Don't Allow Capitalism To Dictate Our American Dream

Is the real issue “less taxes through smaller government” or is it a ”feel good” sound bite? I’m unimpressed by the fiscal irresponsibility of the GOP and the absence of a coherent economic message by our Democrats. It has a hollow ring when campaign funds are derived from those whose interests depart from middle class and working families. It’s worth exploring as a candidate litmus test.

Iraq: If for a moment we cease listening to the Middle East saber rattling, we ask how has our hundreds of billions of tax dollars been spent? An enormous amount goes to all those defense contractors from bullets to bombs to band aids. The military industrial complex is BIG business with little competition. It’s very big business with very big lobbies and the help of many Pentagon officials looking for the big civilian sector job after military retirement. When the American flag is wrapped around it, it’s a tough sell to suggest it’s not solely about our nation or troops being more secure. There are plenty of jobs in all the states they operate, even with scaling back, but like price gouging at the pump it might seem unpatriotic to inquire whether large scale war profiteering has been occurring.

Health care: Survey small and large businesses, municipalities and property owners and most agree health care costs are out of control. The insurance and drug industries have no motivation to see the percentage or amounts of profits drop. They convince us those profits pay for R&D, but those 20%+ profits are AFTER research and development. Medicare is one of the biggest public rip offs of taxpayers dollars. The insanity ends when the public demands campaign finance reform. Only then will more economical national health care become a reality that benefits us all.

Efficient Government? If we pay more to outsource, we are wasting our tax dollars. This applies as much to education as it would to prisons or retirement accounts. We need to examine the decades old “war on crime” and “war on drugs”. When are we going to consider how much gets spent and what real value we’re obtaining? It’s not being soft on law enforcement to reduce the reasons why some resort to crime. If an argument can be made that investing in education for a child past high school results in a higher earning citizen and taxpayer, then the same would apply to young people at risk who might otherwise dropout. The bureaucracies often have no motivation to seek a result that produces obsolescence. There’s no winning if you’re attacking the result and not the cause.

Until we have our elected officials seriously address economic issues on ways to create good paying jobs and rebuild our middle class, we can expect they’ll remain subservient to the special interests who finance their campaigns and/or insulate themselves instead of their constituents.