Economic System
The Economic System of the United States
David Stearns
11/22/2019
“My old Pappy used to say, ‘Never play the other man’s game’ “. Gambler Brett Maverick (James Garner) in the 1960’s television western show, Maverick.
To succeed in any game it is important to know how it is played. The (economic) game of life is no different. Know yourself and know your opponent, and you will be victorious in 100 campaigns (Sun-Tzu, paraphrased).
Worldwide, there are extremely wealthy people at the top of the food chain who make the rules, and change and break them as they see fit for their own benefit. They start wars, damage the environment, cause recessions and depressions, typically reward their investors at the expense of their employees, manipulate currency and the economy, and in the case of health insurance and big pharma, gouge their customers to pay their investors and profit. Many of these people are codependent personalities, concerned mostly with accumulating more wealth. (When Society Becomes an Addict, Anne Wilson Schaef). When John D. Rockefeller was asked, “How much money is enough?”, he famously replied “Just a little more!” To his credit, he did donate large sums to charity. At one time his net worth was estimated to be 1% of the US economy.
There are many other wealthy people who also give back. For a list, do a search on the internet or go to this link: https://www.forbes.com/top-givers/#2b25f41c66ff.
Interestingly enough, the very rich not only use those beneath them, but also try to get over on each other. I don’t think this whole system is a conspiracy, just human nature. (Although there are secret groups who do plot world domination, Rule By Secrecy, Jim Marrs) I don’t think we have evolved socially from our cave man/woman days, when it was necessary to compete for food and resources and defend our territory. This does not have to be written in stone. Humans are the only species that can consciously change their behavior (James Prochaska, Changing for Good).
If you can survive or survive and thrive, in this system, you will probably do well financially. For many of us, though, it is a soul killing system.
It seems to me that there are seven levels of people in our economy, from the poor to the very rich:
Level 1 - the bottom: People here include some children, some young adults, some women, some races other than Caucasian, the sick, disabled, mentally ill, mentally challenged, depressed, codependent, addicted, homeless, schizophrenic, bipolar, unskilled manual laborers, very low level criminals, and the enslaved. Yes, there are still people enslaved, in one fashion or another. After drugs and weapons sales, slavery is the third most profitable enterprise of organized crime.
Level 2 - $25K to $50K yearly income (approximate) - Semi skilled workers, factory workers, trade apprentices, low level criminals, fast food and other service employees and managers, truck drivers, delivery drivers, military enlisted and junior officers, law enforcement, firemen, emergency responders, medical field employees. The legal poverty level in many places is around twenty five thousand dollars a year for a family of four. This would be a joke except that it’s not funny.
Level 3 - @ $50K - Journeymen trades people, mid level government and business workers and managers, scientists, researchers, teachers, clergy, mid level criminals and politicians, mid level military, and law enforcement and first responders.
Level 4 - $100K + - Successful entrepreneurs, professionals - including doctors, dentists, PHD holders, architects, and engineers, high level criminals and clergy and law enforcement and military.
Level 5 - $500K to One Million $ + - High level managers, up to CEO, highly skilled persons, sports athletes, artists, musicians, trouble shooters and problem solvers, contract employees, very high level criminals and clergy, diplomats, those who have inherited wealth or positions in a family business, high level military, high level politicians.
Level 6 - $Millions - Now we are getting close to the top. These people are amply rewarded for their work. These people have a vested interest in keeping the system going. Think yachts, 2nd, 3rd homes, country clubs, world travel and vacations, etc.
CEO’s, Right hand men and women for the extremely wealthy - administrators, arrangers, managers, lawyers, bookkeepers, people who communicate with the next level below them. Those who have inherited wealth and do not need to work for money. Wall Street bankers and others similar, world wide. Possibly stock and investment traders. Very high level military, intelligence officers, and politicians who profit from their connections and who they know.
