We have among us a few really rich and powerful people. I address them.
You amass wealth by finding
loopholes in our system, which enable you to steal a little bit from everybody.
You take some small amounts so we do not
notice the theft individually - we notice only that we are becoming even poorer.
You privileged few try to
avoid responsibility for the whole of us while you reinforce the system flaws protecting
you from loss or responsibility.
However, the Powell doctrine
quoted above states the obvious: once you use the system for personal advantage,
you assume responsibility for all of it. [https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/09/the-pottery-barn-rule-syria-edition/408193/]
In our society today, things
go wrong because you have resources and ability but you fail to make it right
for all our people.
I think that you have
compromised our system so thoroughly that traditional methods of correcting
flaws no longer work. [See THE SCHEME: How the Right Wing Used Dark Money to
Capture the Supreme Court, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse with Jennifer Mueller,
The New Press, New York, 2022]
In response, you have
recognized the frustration of all the people, but you have consciously directed
that frustration and anger toward various inconsequential things. People feel
frustrated because their living conditions are very hard. Many expect things to
become even worse. Some have lost Hope.
Losing Hope creates a body of
our people with nothing left to lose.
For the time being, you
appear to dodge responsibility for many flaws. However, the people will
identify you in due time as the author of their hardships.
Plus, you have created a real
danger for yourself: You have created a group of disaffected people with
weapons. You allow these people to use their weapons to perpetrate political
violence.
When you allow people to
commit political violence, eventually some will identify the real people behind
their difficulties.
This happened in Romania: Ceausescu
In the 1930’s FDR recognized
a similar situation; in the light of the Russian and Chinese Revolutions, he made
a compromise with rich people.
The deal was that rich people
would accept higher taxes while the Government worked to ease burdens of all
the people and rebuild our infrastructure. I plan to provide a list of specific
actions to reduce political violence and improve living standards in a later
post.
We are in a similar situation
today. Perhaps you can allow us to create a better society for all by accepting several social programs to ease the burdens of everyday life for the people. In the past you have directed your politicians to stop any such programs.
If you accept some programs, then you will
reduce the threat of political violence and, paradoxically, increase your
wealth and incomes; that’s because the people will have greater purchasing
power and your businesses will make more profits.
