The questions h…
The questions heard today; What do the “Occupiers” want? What are their goals and objectives? Who are they? These and other questions trouble mainstream media and viewers. From a generational perspective, Millennials, who make up the larger share of “Occupy” encampments around the globe, are the “civic” generation just as the “hero” generation (WWII) that the Millennials resemble.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States from the Great Depression to World War II, built the structure for transition from inequality to equality. The New Deal provided for economic, labor, political, social advancement and regulatory oversight of Wall Street and the financial sector of the nation. This has been referred to as the “Grand Bargain.” Following WWII, the United States enjoyed 30 years of prosperity where wealth was shared with a rising middle class. CEOs earned 40 times the salary of the average worker. Taxes for the top 1% were above 70%. The path to the top of corporations was often via sales where the value of relationships was critical to success. Unions represented workers and bargained collectively with management. The middle class prospered by sharing the wealth generated by production.
By 1980, this all changed. Gradually, government regulations of business were repealed while the top tax rate was cut dramatically. The path to the top of corporations shifted to finance and the pursuit of profits took precedence over workers, environment, and the community. The wealth gap between workers and CEOs increased from 40 to more than 340 times. Wall Street shifted from credible long-term investments to casino gambling. The death-blow to the economy came about when the Glass-Steagal Act was repealed allowing commercial banks and saving and loan associations to risk the money of their depositors in speculative investments. Many of the regulations enacted following the Wall Street collapse that led to the Great Depression were repealed. Speculation was wild and Wall Street traders and financiers raked in huge bonuses.
As the U.S. entered the new millennium, there was a surplus with which to pay off our entire debt. There was no deficit. Then, suddenly our economy faltered and Wall Street was on the verge of collapsing. Two unfunded wars, an unfunded prescription drug bill, and tax cuts for the wealthy, saddled the nation with a huge deficit. By 2008, we were in a financial crisis comparable to the depression of the 1930s. Recent census results reveal that 1 in 3 Americans live just above or in poverty. The average student loan debt after college is estimated at $24,000. Unemployment is hovering at 9.5% and much greater for some sectors, i.e. minorities.
It is now known that the Federal Reserve Bank not only bailed out Wall Street to keep it from collapsing the financial sector, it bailed out foreign banks and governments to the tune of 16 trillion dollars. Up until that time, there has been no congressional oversight of the Federal Reserve Bank of the United States. Furthermore, The Federal Reserve Bank of the United Sates second mission is to provide monetary policy to support full employment. The Reserve Bank bailed out Wall Street and sold out Main Street is the phrase on the street.
As a result of this decade’s manufactured economic disaster, some members of Congress are demanding that social programs funding be drastically cut while blocking tax increases for the wealthy. If this were not enough, the U. S. Supreme Court in Citizen United vs. the Federal Election Commission has ruled that a corporation is a “person.” This decision opened the floodgates of special interest money to buy elections, to write legislation, and to hold sway in the state and federal legislatures. It now appears that members of Congress are exempt from “insider trading” when they profit from information gained from lobbyists or during closed hearings on legislation. Before you get to what to do about this crisis, a question that matters:
The question, ” What kind of world do you want to live in?” If you can envision this world, you can share your visions and together with your peers, manifest it through collective action. You are invited to comment on this post with your vision for the world you desire to live in.
Thank you.
Gray Champion
Recently I completed an interactive quiz on 40 issues. When I finished, my score indicated that I am very progressive in my political and social world view. The quiz is titled the Progressive Quiz and is offered on the website of the Center For American Progress. After taking the quiz I reflected a moment on my responses to these 40 questions. The responses were along a continuum strongly disagree to strongly agree. I decided to go back over each question and evaluate my response in light of how well I think I am informed on the issue.
I offer these questions in four segments of ten each. Accompanying each question is a brief discussion of the issues the question poses. For some questions I think I am fairly well informed about and on others, I am scratching for details and examples. You are welcome to comment and discuss my responses from your point of view.
1.Q. Government Policies too often serve the interest of corporations and wealthy
Discussion: The absence of judicious oversight of Banks and Wall Street has led to unnecessary risk taking that has jeopardized the financial markets and the economy in 2008. The Wall Street Reforms and consumer Protection Act is being lobbied against by Wall Street banks and Financiers. The failure of government oversight led to the Savings and Loan collapse and Enron scandal. The2001 tax break for the wealthy at a time when the distribution of wealth between the rich and middle class has never be greater points to an egregious give away to the wealthy while running up the deficit (debt) with two wars without appropriate funding. The tax structure gives a huge advantage to the wealthy who gain their wealth from investments and are taxed at the lowest rates (capital gains). NAFTA and CAFTA trade agreements did not create a level playing field and placed the American worker in jeopardy by the subsequent shipment of 17% manufacturing job overseas. Further, Trade Policies, continue to favor the Chinese who have manipulated their currency to export cheaply. These policies have placed the poor and middle class at risk. The pending trade agreement with Columbia does not go far enough to protect the Columbian worker against violence and thereby depresses wages in that country (cheap labor).
2.Q. America’s security is best promoted through diplomacy, alliances and international institutions.
