The Problem with the U.S. Economy Isn’t Something Politicians Can Fix
What a bullshit story at every level, from the establishment &quot;everything&#x27;s fine,&quot; Cato Institute rugged-individualism trope. Denying massive income and justice inequality, massive political corruption, receding demand for labor and fall of union protections.<p>US gov can do a lot to help: clean up campaign financing for all branches and at all levels (starting with Citizens United and PACs), reduce justice system bias, eliminate barriers to organized labor (&quot;right to work&quot;) and a host of other things (basic income) which would help out people in the lower- and (shrinking) middle-class. Also, deploy a sane, accessible, efficient, high-throughput visa system for guest workers to avoid de facto indentured servitude and marginal exploitation as exists in the meatpacking and related ag industries.<p>Massive public works projects in the service of non-fossil fuel energy and space exporation would grow industries we need for the very survival of the species and create many real, good jobs in the process. The US should be moved to do such, or China, Russia and India will overtake it as another fading empire.<p>Government regulation is not automatically the enemy; it&#x27;s a lack of nuance about minimizing balance of tyrannies between opposing sides: rich&#x2F;poor, individual&#x2F;community, etc., married to the relative (in)efficiency and inertia of bureacracies and lawmakers.<p>&quot;If all men were angels, no govt would be necessary.&quot; -James Madison