Level 7 - The extremely wealthy - $Billions - Not all extremely wealthy persons are concerned only with their own agendas, but many are, enough to run the show. They work to keep all economies working in their favor. (Ford, GM, and Alcoa, among others, did business with Nazi Germany during WWII, by shipping to Denmark, a neutral country - 1000 Americans, George Seldes). President Eisenhower warned us: Beware of the corrupting influence of the military-industrial complex."(Farewell speech to the nation, January 17, 1961)
These people consider the rest of us to be chess pieces, to be moved around to further their own interests. If they lose a few pieces along the way, so be it. Eli Wallach, playing a bandit chief in The Magnificent Seven, said to Yul Brynner, about the villagers he robbed, “If God didn’t want them shorn, he wouldn’t have made them sheep!” This is the sociopathic nature of many of the very wealthy. They consider themselves to be aristocracy, better than everyone else. If you have ever worked in a country club, you have experienced this.
Bringing these people to light is not a matter of jealousy. Their behavior would be somewhat tolerable except that they damage the environment, start wars, cause depressions and recessions, hide their profits in offshore accounts (Secret World - Bernstein, The Laundromat - Netflix, The Panama Papers - Obermayer) to avoid taxes (which could pay for infrastructure, education, and healthcare), and manipulate currencies, all of which affect the rest of us in negative ways.
My purpose in this late stage of my life (born 10/31/1947) is to raise awareness of the framework we all operate in. I believe in God, New Age metaphysics, and the power of prayer, but this world is where we find ourselves.
What can we do (if you think there is a need. Most people are more interested in getting ahead themselves, than they are in social justice - Harry Overstreet, The Mature Mind)? Plato said in The Republic that there would only be justice in the world when kings were philosophers and philosophers were kings. In my previous county in Florida, three of the five county commissioners were developers. The local developers got whatever they requested in terms of rezoning, variances, and project approval. Some people run for and get elected to public office for other reasons than serving their constituents. I would like us to elect leaders who care more about the people they lead than their own interests. My definition of a good leader is one who cares more about the people he/she leads, than their own agenda. If you are able and interested, be a good leader yourself, and/or support good leaders.
Ask yourself where you are in this system, where do you want to be? What do you want from life? Are you only in it for yourself, or would you like to see the world be a more fair and equitable place? I’m not asking for any favors, but would only like to see a more level playing field. History repeats itself because human nature hasn’t changed. We are fighting the same battles our ancestors fought and that our descendants will fight, unless we change the system we operate in.
Revolutions do not help. One set of gangsters is typically replaced with a new set. Mr. Bacot, our 9th grade Civics teacher in 1961, drew a line on the blackboard the first day of class. “The haves are over here, and the have nots are over there. The haves tend to accumulate wealth until the have nots have nothing to lose. There is a revolution…and it starts all over again, the haves are over here …” Our founding fathers knew this and set up checks and balances. However, most of them did not think our nation would last as long as it has, because of the character of human nature.
If you think this is all cry baby socialism, walk a mile in someone else’s shoes (think Dan Akroyd, Trading Places). Take a bus trip to a distant city with little or no money. Go to a mission or homeless shelter for a few days. (This is what the Buddha did unintentionally). See if you still feel the same way.
We can do better.
