America is on the wrong path and seems not to know what to do about it. Here is my vision that leads us all to a better life and a more sustainable future.
One new generation at a time!
First, why are we now on the wrong path? Economists have convinced us that we must have constant growth in productivity. They say “Our GNP must grow or we will fall into a depression.” This frantic treadmill of activity consumes fossil fuels and adds to more pollution. Another depression always follows. Producing more stuff that soon ends up in landfill garbage is not sustainable. Our Mother Earth is filled to capacity already. None of our leaders are suggesting a balanced and sustainable economy, as economists do not think it is possible. .. It is possible and it is essential.
The question is how to maintain a safe, clean, and healthy world for us all. How do we create meaningful work for all without destroying our planet over the centuries.
We must shift from a materialistic consumer and consumption economy to a service economy. Much of America has already started to move away from gross materialistic values. With further moves to other values, a job shortage will become more severe unless we create new kinds of jobs along with a culture of sustainability.
The best answer for a peaceful world is to create more service jobs such as teaching and health care. Think for a moment how our future can change when much less money is spent on the Military and more is spent on teachers and doctors, hospitals, and health providers.
We will all be happier and healthier including, our Mother Earth, when we shift from a focus on material acquisitions to human service activities. Our Nation will be stronger when the people are stronger. The long arc of history is trending in that direction, yet very slowly and with considerable opposition and confusion.
Why Health Insurance Fails America
The very nature of personal health maintenance is not compatible with the capitalistic system. An unexpected sickness is a major cause of bankruptcy. Clearly, sick people are unable to shop around and negotiate for the best insurance policy. Sick people are unable to fight against an insurance rejection. Also, healthy people are not properly motivated to buy health insurance, which is often too expensive and easy to put off. Younger folks fall heavily in this last group. America’s Health Insurance plans will never work for all Americans. It works only for the privileged and the elite. Capitalism works mostly for the capitalists.
Let us all think about having a single-payer-health program in America. All Americans are entitled to good health care paid for by federal taxes. We gain by creating many jobs while reducing much stress and anxiety for everyone, not just the wealthy. Life expectancy will increase. Jobs will be created in teaching, medical research, elder care, prenatal instruction, and more. When more people are employed in meaningful work, our country will be stronger and more happy and also more healthy. This can all be paid for by reducing wasteful insurance policies and military costs. America will become stronger and less divided.
Yes, it will take some time for these changes to evolve and become effective, but each new generation can learn and be more demanding with values that reject the older ways. Brighter citizens can elect better leaders. These future leaders may now be only youngsters in classes K to 5, but they will understand the needs for change. The new culture will strive toward zero GNP growth, zero pollution, and a human friendly environment. We the People will be in charge of our own destiny.
A healthy America is a strong America. Sadly, too often our past leaders rejected this idea. They wanted a weak and modest citizen who had little time or resources to challenge their authority. They accepted the boom and bust economy as normal, while they profited. The underclasses accepted their difficult lives as “normal”. Let us all reject that notion and stand up for a steady and sustainable economy. A clean Earth of happy, and healthy and busy people is attainable. This generation can effect great changes when we all pull together with clear objectives.
What Will Failure look like?
Let us assume that President Trump is successful with his many programs for boosting our economy. Factories will be busy at home, more military equipment will be built, consumers will have money to spend upon more luxury items, coal minors will be in the mines, the tar sands oil will piped to overseas customers, and the Wall Street bankers will be making their usual fortunes. That all seems to be a very rosy picture until we see the consequences. Economists have failed to consider that the Earth size is limited. They need to recalculate for a steady no-growth economy. Soon, the good times will turn into another bad depression with the usual resulting human miseries and job layoffs and bankruptcies. The Nation will fall another trillion dollars deeper in debt, and the Earth will be damaged with more pollution, and the oceans will be rising due to global warming. Millions of displaced people will cause global chaos and panic.
What is Our Solution ?
Unlike politicians, our engineers and scientist are wise enough to plot a course of change away from the destructive past. A more human-friendly culture is possible. Already we have enough technology to accomplish great changes. We do not need more or smarter technology. We already have enough technology. Anyway, it is better to go slower in favor of stability and balance.
Politicians will just be a drag until they retire and are replaced with the next generation of leaders: New Leaders who have a clear vision of our future cultural needs.They will understand that basic human needs are best promoted in a secure and nurturing climate where everyone is taught to support the whole.The accumulation of excessive stuff has been proven to be less than fulfilling. The human heart will flourish when our materialistic culture becomes more human friendly, and we maintain a healthy Mother Earth.
Education For All Leads to a Better Future
America today is riddled with countless challenges, but they all have real solutions. These solutions will only be solved by a more unified and better educated populace. We need an education system that serves each child equally; School will be fun; Learning will be fun; Every child will succeed and each will find an appropriate place in society. We already know how to teach to the individual child, but we need universal implementation.
We have yet to find agreement on how to improve our schools, but many school districts are working on it. Let us start by teaching respect and empathy for each other and teaching communication skills and critical thinking. Our children will be the vanguard for forming a new culture of mutual respect and support in all America. … It can be done. … It may start in one state at a time. …
Stresses have been building for the past two generations and are about to reach the boiling point under President Trump. People are very angry, polarized, and are asking serious questions. America is at war with itself. The old culture fights the new culture.
As things get more difficult, the search for answers will accelerate. Answers will eventually follow from this healthy inquiry. Then fundamental change will begin. The old thinking will slowly be replaced by the new. The American culture can evolve to one of stability and real equality, where each will contribute to the greater society with pride and dignity.
… That is my vision! …
IS IT WORTH WORKING FOR ?
Progress is made each year and with each new generation.
We must focus relentlessly on the goals
… We must have patience. …
