I keep hearing that the recession is over. This from supposedly smart
people who work for the likes of the Wall Street Journal, CBS and so on,
without any proof. Is it really over or just a shuffling of paper
profits for business interests that provide nothing to the GNP?
According to what I understand not from modern economics but from the
traditional social science, economics is the study of the production and
use of goods. Not services but goods. Services such as banks, insurance
companies, governments and lawyers provide no resources or measurable
gain to the GDP. In fact they all act as a drag on economic growth,
freedom and production.
The only group actually providing manufacturing growth to the economy, which is also the largest segment of the US economy, is the least discussed. I am talking about the war industries which consume 52% of our national budget--overpriced goods which never work as advertised, but get sold due to crooked politicians.
What really is in our national interest, not the politicians interest?
How about full employment rather then deliberate underemployment? How
about local food from many sources rather then mega farms thousands of
miles away which have no interest in either the quality of the food nor
the care of the land. How about providing shelter, real health care and
clothing for everyone locally or regionally?
What about a part of government which will provide dividends for years to come? I am talking about continuing free education from cradle to grave. What about a thriving art, music, dance and theater economy? And I am not talking about a few movie makers. I am talking about this in every community in the nation. The government is always taking land and using taxes for
progress. However, progress they are talking about is another big box
store or another manufacturing plant that will be abandoned as soon as
the tax breaks expire. Who gains from that? Someone outside the
community and the politicians who have their hands out for whatever they
can get for themselves at the public expense. Sounds good and it's doable--not at the government level but by us, WE the People. First we have to pass laws that all local and state government agencies must show yearly
how the monies they are spending benefit all the people residing in the
governmental unit. This also applies to the Federal government. In other
words take care of the people first then think about foreign aid, MAYBE.
Start with one or two people every where and work upward. NO more
trickle down pennies but trickle up dollars and thousands of dollars.
Get together and see what the unemployed can do together to provide for
local needs and income for themselves at the same time. For neighborhood
groups to plan and work for the benefit of the neighborhood. Not a
neighborhood watch but a neighborhood food, clothing, shelter, schools,
parks and other needs to benefit everyone in the neighborhood. This
includes input from the elderly, housewives, disabled and children too.
Why should the only job providing work for our young now be the
military? Why should we cast off our middle aged because we can hire
kids out of school or emigrants at half the wages? Why should our
handicapped be limited in their income because someone says only a non- profit can employ them? Who says that business has to be owned by some
mega corporation? What about building and owning where we work by the people who work there? It's all doable.
Just someone has to say why not, and then convince others to work at changing society in this way. Lets get started. When? Today. With whom? Look in the mirror. Why? because we are responsible for the next seven generations. This is not a left /right conflict but a people-driven idea to rebuild our economy, our neighborhoods and our people.
Have a great 2010.
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