Sources: reading, video, and music
1000 Americans, George Seldes
The Way We Live, song by Johnny Rivers
Abraham, Martin, and John, song, Dion, Marvin Gaye
What’s Going On, album, Marvin Gaye
For What It’s Worth, song, Buffalo Springfield
Revenge of Trinity (1960s B movie)
Changing for Good, James Prochaska
The Prince, Machiavelli
The Art of War, SunTzu
The Lessons of History, Will and Ariel Durant
The Laundromat, Netflix series
Secrecy World, Jake Bernstein
The Panama Papers, Bastian Obermayer and Frederik Obermaier
Blowout, Rachel Maddow
A Concise Economic History of the World, Cameron/Neal
War Is a Racket, General Smedley Butler
Rule By Secrecy, Jim Marrs
Hi Bud (Katz)- Another good column (History Lesson). Some thoughts:
After WW II, there was so much prosperity, the wealthy couldn’t grab it fast enough to keep the middle class from prospering. I think it was the 1970’s before they started to gain traction. According to the Pew Research Center (quoted from the Atlanta Journal Constitution), since 1970, the middle class share of US national income has dropped from 65% to 40%. According to A Concise Economic History of the World, by Cameron/Neal, this wealth accumulation process has been going on since societies began. Santayana was right because, times change, but human nature hasn’t. Social justice warriors are fighting the same battles our ancestors fought and our descendants will fight unless we can make a drastic change in our world wide feudal system. Consciousness raising is the first step to behavior change (Changing for Good, James Prochaska) Humans can change their behavior. My goal, my legacy, is to beat this drum until things change or I die. Aristocracy and slavery are not dead, they are just in more subtle form. I think I sent you the link on my autobio for an article I wrote on our Economic System. We have so many really bright people, but it seems none of them that I know of, are trying to change the system outright and give us control of our own destinies. The control that we have is within the existing system. Getting drafted to fight in a war, environmental degradation, and income inequality are examples of powerlessness. My goal is to raise awareness, especially with the young people, of the feudal system we live in. This is not conspiracy theory, this is history. There are history books and investigative journalism literature to confirm control by the very wealthy and their administrators. I expect the black SUV’s to come for me someday. - David
2/29/2020
The Legacy of George Floyd
After somewhat extensive reading of history and investigative journalism, I have concluded that there is in fact, “a man behind the curtain”, or men and sometimes women.
We are fighting the same battles our ancestors fought and that our descendants will fight unless we change the paradigm or system that we live in. Since people started living together in societies, the strong have ruled the weak. The rich and powerful make the rules to suit themselves and acquire even more wealth and power. Historically this process ends in revolution, the wealth is redistributed and the process begins again. The form of government is not significant. This process occurs in dictatorship, socialism, theocracy, kingdom, and even in democracy or republic. Human nature is the common denominator in all forms of government.
The elite employ administrators and workers to carry out their agenda. For those invested in the system, life is pretty good. For the great majority, life exists only to serve the elite. The masses are only resources, like livestock, to be used to acquire more wealth and power for those at the top. Slavery and racial injustice are the step children of this system.
It is in the best interest of those at the top to keep the masses uneducated. When North Viet Nam took over the south, they sent many of the educated people to “reeducation” camps. Mao and Fidel Castro did the same. Another tactic to retain power is to keep the people divided, fighting among themselves.
To change this system will not be easy. Those invested in it will fight tooth and nail to preserve it. What we can do to bring about change include being educated about what’s really going on behind the veil, network with other people who want a more fair and equal society, and be a leader or support leaders who feel this way.
Support the American Civil Liberties Union and The League of Women Voters.
There are several movements to amend the US constitution, if you support that.
6/27/2020
We are fighting the same battles our ancestors fought and that our descendants will fight, unless we change the system that we operate in. Since people began living together in societies, the strong have ruled the weak.The wealthy use their influence in politics, government, and economics to make the rules to increase their wealth and influence. They pay those working for them relatively well, so you have a group of people who are invested in the system. Those further down the ladder are considered resources to be used to perpetuate the ruling class and its supporters. The lower classes are only important in that they provide the labor to keep society producing for the upper classes. For those invested in this system, education, health care, a living wage, and infrastructure to benefit all are less important than a second or third home, vacations, a yacht, and other luxuries. With an awakening of many people right now we have an opportunity for change. It will not be easy to change an entrenched system that is working for many (with resources) who will resist change. A constitutional convention may be the best way to reform taxation, and to provide more resources for the lower classes. We also need to address term limits, lobbying reform, and campaign finance reform. Citizens United, where the Supreme Court ruled corporations are people, needs to be overturned. We have an opportunity to move ahead as a nation. We need leaders to take us there. Be a leader or support leaders that you believe in.
