BOLD STEPS
The critical nature of that which confounds us these days demands that positive action be taken – action based on unequivocal, quantifiable facts that test alternative approaches to those that currently are proving to be un- or counter-productive. The concept of “testing” alternative policies cannot be considered precedent-setting since most legislation, even after passed, continues to be debated, amended, overturned or even allowed to expire. That being the case, it is difficult to comprehend the unwillingness to try or test alternatives, as though to do so would establish concrete, non-amendable policies never to be altered or reversed.
The abrasive verbal battles raging within and between the Executive and Legislative branches of our federal government produce animosity and headlines, but no significant results. The Right insists that taxing wealth stymies job creative incentives, while entitlement spending compounds our already unprecedented budget deficit through irresponsible spending that only adds to the debt. The operative word there is irresponsible, and though there is theoretical support for such points of view, today’s economic realities do not bear them out. For example, the Bush tax cuts to the wealthy have done nothing to stimulate job creation here in the U.S. nor have they bolstered our staggering economy. We must get money in the hands of those with needs in order to stimulate consumer spending. The wealthy, with or without tax breaks, have the wherewithal to invest in job-creating opportunities here at home, but why would they when it is easier, less risky and probably more profitable to invest globally – a strategy that may even provide them with additional tax-lowering benefits. It is the less-affluent, budding entrepreneurs who are more likely to take risks and embark on job-creating enterprises in this economy. Many who have lost their jobs and find employment opportunities bleak, would enthusiastically venture into a start-up business. If only they had access to capital. But proposing to provide such opportunity alarms many who fear runaway entitlement expenditures will only increase welfare dependency while compounding the debt. The Left, though verbally expressing opposing points of view, doesn’t seem to have the backbone or the confidence to stand firm. Even when in the majority, they fold; seemingly cowered by opposition intimidation or fear that supporting entitlements or taxing wealth will bring consequences when they again must face reelection. Unfortunately, in the minds of our politicians, nothing takes precedence over getting reelected.
The negative aspects attributed to entitlements can appear legitimate, especially where such spending can too easily, though often erroneously, be equated to larger deficits and a looming economic collapse. But we really don’t know that that would happen and that is why it is important to take intelligent, calculated bold action to prove one way or the other how increased spending on entitlements would impact the economy and the debt. It is too easy to make claims and accusations based on preconceived notions and anecdotal “evidence” that may well be proven wrong if put to the test. Unfortunately, in today’s legislative environment nothing is put to the test, the bills that are eventually passed are so watered down, as a result of compromise and intimidation, that the resultant legislation is insignificant and ineffectual. The highly touted Health Care Reform Act and the stimulus package are examples.
Where is the evidence that taxing wealth stifles job creation? Where is the evidence that increasing entitlements will increase spending and welfare dependence more than it will stimulate job opportunity and consumer spending, thus favorably increasing the tax base? Where is the evidence that protecting and enhancing wealth is more vital to the future of this great nation than protecting the middle class? Where are the statesmen/women to replace the backstabbing, celebrity-hungry politicians who can figure out how to raise unlimited campaign funds, but can’t find ways to get dollars for education and infrastructure? Answering these questions may be the first step toward a brighter future.
A.N. Pavia
July, 2011
Sunday, August 7, 2011
THE UBSUSTAINABLE STATUS QUO
THE UNSUSTAINABLE STATUS QUO
Globalization – initially the child of a world growing progressively smaller due to advances in transportation, communication and commerce – has now, thanks to the digital age, become seemingly unstoppable, making every point on the globe virtually as close as a next door neighbor. Our ever-shrinking world seems bent on self destruction; either physically, through nuclear disaster or man-enhanced environmental catastrophes, or we may simply do ourselves in with inequitable, run amuck socio-economic policies. In either case it is conceivable that these destructive forces will not be seriously addres- sed until tragic events occur to force the issues. By then, of course, it may be too late.
