The endless waves of change have many gasping for air. The Surgeon General reports Americans are suffering an epidemic of anxiety. Apart of this is the concern that government is broken and unresponsive.
In November, many voted to disrupt the state of politics in hopes of better and more responsive government. Historically, external shocks spurred political change. These shocks were often the result of war, new technology, access to rights, demographic change, or populism.
In
the early 20th century, Nebraskan William Jennings Bryan’s populist
Presidential campaigns and his dalliance with evangelicals as the prosecutor in
the Scopes Trial (where he argued that evolution should not be taught in public
schools) shocked America’s political system. Today, in an intriguing 100 year
echo, we see a similar populist shock in the guise of a second Trump
Administration.
We'll be fighting in the streets, with our children at our feet.
And the morals that they worship will be gone (Won’t Get Fooled
Again, The Who).
At
the heart of this change is the question how is good or responsive
government defined.
Some
argue that ending the Electoral College will solve the problem, although our
Founders found direct democracy frightening. Others argue for modified voting
models, including Ranked Choice. Andrew Yang says the current system
incentivizes bad behavior by elected officials. Everyone seems to agree there
is too much money in politics.
Personally,
good government is fiscally responsible: something both parties willfully
ignore.
I'll tip my hat to the new Constitution. Take a bow for the new
revolution. Smile and grin at the change all around, then I'll get on my knees
and pray, we don't get fooled again.
Today,
the national debt is $36,000,000,000,000 or $106,626 per citizen. The
right-of-center Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget reports Trump
contributed $7.8 trillion and Biden contributed $4.3 trillion to the national
debt. Regardless, both parties continue to ignore this well-kicked can, and
Americans have a government they are unwilling to pay for.
A change, it had to come. We knew it all along. We were
liberated from the fold, that's all. And the world looks just the same, and
history ain't changed, cause the banners, they all flown in the last war.
How did this happen? The apparent reason is the
‘if they’re for it, we’re against it’ charade. Team politics causes gridlock
and condemns compromise – and both parties are guilty. Dan Osbourne’s
non-partisan run for the U.S. Senate was propelled by running as an
Independent. Arguably, running as an Independent, Osbourne got 75,000 more
votes than Preston Love (D) despite 20,000 fewer votes being cast in the
Osbourne/ Fisher race: it’s not about policy – it’s about party.
There's nothing in the street, looks any different to me. The
parting on the left, is now parting on the right
Another
shirked issue is the well-established fact that climate change is caused by
human behavior. One wonders why anyone would willfully endanger future
generations.
Today,
the United States is the world’s top oil producer, with 36 billion barrels in
reserves. Nonetheless, oil companies received $7 trillion in global subsidies
in 2022. Predictably, propped up by your taxes, The Wall Street Journal
reported big oil had record profits last year, including Exon raking in $36
billion and Chevron $21.4 billion.
One
thing is sure: technological advances fire the economy, create jobs, and open
new markets. The book Chip Wars examines how microchips
realigned the politics of Southeast Asian politics, drawing the US closer to
Taiwan, pushing the USA to the front of the infantile tech industry, and
creating millions of jobs and mountains of wealth. In the mid-90s, as
middle-class Americans accessed desktop computers and the internet, it created
jobs, new companies, online sales, and mountains of wealth. Today, Nvidia,
a chip manufacturer, capitalized at over two trillion dollars, is the most
valuable company in the world.
Today,
as the rest of the world responds to global warming, demonizing green tech for
team politics not only advances Chinese tech, it’s bad for workers, bad for
jobs, bad for the future, and forgoes mountains of wealth. The solution ain’t
rocket science, its depoliticizing green tech.
Meet the new boss: same as the old boss. Then I'll get on my
knees and pray, we don't get fooled again.