We can't get out of this mess at the next election.

Consider this choice facing a smart, capable, motivated young person:

     (a)     Enter the corporate world and rise to a prominent position of power and wealth;

     or

     (b)     Take additional education and enter the respected and secure world of the professions.

     or

     (c)     Enter the world of politics and rise to a prominent position in the government.

For most young people, this is a no-brainer.  Corporate executives can command people and resources to accomplish corporate objectives.  Successful professionals have high civic status and a decent annual income, leading to a secure retirement.  But politicians are widely hated, constantly abused, and obsessed with the task of raising enough contributions to get through the next elections.  Instead of working for the public good, they are forced to focus on political survival.

One result is the lack of outstanding people willing to enter politics.Their real world career decisions mean that many elections, both primary and general, are uncontested (de facto or literally).  This condition has been exaggerated by the partisan gerrymandering of Congressional districts.

The electoral process no longer provides the people a check on government -- you can throw out the incumbent bastard, it's true, but only to install the bastard from the opposite party.  The public can't succeed in getting good people to elect unless those good people are on the ballot.

And by and large, they're not.

We need to  overhaul our federal government.  An awesome task, but the consequences of political deadlock on our children and grandchildren  are unacceptable.

More on consumption payments

The consumption payment program (see previous post) would also:

     Reduce or eliminate ordinary welfare, also SSDI (ultimately)
Since welfare is administered by the states, while consumption payments would be administered by SSA, this would tend to reduce the impact and variance of the state welfare bureaucracies.  [States could continue welfare programs with state funds]
Consumption payments would be figured in in determining need for programs such as food stamps or other welfare programs.
Would provide low wage laborers a place to deposit paychecks (the bank required for direct deposit by SSA)
Would be avoided by illegal immigrants (because to be eligible, the recipient must apply for a SSAN, which includes info relative to citizenship, thereby favoring citizens at the expense of immigrants).  Thus the payday loan companies would not be completely out of business.
Fraud in applying for an SSAN would carry penalties, including deportation; however the fraud would have to be proved in law (or admitted.)

Consumption payments

This post proposes the payment, in the United States, of a certain amount - for example $200 a month, to every individual, for the purposes of maintaining minimum levels of economic consumption.  Payments would be made through the Social Security System.

Consumption payments would not be welfare, as they would be distributed equally to rich and poor.

Consumption payments would encourage every individual to enroll early in the Social Security System and to obtain a bank account, as the Social Security System prefers to make direct deposits.

With the guaranteed monthly deposits, banks would be motivated to open deposit accounts for all persons with a Social Security number.

Although not intended as welfare payments, consumption payments would nevertheless serve as an economic force to reduce poverty.

Consumption payments would be taxable as ordinary income, thereby requiring all persons receiving consumption payments to file tax returns.

With automation gradually taking away employment in the production sector, and the resulting unemployment maintaining downward pressure on wages in the service sector, consumption payments would reduce the effects of unemployment on reducing consumption in the United States, thereby benefiting landlords and retail businesses.

As enrollment in the Social Security System is a form of documentation, requiring the applicant to provide a domicile address, the consumption payment program would reduce the number of undocumented persons in the United States, thereby assisting the immigration program.

Citizen Attorney General

Consider the effect of the following amendment to the Constitution:

Any citizen of the United States shall have the right to bring an action in federal court against any person, or organization, public or private, to enforce the constitution or laws of the United States.  Any federal court of general jurisdiction may hear such a case, and any officer or governmental agency in the United States is required to carry out the orders of the court.

Working people need an association

My wife and I are retired - haven't worked since 2000.  The AARP looks out for the interests of retired people.

But who looks out for the interests of working people?

Working people include full time workers, part time workers, those who work at home, piecework workers, public sector workers, independent contractors, entrepreneurs, even bankers and elected officials.

In theory, working people are the bedrock foundation of the United States of America.  But who looks out for the interests of working people?

What are the interests of working people?  Primarily, to make a living.  But even more, to get ahead.  That's the story that made the United States great.  People worked hard and got ahead.  While some people will want to work several jobs, that shouldn't be a requirement.  A person who works full time, that is 40 hours a week or more, should definitely make a living.

Second, working people should be protected.  Accidents do happen, and if a person is unable to work for a while - or forever - due to sickness or injury, that person should be insured against loss of income until he or she can get back to work.  Workers should have access to health care to keep them fit to work.

Finally, working people ought to benefit from some form of retirement pension, so that a person who works from the end of school to retirement is provided enough income and health care through the rest of life.

There are other things that might be nice, but those three major items - adequate compensation, protection against sickness or injury, and retirement benefits at the end of a working career - can be thought of as the working person's bill of rights.

But who looks out for the interests of working people?

We need an AAWP - an American Association of Working People - to look out for the interests of working people in America.

What do you think?

A Rising Tide

A rising tide floats the megayachts of the billionaires, the cabin cruisers of the merely wealthy, the warships of the powerful, the outboards of the plain successful, the kayaks of the up-and-coming yuppies.

But a rising tide just drowns the poverty-stricken, for they have no boat at all.

Whither Academia?

Universities began as small communities of scholars, coming together to share the results of their study.  Senior scholars became faculty; junior scholars were students.

Perhaps from the very beginnings the seeds of downfall were present: as soon as students were certificated for completion of prescribed courses of study, universities became credentialing organizations as well as centers of learning.

Whatever the history, the reality of today's universities is deplorable.  Despite the immense expansion of scholarly work, there is no agreement on the need to seek truth.  In fact universities sacrifice truth on the altar of power.

Universities (like other large organizations) have grown top-heavy, with ponderous committees and myriad deans, provosts, directors, and chancellors, together with assistants and associates thereof.  Salaries have ballooned at the top, and the quest for money occupies the time of the leaders.  Besides grants and titled chairs, universities have become professional sports empires.  The search for truth is lost in the noise of power.

Students are not well-served by expensive institutions that do little to help graduates find employment commensurate with their education.

All the sadder is that politicians and businesses may buy the support of universities.  Every crackpot theory of science or psychology or biology or economics can find both supporters and detractors within the halls of academe.  The message to the public is -- there is no truth, just what you pay to have "supported by scientific research".

Meanwhile, human society continues to be plagued by the rampant illiteracy and innumeracy of the general public; the leading scholars of the world are incapable of seeing to the successful education of the masses.

Finally, universities, which ought to be bastions of open inquiry, do little to stand up to the predations of governments and other large  and powerful organizations, which obscure the truth behind the twin veils of censorship and secrecy.