Why Now?

We, as a people, now have a generation of working young people in their 20s and 30s that have not known good/fair/equitable exchange and in fact have had legitimate access to opportunity in most industries taken away from them largely through inappropriate industry concentration, rogue behavior in the media/communications, financial, healthcare, and tech sectors that have gone unchecked and changes in legislation encouraging it. 

There has been an ever progressing change in philosophy and action by most of those in government, particularly at the Federal Level and many of those in corporate leadership that corporations and their agendas are equally or more important than people and that bigger is better and necessary to “compete at a global level” whereby growth and revenue and appeasing shareholders has taken such undo priority and precedence that dangerous, fraudulent and unjust behavior go willfully undetected and a cycle of reinforcement through the monetization of policy and special interest politics dominates thinking and practice by many of those in power to the demise of society and God’s creation. 

The laws and safeguards that have served our society for ages have been over written, unenforced, or their purpose denied due to changes in technology, special interest politics, a lack of accountability, selfishness, and a denial of common sense.  We find ourselves with third world nation type basic industry disrupters and parasites such as Uber, AirBnB, and Amazon, where basic safeguards have been overrun and employees and individuals are exploited for the gain of select few, and though not profitable, have ridiculous valuations and destroy industries and fundamental tenants of American society- and civilization and have rendered undo control over government leaders at all levels at the expense of society norms and tenants necessary for true infrastructure, freedom and civilization.

We now find ourselves as a people, where the “market” (stock market valuations)  can grow at 20 or so percent a year,  while the GDP is stagnant , and the typical American is paying finance charges of 20 or so percent for their unpaid credit card balances and savings accounts yield less than 1 percent, and wage rates are comparable to those of the early 1980s for most professions and Public Corporations are paying their top executives at uncalled for or unjustified rates with stock bonuses with no accountability.

Our founding fathers were men of great principals, reason, exploration and an acknowledgement and underlying belief in God and Judea Christian tenants and principles.  They also recognized the dangers of concentrated power, Kingship, and human nature and its inclination for denial and evil if left unchecked.  Despite, if not in part because of the practice of slavery, they recognized that freedom and free will were both enormous gifts and challenges given to man by God and they endeavored and succeeded in preparing a structure of government with checks and balances designed to facilitate this.  It was and is revolutionary.  It was and is dependent on virtue and brotherhood.  Virtues include the three theological virtues of love, hope and faith, and the four cardinal virtues of prudence, temperance, fortitude, and justice.  The notion of brotherhood was vital and meant concern for one’s neighbor as well as well as holding each other accountable to decency and the greater good and cautioning and reprimanding each other when one is evil (lacks virtue).

The dignity of man was acknowledged and inalienable rights were called out, the importance of freedom and freedom of religion were called out, the need for government to protect was called out, and the need for adequate and accessible/neutral forms of communication were assured.  The need for truth, common sense, solidarity and the greater good permeated the founders and how they interacted to the point that they developed principles for communication and the notion of civil discourse.  Commerce and trade were recognized as important parts of society for its growth and benefit as well as its potential perils.  Foreign nations, especially the United Kingdom subsequently viewed America with marvel and trepidation, a place where the courageous could find a new beginning.

As exploitations developed and society evolved, antitrust, banking, and communications laws were developed to restore, retain, and reassure the freedom and rights of the citizens and the preservation of a democratic society.

The deregulation of media and failure of government to contain and properly regulate the role of the internet with respect to its powers as a retailer, distribution channel, advertising vehicle, and primary source of communication needs correction in order to have a healthy society.  This has led to the destruction of many necessary and respectable occupations including: journalism, market researchers, sales professionals, and advertisers in addition to the overconcentration/undo demise of many mid size companies and general sense of creativity as well as the exploitation of the worker and the value of time.  The advent of unchecked corporate structures such as the LLC and publicly held banks and investment firms has led to the demise and credibility of banking and accounting.  It has also been destructive to the family, in that dual incomes and even multiple jobs from both parties are now necessary and in many cases insufficient for provision, growth and betterment for the masses.  The capacity to be educated, giving members of society is becoming increasingly limited for most people and this is a major threat to the preservation of democracy and freedom.

In many industries, due to mergers and acquisitions, and other practices and artificial barriers to entry that defy the spirit of historic antitrust laws, the United States has gone from a fragmented/decentralized economy to one of power and industry concentration at the peril of the consumer, innovation, and even national security.  China, a nation we depend on for basic goods and services has a more secure and robust economy as although it is government subsidized, it is fragmented and decentralized.  In the United States, the relationship between corporate power and government power is such that government has inappropriately acquiesced to corporate power in healthcare and shipping (Amazon’s relationship with the Post Office) and technology/social media.  This is in need of immediate correction.

“Healthcare” or “Medical Services” may very well be the last frontier.  The monetization of the human body and justified exploitation of human pain and suffering is where the U.S. economy is at.  This is wrong and has to stop.

Shorting the consumer and ignoring the citizen will no longer be an option.