Discussion: In the last 100 years the United States has fought two world wars, one police action, Vietnam, the first and second gulf wars with Iraq and lastly, Afghanistan. World War I was a victory for the Allies and the peace was lost by abdicating our responsibility and isolating. This abdication of responsibility open the way for World War II. The Allies prevailed against Germany and Japan only to be confronted with Soviet expansion in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Such diplomacy and alliances as NATO staved off direct war with the Soviet Union. The ensuing cold war with the Soviet Union was s war of alliances, economics and proxy wars. Hostilities broke out in Korea in 1950 with the invasion of South Korea by the North. I am not sure we had an effective alliance and we sure were not prepared militarily at first. SEATO did not prevent war breaking out in Vietnam. Diplomacy with China has created a strategic partner and a One China policy that has avoided war over Taiwan. Alliances, sanctions and military over flights reigned in Saddam Hussein following the first Gulf War. It would appear on balance that diplomacy backed by alliances, and economic institutions coupled with military prowess provides the most effective mix.
3.Q Military forces is the best way to combat terrorism and make America safer.
Discussion. Military application to combat terrorism is expensive as we now know from our involvement in two wars since 2001. These wars have cost the United States over one trillion dollars to date. Thwarting terrorist attacks on the U.S. has been mostly accomplished by effective “police work”. We do not have the political will to take on nation states that sponsor or support terrorism. These states include Iran, North Korea, and Saudi Arabia. We went into Iraq and Afghanistan other reasons. After shouldering the burden of our fight in Iraq, the Chinese have cut a deal for Iraqi oil. Human intelligence and good old fashion police work appear to be the key to waging an effective fight against terrorism.
4.Q Social Security should be reformed to allow workers to invest some of their contribution in individual accounts.
Discussion. Social Security works just fine. If it is not broken, don’t fix it. Investing in individual accounts in light of the recent financial meltdown appears to be foolish and imprudent. The Government needs to replace what they have borrowed from Social Security and it will remain solvent for decades to come.
5Q. African Americans and other minorities still lack the same opportunities as whites in our country.
Discussion. My gut feeling is that this is true. Discrimination and social injustice remain. Prison populations aside, education appears to hold the key. The starting place may not be the same, yet the opportunity is there.
6Q. Government investment in education, infrastructure and science are necessary to ensure America’s long term economic growth
Discussion. Since entering the Information and now the Knowledge age, investments will produce the necessary skilled labor force and stimulate the university systems to push the envelope in science, especially stem cell research. Private enterprise would profit from the spinoffs of both a skilled labor force and innovations from advanced research. Partnership as in the Government-University and Industry Research Roundtable point to the future.
7Q. Cultural institutions, the arts, and public broadcasting play an important role in our society and should receive government support.
Government, in the absence of private endowments, must play a funding role in sustaining such cultural institutions as museums (national treasures), the arts and public broadcasting.
8Q. The gap between the rich and the poor should be reduced even if it means higher taxes for the wealthy.
The wealth gap has never been larger than it is now. The wealthy have an obligation to pay higher taxes for social programs for the poor and ease the tax burden for government spending for such expenditures as defense, infrastructure, research and development, education, and other society programs. History has demonstrated that higher taxes for the rich has redistributed the nation’s wealth and stimulated the economy through consumption and, increasing the wealth of the rich in the process.
9Q. A positive image around the globe is necessary to achieve our national security goals.
Discussion. Positive image to me means being held in high regards for basic values of humanity and the environment. This image is inclusive of a viable economy, a small, yet highly adaptable military, universal education and health care, social and economic justice and environmental sustainability. From this image I believe we earn trust, respect and attraction to our way of governing and living.
10Q. It is unpatriotic to criticize our government leaders or the military during a time of war.
Discussion. Since the beginning of this nation and while the Revolutionary war was being fought, criticism has been part and parcel of a democracy. I am reminded of the outcry of parents during WWII following the amphibious assault of the Pacific Atoll, Tarawa and the casualties that occurred when our Marines did not have enough assault vehicles to carry troops across the reef. Marines had to wade several hundred yards ashore under withering fire of the defending Japanese troops. Production of amphibious assault vehicles was accelerated. More recently, the lack of armor upgrading of the Humve in Iraq was the subject o f controversy that ultimately cost Secretary of Defense’s resignation. The veiled threat of criticism ensures our leaders are prudent and judicious in the employment of our young men and women in uniform. More recently, several high ranking military leaders resigned in order to criticize how the war in Iraq was being mishandled.
What is the role of the individual in ….
Thirty years ago Marilyn Ferguson looked into the future as
she wrote the “Aquarian Conspiracy.” One of her topics, Power and Politics, pointed to the current crisis in political leadership.
There seems to be two emergent streams of political views.
One view would undercut the existing social contract in America while the other stream of thought embraces a social fabric that is stronger and more universal.
The tension between these prevailing streams of thought
continues to build as we face unmitigated financial challenges. The role of the
individual in society is often swept aside by the polemics of political party
rants, one sided OP-ed columns and letters to the editor. The questiondejour posed in this post is: What
is the role of the individual citizen in such a republic form of government as
we have in the United States of America?
In response to this question you may wish to consider the role, preparation to fulfill and
how best to encourage the individual to engage it.
Image via Wikipedia
In today’s Clintonville Public Arena we see a variety of personal attributes. Some of these attritbutes engage us and certain attributes exclude you and I from having any meaningful conversation with the person exhibiting such. In responding to the Questiondejour, you may wish to elaborate on just the quality that engages you in a conversation with a public servant. Be specific about the quality, the public servant who displays this quality and the context in which it is displayed.
This question is open to anyone in Clintonville, Ohio. Please feel free to comment by subscribing to this blog.
