"Aren't we the greatest country in the world? If so, why are we ranked about 15th in standard of living?" Quote from 12 year old grankid asking Poppy to help write a two page paper on "Standard of Living."
According to various institutions that try to keep up with these things:
Sixteen countries are less corrupt than we. Fifteen countries outscore us in reading literacy--eighteen in math. Thirteen are ahead of us in science. Given these, it is not surprising that we rank about 15th in standard of living.
According to the CIA World Factbook, we rank 8th in per capita income.
Our top 1% hold 42.7% of our country's wealth. The next 19% hold 50.3%. This leaves the remaining 80% of our people holding only 7.0% of our wealth.
But American is the land of opportunity! In America anyone can escape poverty and become rich! Or can they?
According to a report issued by the Center for Economic and Policy Research, the truth is that very few of low-income workers in the USA exit their low-income status. However, in the countries that rank above us in standard of living, the economic mobility rates are twice those achieved here. Everything about our system keeps the rich rich, and the poor poor.
We are a nation of social exclusion. Our public educational system is bad and getting worse. Our government is so corrupt that any program that might lead to upward mobility will be so weighted down with service to the big money that elect and own our law makers, that it will function poorly at best. And the talking heads have us convinced that we don't want to spend our hard earned money on deadbeats who refuse to work. And these talking heads even have the poor and middle class spouting off the ideology of the rich.
If we are going to set American on a course for improvement, where do we start?
"To thine own self be true." We are not a democracy and we never have been a democracy. We are and have always been a plutocracy. We are a government in which the power effectively rests with the rich.
Plutocracy is rule by the wealthy, or by power provided by the wealthy. Does the fact that we are a plutocracy even need an explanation? We all know this is how it is in America.
1. Campaign contributions put our lawmakers in place and keep them in their place
2. Threatening to move profitable industries elsewhere--another town, another state, another country, will get you about any monetary consideration
3. Bribes are one of the key elements in our plutocracy. Most plutocratic bribes are friendly business dealings. All parties know each other, like each other, and a happy to engage in bribery as all will benefit. Except for the taxpayers. Most bribes are legal: "We'll spend our advertising bucks at your media outlet if you will..." Some are fun! To be lobbied can be a luxurious experience. Some are illegal: "You'll get that paving contract if I get $100,000 cash."
It's hard to be an honest leader when those you lead, those you regulate, are more affluent than you. Especially if you are greedy and egotistical. The psychological profile of those who run for public office is not that of a humble, selfless person.
To limit a plutocracy you have to limit the power of money:
We need a new constitution. A lot of the stuff already there is good and should be retained. Our Constitution is an instrument with many great features. But important changes are needed:
1. No candidate for any federal office may use any funds to campaign except for those provided by the public through a nonpartisan pool.
2. No third party campaigning of any type will be allowed.
3. Lobbying will be limited to written presentations to lawmakers. No lobby shall have any personal contact with a lawmaker, nor shall they have personal contact with a lawmaker for a period of 5 years after the lawmaker leaves office.
4. Any group that wishes to express their views about impending legislation in which they have interest, will be allowed to do so in a public hearing, during which all sides may express their views.
5. Lobbying directly to the American people will be allowed, but equal time must be granted for opposing points of view.
6. The penalty for violating these lobbying laws will be life in prison without possibility of parole.
Lawmakers must be insulated. Insulated not from information, but from selfish influence.
7. Pigs must be taught to fly at an altitude at which their feces will kill a small dog or cat if struck in the head.
Our lawmakers should be more like judges. Each side of an issue is presented in an orderly and organized fashion. Then, based upon that information, the lawmakers will vote on that issue.
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George Bernard Shaw: "Democracy is a devise that insures that you will be governed no better than you deserve." Diogenes Bob: "Plutocracy is a devise that insures that you will be used in a manner of which you are unaware, but content."
If the zombies are content, who will participate in the revolution? "I just wanta pay my bills, get my kids thru school, retire and grow tomatoes."
If this is the expectation of the masses, then I guess the revolution will start when a significant number of Americans cannot pay their bills, can't get their kids thru school, and are unable to retire and grow tomatoes. When those who hold 93% of our wealth fuck up so badly as to expose the plutocracy, a movement to revolt might begin. When the plutocracy is so obvious that even the talking heads cannot herd the flock into their appointed corral, then revolution might become reality.
But the plutocracy is greedy but not stupid. That top 1% knows that many of the nouveau riche (1980s--1990s) are bad decision makers and must be weeded out. The masses must be content. They are tolerant, but they will not simply roll over and die. The game must be played right or the game itself may be exposed and decimated.
It will be interesting to see if the plutocrats will be wise rulers and restore the flock to contented zombie status, or suffer the consequences.
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"I don't know, look it up in Wikipedia." "But the teacher said we can't use Wikipedia." Then look it up in Wikipedia, write your paper, then list the references listed in Wikipedia as your references." "But isn't that cheating?" "Uh, no; it's the American way!"
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