7/2020
Happy 4th to all my friends and not so friends too. Can we agree that we all want to live happy, free lives? Thanks to Randy Ellison (RIP) for the flag. Rumor has it that he and some buddies marched to the flagpole 10 minutes before the honor guard and liberated the flag from Kaneohe Marine Corps air base in 1975. Hope the statute of limitations has run out. This flag has been the guest of honor at many 4th of July parties since then.
July 4, 2020
Slavery
Increasing income inequality is like blowing up a balloon: It can’t go on forever. Historically it ends in revolution. Slavery is not dead. It is the third most profitable enterprise of organized crime, after drugs and weapons sales. The current minimum wage, in most places, is a form of slavery. Inadequate education, infrastructure, and health care is a form of slavery. Underpaying illegal immigrants is a form of slavery. If you are concerned about slavery, worry more about what is going on today than what went on in the past. More detail is at davidsautobio.org>TOC>Ch30>Economic System. Support leaders who care more about the people they lead, than their own agendas. Read up on how the Icelandic people, the Norwegians, and the Swedish people reformed their economic and political systems. If enough of us join together, we can make our society more equitable for all.
6/2020
Keeping Faith in Turbulent Times
There are aspects of what is going on in our world today that have historical precedent and there are some aspects that are new and different. Neil deGrasse Tyson says that the arc of history curves upward. We can see that in minority and womens rights in the last 100 years. However history repeats itself because human nature hasn’t changed. Some of Plato’s observations about politics are just as valid today as they were over 2000 years ago (The Republic).
The world today is still run by feudalism. Kings and princes have been replaced by billionaires, CEOs, and political strongmen. My hope is that the current movement for social justice will raise awareness of the root causes of social injustice. Societies before us have experienced increasing income inequality and the the result has usually been revolution and redistribution of wealth. Increasing income inequality is like blowing up a balloon: It can’t go on forever. Education, health care, a living wage, and decent infrastructure for the lower classes are less important to many of the well off than second or third homes, yachts, and other luxuries. Those with money and power make laws and tax rates to benefit themselves and their supporters primarily.
On the other hand, there are people who believe that humanity is on the verge of a new beginning, and that the trlals we are enduring today are like the birth pangs of a mother. Back in the hippie days, we called it the dawn of the Age of Aquarius. Kim May, a very spiritual person from Waynesville, North Carolina, believes that there are metaphysical signs pointing to a great positive change for the world. Barbara Marx Hubbbard writes in her book, Emergence, that many people have evolved to a higher awareness of what it means to be human. No one can predict the future, but I hope, and choose to believe they are right.
So what I say is to love God or a higher power however you perceive that to be, follow the Golden Rule, and take care of yourself. Do the best you can, try not to worry about what you can’t control and pray like crazy.
Peace, Light, Love
David Stearns 7/16/2020
April 2020
"There are forces in this country that want to keep American citizens from having a say in the future of our nation." Congressman John Lewis (RIP)- 2019.
Dear NAACP Atlanta,
If you want to understand the root cause of social injustice, you have to drill down and ask, “Who benefits the most from social injustice?” I believe the answer is the very wealthy and their support system: CEOs, government officials, military and law enforcement, and workers that are somewhat adequately compensated. There will only be social justice when there is systemic change. Everyone must be given decent education (including how to think independently and civic responsibility), health care, infrastructure, and compensation for their labor. We still live in a feudal system. Kings and princes have been replaced by billionaires and CEOs.
Money was created to be a measure of work. The value of the work that many of us perform, accrues more to the top than the bottom. Blowout, by Rachel Maddow, is a good current read on what goes on behind the scenes. More references are at davidsautobio.org>TOC>Ch30>Economic System. There are many people currently energized for change. We should seize this momentum and move forward. Don Juan, in the Carlos Castaneda books, says, “Opportunity is like a small stick that presents itself to you occasionally. You have to grab it while you have the chance.” We need tax reform, congressional term limits, campaign finance reform, lobbying reform, and to repeal Citizens United, to effect systemic change.
August 10, 2020
May 2021 - Sonya Renee' Taylor