Physical destruction – be it nuclear annihilation, or reckless “progress” devastat- ing the environment – will not be curtailed as long as we maintain our dependence upon and love affair with those destructive forces. With heightened levels of hate and intolerance manifested in suicide bombings and other irrational acts of terror, is there any reason to believe that things will improve? If that isn’t enough, we’re also faced with numerous socio-economic injustices perpetuated by greed, arrogance, intolerance and an obvious overabundance of stupidity. The manifestations of these injustices are evident throughout the world. In capitalist democracies the ever-widening chasm between the haves and have-nots is firmly embedding, possibly even legitimizing, an oligarchy of wealth that is blindly bent on destroying the middle class; the very class necessary to sustain democracy and maintain a viable economy upon which that oligarchy depends. Unfortunately, too few of them seem to realize it, insisting instead on pursing reckless, myopic wealth enhancement. Then we have the totalitarian/dictatorial developing nations, where the advent of the cell phone and the internet now provides oppressed citizens with a view of what life could and should be like, along with the capability of documenting and reporting their plight to the rest of the world. There we are witnessing violent protests spreading rapidly from one nation to another.
The U.S. has a deplorable history of supporting corrupt, strong-arm tyrants simply because they were anti-Communist or because they controlled sources of oil, for which we possess an insatiable thirst. Think Noriega in Panama, Pinochet in Chile, the Shah of Iran, even the Taliban. These past foibles of ours can be understood, maybe even forgiven, if one considers the exigencies of the Cold War and the memories from both World Wars. But shouldn’t we have learned something from Viet Nam, the Gulf War, Iraq and the changing status of the modern world? George W. Bush’s unforgivable squandering of goodwill and solidarity throughout the Free World after 911 is but one significant example of American arrogance and hubris. He could not have done it without the misconception that an invasion of Iraq would be quick and easy, and that our military superiority allows us to take unilateral actions with impunity. For further emphasis one need only consider the support he received from a cowering congress and too many flag-waving patriots for the invasion of Iraq, passage of the freedom-squelching Patriot Act and our questionable actions in Afghanistan and Pakistan. After Abu Ghraib, who’d have thought our troops could, or ever would, proceed unchecked with further atrocities? (See “The Kill Team” March 27, 2011 Rolling Stone Magazine) At some
2
point, concerned and intelligent people must at least acknowledge past errors and indiscretions.
We’ve come to accept the unending barrage or lies, half truths and innuendos spewing unchallenged from politicians, news anchors, pundits and bloggers. Those eager sources along with our idolized celebrity entertainers and athletes, tell us what is happening, what it means and how it will affect us. And we take it all in, abdicating the awesome responsibilities of thinking and reasoning for ourselves. What is seldom ever considered is the obvious fact that all of these idea mongers are firmly linked to and influenced by that oligarchy of wealth. They have a vested interest in promoting and perpetuating policies that protect and enhance wealth. With lives in turmoil since the economic collapse brought on by the bursting housing market bubble, those of us not members of that oligarchy are left clinging to any signs of hope or optimism, no matter how meager. Meanwhile, the corrupt and greedy Wall Street brokers and financiers, who knowingly caused the collapse and profited egregiously from it, not only go unprosecuted but remain in their lofty positions replete with exorbitant salaries, astronomical bonuses and more than enough power to perpetuate their sweet system. When there is a slight drop in the unemployment figures for example, we are told it is a good sign, so we naively view it positively despite the fact that it may simply be a reflection of fewer people actively looking for work rather than an accurate indicator of the unemployment crisis. We are also urged to believe that upward trends in financial markets are favorable signs of economic recovery. But, in reality, those increases are disproportionately favorable to the rich. The rich, who rather than spend to create jobs and stimulate the economy, as they would have us believe they are doing, are more than content to sit back in luxuriously watching their wealth bloat.
