This column follows last week’s comments about trying to solve our problems of divisiveness. The United States, at just 243 years of age is the largest economy of the 290+ nations of the world. In population, the U.S. is #3 behind China and India whose populations are approximately 4X our citizen count. (China & India are 2.4 billion, U.S. 328 million). What sets the U.S. apart is the GDP (gross domestic product); ours is 21 trillion+, China’s is 14 Tr+ and Japan at #3 is 5 Tr+. The meaning of this data is that the U.S. is the world’s biggest commercial trader; we buy and sell more products and services than any other country. The U.S. is thus 28% of the world’s GDP (in dollars) of over $75 Trillion.
Because we are such a huge economy, people of almost every country want to sell things here. BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo produce cars here and employ at least 130,000 workers. We are also a market for the more insidious products called illicit drugs. The overall cost to taxpayers is probably close to $200 billion annually, more than 300,000 drug traffickers are trying to off-load vast quantities of illicit products for a total of $200 to $700 billion annually.
Our economy is heavily based on the ‘law’ of supply and demand. Overlay this principle onto the trafficking in illicit drugs. It should be no surprise that there are many misguided (stupid?) people across our country that have created a vast market for these products from Mexico and other countries. So, should we be spending more time and effort on changing the attitudes of drug dealers and addicts? YES!
Now let’s try to codify some items for the algorithm of achieving domestic and world peace, harmony and security:
- It seems obvious that the U.S. must remain the world Sheriff’s Department; we are clearly the only nation that has the ships, aircraft, personnel and resolve to enforce international law to prevent the use of air, land, sea and space as a launching pad for intimidation, invasion and occupation.
- We must maintain virtually 100% cyber security to protect our power grid, our private, public and government banking and currency system, our elections, worldwide commerce and our Intel and defense secrets.
- Our trade relations must be brought to equilibrium with all world trading partners.
- The national debt must be reduced by prioritized spending and ‘slavery reparations’, ‘$1,000 free monthly income for all citizens’, ‘free college’, ‘single payer’ government health insurance, free childcare and other ‘free’ benefits must be eliminated. Subsidized education and other ‘free’ benefits can be offered and regulated by states.
- Voting is a privilege, a right and a responsibility; all registered citizen voters should be required to show photo ID, and home address to vote. Violators are subject to fines and incarceration.
- Government departments such as the USPS, AMTRAK and other government enterprises should be privatized.
- Government must take back department and agency management from unions that have negotiated government pay and benefits beyond equivalent private sector jobs by 25% to 35%.
- Teachers, trainers and professors must be politically neutral and dedicated teaching common sense problem solving through the knowledge of civics, history, math and science.
- We must reduce or eliminate our illicit drug market by job training and ‘back-to-work’ programs for users and distributors. Rehabilitation for all criminals should be attempted at all levels with the assurance that crime does not pay but career jobs do pay.
- All immigration should be regulated by our government; all new immigrants must adhere to our laws and customs and leave behind the laws and customs of the nation they left. Native-born children and immigrants should be inculcated with self-determination and value-added existence.
- The concept of ‘sanctuary’ jurisdictions is political anti-Americanism and should be declared illegal with participants being held accountable..
- Corruption in government and private life must be uncovered and punished equally for all perpetrators.
Combined with last week’s ‘algorithms, these just penetrate the surface of domestic and world affairs. In this troubled world, we must wear the badge of faith, truth and discipline now. Our quest must be to help quell violence worldwide. Amen!
