How to Fix America: Getting Started
MADISON, WI (The MPJ) — It’s time to put an end to a generation-long error. The me-first-society-last mindset that has pervaded our culture since 1981 has reached its zenith, and it’s cost us. It’s cost us a lot. And it continues to cost us. It’s cost us money. It’s cost us security. It’s cost our nation the very prestige that has powered us above the rest of the world since the end of World War II. And regardless of what happens in India, in China, in Europe, Brazil or any other region of the world, that very world will still look to us, in the future as now, as an example.
And it’s long time that we go back to giving them something worth looking at.
I know you’re aware of the concept of America being “broken.” It’s been said to often that it’s become cliché. But that doesn’t take anything away from the basic truth of the statement. We don’t stand for freedom the way we used to. We don’t stand for advancement and innovation like we used to. We don’t stand for unchecked opportunity like we used to.
I understand we never “got it right” in every instance when we did stand for those things. During the time we opened our doors to the tired, poor, huddled masses of the world, we also exploited them, discriminated against them, and persecuted them. When America stood as the shining city on the hill, we kept those we found less desirable in the valley of destitution and segregation. When America was the land of innovation and invention, we turned many of those gifts into implements of destruction in all forms. And though it took us a while to repair many of these problems, we did eventually.
But we didn’t always do so by noble means. We didn’t end the destructive idea of absolute state sovereignty by “working it out.” We demolished our entire system of government and replaced it with a stronger, central system.
We didn’t end slavery by talking it out over tea. We fought the most bloody war in our nation’s history over it.
We didn’t end the Great Depression by making sure everyone was happy with what was going on. It was ended with one of the greatest political power grabs since the formation of the presidency itself.
And the current state of intransigence in Washington, led by hyper-partisan Tea Partiers and other Republicans seeking to curry their favor isn’t going to end over any sort of beverage summit. It’s only going to end once the intransigent are swept from office by reasonable, progressive-minded people who can make the sell not only on what our nation’s problems are, but what the solutions to those problems must be.
Over the next several days, I’m going to lay out my plan to fix America, both by identifying the problems, and their solutions. We have a number of areas of opportunity, and here’s the order in which we must fix them.
- The Crumbling Education System
- Fix Our Nation’s Finances
- Heal Health Care
- Infrastructure in Crisis
- The Media Mess
- The Government May be the Problem, But It’s Also the Solution