Meanwhile people are hurting. More and more well-educated, hard-working people find themselves in a steadily submerging economic sinkhole from which the outlook for a brighter future is anything but bright. Of the jobs being created, many lack the quality of those lost and very few offer real security or growth potential. We blame the job drain and our economic woes on our inability to compete with cheap labor, lower environmental standards, tax benefits and other governmental subsidies that provide unfair advantages in most emerging markets. Though all of these factors are significant today, they will eventually be moot as unemployment dilemmas become global. Simply stated, the need for productive people will diminish while populations continue to grow. Manufacturing and manual labor jobs will increasingly be displaced by automation. The same is true for agriculture and food processing. Artificial intelligence and IT technology in general will significantly reduce the need for legal and medical support staffs, researchers, actuaries, meteorologists, the list goes on. There is concern in China that their one child per family policy will have deleterious economic impacts as the Chinese
3
population ages. The concern, of course, is that there won’t be enough young workers to support the expanding older population. We too are concerned as baby boomers retire,
leaving fewer workers contributing to social security, Medicare and the overall tax base. Realistically however, the answers will not be found in job creation. In fact, the answers
may not be found at all, for to do so would require radical changes to our values, attitudes and beliefs that are contrary to human nature as it has come to be.
For example, our attitude toward environmental preservation must change from, “It can’t really be that bad and even if it is, science will eventually find the remedies”, to one of immediately addressing worse-case scenarios and pledging not to proceed with any potentially dangerous projects until environmental impact issues have been adequately resolved. Does a rational mind believe we can experience Valdez tanker spills, BP Gulf oil well explosions, radiation leaks from ever-growing and vulnerable stashes of nuclear waste, while continuing our “normal” polluting activities, without inflicting long term devastation? How long can we put off mandating unpopular and inconvenient lifestyle changes necessary to curb global warming? And as for war, we’ve come to accept it as inevitable, a product of human nature. And it may well be. But that should move the most advanced and powerful nations to seriously seek alternative methods of conflict resolution – reserving war as only the final option. Surely we can see the futility in many of our armed conflicts. And what folly we perpetuate when labeling all those in uniform as heroes; as if creating heroes justifies barbarism. Those who make the ultimate sacrifice are, as should be, honored with heroic memorials, even if they are all too soon forgotten. But the tragedy inflicted on those who return from war mentally or physically maimed, cannot be compensated with an all too easily overlooked and often meaningless hero label. What value is there in being an unemployed, divorced, homeless, depressed war hero unable to cope with civilian life after experiencing the horrors of war?
With war seemingly inevitable, world population growth dramatically outpacing demand for labor, technology recklessly advancing with total disregard for prudent safeguards, the only hope for future generations is a major worldwide attitude adjustment. We must voluntarily accept the need to control population, place egalitarian values ahead of competitive greed and willingly place environmental preservation ahead of unchecked “progress” on our list of priorities. Unfortunately, there are two insurmountable impediments to achieving those attitude changes: Religion and Greed! There is little, if any, hope that either of those impediments can or will ever be overcome, mainly because man’s psyche will not recognize, let alone acknowledge, that they are in fact negative attributes. We produce enough food, goods and services, and generate enough wealth (call it GWP, Gross World Product) to adequately sustain the world population, yet we insist that so many suffer. The problem is an unwillingness to distribute the GWP adequately and equitably. Proposing to do so strikes the dissonant chord of socialism.
4
Even if the proposal stresses equitable as opposed to equal distribution, thus maintaining a financially unequal though just and humane society, there would still be few supporters. After all, socialism by any other name here in America is still a four letter word. Con- sequently, we will no doubt continue idolizing, envying and empowering the already powerfully rich and famous, all the while praying to God that we will somehow join their ranks. If not, well that’s okay too; because, even if we’re annihilating ourselves, our faith and prayers are paving the way toward that unimaginably blissful life everlasting.
A.N. Pavia
April 2011
Globalization – initially the child of a world growing progressively smaller due to advances in transportation, communication and commerce – has now, thanks to the digital age, become seemingly unstoppable, making every point on the globe virtually as close as a next door neighbor. Our ever-shrinking world seems bent on self destruction; either physically, through nuclear disaster or man-enhanced environmental catastrophes, or we may simply do ourselves in with inequitable, run amuck socio-economic policies. In either case it is conceivable that these destructive forces will not be seriously addres- sed until tragic events occur to force the issues. By then, of course, it may be too late.
