Ever try to imagine what kind of country an ideal United States would look like?
I imagine the following:
1. The steady deliberate transition from fossil fuels as a primary energy source to non-polluting renewable sources of energy is complete.
2. There is no unnecessary pollution of the air, water, and land and no unnecessary environmental degradation.
3. Only 100% safe recyclable consumer products sold.
4. No plastics.
5. No petrochemical applications.
6. Pure drinkable water for everyone.
7. Poverty eliminated. Everyone in need of money and who is willing and able to work has the opportunity to earn a decent living.
8. Non-allergenic, non-toxic, energy-efficient housing for everyone.
9. All food in the country is grown/raised organically.
10. Elimination of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and communicable diseases.
11. All elderly and disabled citizens well cared for.
12. All workers having safe and healthful working conditions and being reasonably treated by employers.
13. All primary and secondary school students in the U.S. being prepared for gainful employment or prepared for additional education/training upon high school graduation.
14. A federal government that is debt-free; that does not waste money; that does not use revenue to threaten the inalienable rights of citizens of other countries; that does not condone nor support the threatening of these same rights of citizens in other countries by any American citizen or group, including businesses; that does not condone nor support foreign governments that deny to their citizens their individual inalienable rights; and which does not condone, support nor in any way favor foreign governments that have invaded or attacked another country without first being attacked, until such governments rectify their actions.
15. No bullying in schools, in the work place, on line, or anywhere else.
16. No unfair restrictive voting laws.
17. Sexual abuse, child mistreatment, police misconduct, property crimes, violent crimes, white collar crimes, and cyber crime being in the past along with gangs and other forms of organized crime.
18. Members of Congress giving equal attention and consideration to all of their constituents regardless of their socioeconomic status.
19. A quality Common Good equally accessible to all citizens.
20. A single payer health insurance system with everyone's health care costs covered.
Why will it never happen? Continue reading.
Relax. It's unlikely to ever occur. Why? Reason #1: Because it would not be good for the Koch brothers and other members of the Upper 1%. Bringing about the Golden Age (the 20 conditions listed above) would require a lot of money. Those making $400,000 would have to pay 40% of their income in taxes. The rates would increase from there for high earners. People as rich as the Kochs would have to pay 90% of their income in taxes.
Reason #2: Because the American public, in general, values the benefits they may derive from the next new do-hickey that reaches the market. The American public is not concerned about the environmental cost of producing the do-hickey nor about the disposal issues that arise when millions of the do-hickeys are thrown away. They give not a moment's consideration to the more than 18 milllion people with asthma in this country whose symptoms can be exacerbated by air pollution from factories. Americans, in general, seem to not be concerned with the effects of their choices.
So that's not an issue for producers and marketers either.
Some people think it is the responsibility of government to protect the sick and disadvantaged. However, people's inalienable right to life and that which promotes life is not something the Constitution protects.
The federal government does try. However, the feds do not have the legal Constitutional power, authority, or duty to protect public health. Should they have? Could/should an Individual Rights Amendment that would preserve citizens' opportunities to experience their inalienable rights to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness be added to the Constitution? Such an amendment might look like this:
Section 1. All levels and divisions of civil government within these United States shall prioritize the individual inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness of each and every American citizen over the aspirations and fiscal concerns of any special interest group(s), including large corporations, and over the special interests of any individual.
Section 2. The President shall possess the executive authority, power, and duty to prevent any individual or group from impeding the opportunities of any American citizen to experience his/her individual inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness if and whenever the U.S. Congress has failed to enact the necessary legislation to outlaw those impediments.
Section 3. The U.S. Congress shall exercise the authority, the power, and the duty to prevent any individual or group from impeding the opportunities of any American citizen to experience his/her individual inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness through enacting effective and adequate legislation, if and whenever the lower levels of government within the United States fail to ensure the legal protection of those opportunities for their respective citizens.
This may sound good. Until someone asks, "what is entailed by 'individual inalienable rights
to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness'"? Funny how those words are non-problematic,
even inspiring, in the Declaration of Independence. But try to add them to the Constitution....
The next objection might be "How dare the government deny my right to own the next
do-hickey that comes along just because its production would cause unnecessary air
pollution! I did not give those people asthma. And what does "unnecessary' mean anyway?"
The bottom line is that the Wealthy and the materialistic consumers who keep the Wealthy wealthy don't care about people suffering from cancer, lung ailments, heart disease, asthma, etc. If they really did care we would not need a constitutional amendment to protect people's right to be free from needless health threats.
The constitutional amendment above is a long shot, unless, by some miracle, public opinion can be changed. Public opinion in this country seems to be heavily influenced by the mainstream media which is, in turn, controlled by the Wealthy. So it seems like the consumer's privilege of buying the latest techno gadget will continue to take precedence over the asthmatic's right to breathe clean air in this " land of the free and home of the brave".
I may continue to try to influence public opinion. If you want to join me check out www.pair2.blogspot.com.