laws.
For this to work we have to be serious about enforcement and realistic at the same time. There can be no incentives to come here illegally. No jobs or government programs, no reason to risk. It will mean the deportation of those who do not register which means restoring power to INS. It will also include the deportation of every illegal immigrant in our prisons and jails to whatever fate awaits them in their country of origin. The Common Sense in this approach is that it allows us to be charitable and it ultimately improves the quality of life for all. When we are all part of a community, we tend to behave with more civility which reduces stress and leads to a better quality of life.
All41-14All
Look, I think we can all agree on one thing, and that is that the status quo is not working. What is going on in this country is shameful and disgusting and pointless. We have completely gone off the rails, and it is time to get back on track. It is time to put aside all of the differences and focus on the similarities. By virtue of birth, we all have a right to be here and a right to be treated fairly. We need to restore our self-respect both individually and as a country. Simply put, we need a paradigm shift.
I rather favor Alexander Dumas' All For One, One For All ideal. It encompasses all that is right about being a human and sharing a planet. It was that ideal that led to this country being what it was: the place to want to live. And I happen to believe that it can take us back to there. In order for Common Sense to have a chance, a Common Purpose has to be identified. That Common Purpose, I believe, ought to be in making this country what we all want it to be. Prosperous, Strong, United, Committed to the general welfare of its people and a Positive example to the rest of the world. You know, like we used to be.
I would be happy to entertain anyone's opinions to the contrary. Show me that it won't work. Prove to me that we are incapable of change. Convince me that we no longer have humanity in humans. It will be a sad day for us all if you do.
Thank you for your attention.
Hamster Prez
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