Physical destruction – be it nuclear annihilation, or reckless “progress” devastat- ing the environment – will not be curtailed as long as we maintain our dependence upon and love affair with those destructive forces. With heightened levels of hate and intolerance manifested in suicide bombings and other irrational acts of terror, is there any reason to believe that things will improve? If that isn’t enough, we’re also faced with numerous socio-economic injustices perpetuated by greed, arrogance, intolerance and an obvious overabundance of stupidity. The manifestations of these injustices are evident throughout the world. In capitalist democracies the ever-widening chasm between the haves and have-nots is firmly embedding, possibly even legitimizing, an oligarchy of wealth that is blindly bent on destroying the middle class; the very class necessary to sustain democracy and maintain a viable economy upon which that oligarchy depends. Unfortunately, too few of them seem to realize it, insisting instead on pursing reckless, myopic wealth enhancement. Then we have the totalitarian/dictatorial developing nations, where the advent of the cell phone and the internet now provides oppressed citizens with a view of what life could and should be like, along with the capability of documenting and reporting their plight to the rest of the world. There we are witnessing violent protests spreading rapidly from one nation to another.
The U.S. has a deplorable history of supporting corrupt, strong-arm tyrants simply because they were anti-Communist or because they controlled sources of oil, for which we possess an insatiable thirst. Think Noriega in Panama, Pinochet in Chile, the Shah of Iran, even the Taliban. These past foibles of ours can be understood, maybe even forgiven, if one considers the exigencies of the Cold War and the memories from both World Wars. But shouldn’t we have learned something from Viet Nam, the Gulf War, Iraq and the changing status of the modern world? George W. Bush’s unforgivable squandering of goodwill and solidarity throughout the Free World after 911 is but one significant example of American arrogance and hubris. He could not have done it without the misconception that an invasion of Iraq would be quick and easy, and that our military superiority allows us to take unilateral actions with impunity. For further emphasis one need only consider the support he received from a cowering congress and too many flag-waving patriots for the invasion of Iraq, passage of the freedom-squelching Patriot Act and our questionable actions in Afghanistan and Pakistan. After Abu Ghraib, who’d have thought our troops could, or ever would, proceed unchecked with further atrocities? (See “The Kill Team” March 27, 2011 Rolling Stone Magazine) At some
2
point, concerned and intelligent people must at least acknowledge past errors and indiscretions.
We’ve come to accept the unending barrage or lies, half truths and innuendos spewing unchallenged from politicians, news anchors, pundits and bloggers. Those eager sources along with our idolized celebrity entertainers and athletes, tell us what is happening, what it means and how it will affect us. And we take it all in, abdicating the awesome responsibilities of thinking and reasoning for ourselves. What is seldom ever considered is the obvious fact that all of these idea mongers are firmly linked to and influenced by that oligarchy of wealth. They have a vested interest in promoting and perpetuating policies that protect and enhance wealth. With lives in turmoil since the economic collapse brought on by the bursting housing market bubble, those of us not members of that oligarchy are left clinging to any signs of hope or optimism, no matter how meager. Meanwhile, the corrupt and greedy Wall Street brokers and financiers, who knowingly caused the collapse and profited egregiously from it, not only go unprosecuted but remain in their lofty positions replete with exorbitant salaries, astronomical bonuses and more than enough power to perpetuate their sweet system. When there is a slight drop in the unemployment figures for example, we are told it is a good sign, so we naively view it positively despite the fact that it may simply be a reflection of fewer people actively looking for work rather than an accurate indicator of the unemployment crisis. We are also urged to believe that upward trends in financial markets are favorable signs of economic recovery. But, in reality, those increases are disproportionately favorable to the rich. The rich, who rather than spend to create jobs and stimulate the economy, as they would have us believe they are doing, are more than content to sit back in luxuriously watching their wealth bloat.
Meanwhile people are hurting. More and more well-educated, hard-working people find themselves in a steadily submerging economic sinkhole from which the outlook for a brighter future is anything but bright. Of the jobs being created, many lack the quality of those lost and very few offer real security or growth potential. We blame the job drain and our economic woes on our inability to compete with cheap labor, lower environmental standards, tax benefits and other governmental subsidies that provide unfair advantages in most emerging markets. Though all of these factors are significant today, they will eventually be moot as unemployment dilemmas become global. Simply stated, the need for productive people will diminish while populations continue to grow. Manufacturing and manual labor jobs will increasingly be displaced by automation. The same is true for agriculture and food processing. Artificial intelligence and IT technology in general will significantly reduce the need for legal and medical support staffs, researchers, actuaries, meteorologists, the list goes on. There is concern in China that their one child per family policy will have deleterious economic impacts as the Chinese
3
population ages. The concern, of course, is that there won’t be enough young workers to support the expanding older population. We too are concerned as baby boomers retire,
leaving fewer workers contributing to social security, Medicare and the overall tax base. Realistically however, the answers will not be found in job creation. In fact, the answers
may not be found at all, for to do so would require radical changes to our values, attitudes and beliefs that are contrary to human nature as it has come to be.
For example, our attitude toward environmental preservation must change from, “It can’t really be that bad and even if it is, science will eventually find the remedies”, to one of immediately addressing worse-case scenarios and pledging not to proceed with any potentially dangerous projects until environmental impact issues have been adequately resolved. Does a rational mind believe we can experience Valdez tanker spills, BP Gulf oil well explosions, radiation leaks from ever-growing and vulnerable stashes of nuclear waste, while continuing our “normal” polluting activities, without inflicting long term devastation? How long can we put off mandating unpopular and inconvenient lifestyle changes necessary to curb global warming? And as for war, we’ve come to accept it as inevitable, a product of human nature. And it may well be. But that should move the most advanced and powerful nations to seriously seek alternative methods of conflict resolution – reserving war as only the final option. Surely we can see the futility in many of our armed conflicts. And what folly we perpetuate when labeling all those in uniform as heroes; as if creating heroes justifies barbarism. Those who make the ultimate sacrifice are, as should be, honored with heroic memorials, even if they are all too soon forgotten. But the tragedy inflicted on those who return from war mentally or physically maimed, cannot be compensated with an all too easily overlooked and often meaningless hero label. What value is there in being an unemployed, divorced, homeless, depressed war hero unable to cope with civilian life after experiencing the horrors of war?
With war seemingly inevitable, world population growth dramatically outpacing demand for labor, technology recklessly advancing with total disregard for prudent safeguards, the only hope for future generations is a major worldwide attitude adjustment. We must voluntarily accept the need to control population, place egalitarian values ahead of competitive greed and willingly place environmental preservation ahead of unchecked “progress” on our list of priorities. Unfortunately, there are two insurmountable impediments to achieving those attitude changes: Religion and Greed! There is little, if any, hope that either of those impediments can or will ever be overcome, mainly because man’s psyche will not recognize, let alone acknowledge, that they are in fact negative attributes. We produce enough food, goods and services, and generate enough wealth (call it GWP, Gross World Product) to adequately sustain the world population, yet we insist that so many suffer. The problem is an unwillingness to distribute the GWP adequately and equitably. Proposing to do so strikes the dissonant chord of socialism.
4
Even if the proposal stresses equitable as opposed to equal distribution, thus maintaining a financially unequal though just and humane society, there would still be few supporters. After all, socialism by any other name here in America is still a four letter word. Con- sequently, we will no doubt continue idolizing, envying and empowering the already powerfully rich and famous, all the while praying to God that we will somehow join their ranks. If not, well that’s okay too; because, even if we’re annihilating ourselves, our faith and prayers are paving the way toward that unimaginably blissful life everlasting.
A.N. Pavia
April 2011
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