Chris Jepson: Indiafication of America

“A great empire, like a great cake, is most easily diminished at the edges.” — Benjamin Franklin

Have you considered that an economic system is a philosophy? It’s a perspective wrapped in baggage (or halos, take your pick). It’s what is allowed. Could it be — but isn’t — how business is transacted for the community? Capitalism is but one thing that defines us as a people.

Because it is a philosophy, we can rationally consider altering outcomes. That is, we can decide to change course as a nation.

I’m in the pragmatic camp of that great American, John Dewey. If it’s not working out, let’s figure out why and give another option a try. See what works and what doesn’t work. Keep hypothesizing. Keep tweaking.

We need to rethink, a tweak perhaps, our American Dream. Maybe a major overhaul.

The New York Times last week had an article about Auburn University’s program to construct the ideal $20,000 house for the poor. It even has thoughtful design features — high ceilings, for example, to conveniently channel the summer heat out of your home.

How do you house low-income citizens? Perhaps we should look at another large democracy, India, for housing guidance. Where do we expect more and more couples with low wage jobs to live? “Experts” speculate America will continue to lose middle class jobs through a process I characterize as the “Indiafication” of America. We will experience lots of distance separating the rich from the rest and a general coarsening of society.

If America is sliding inexorably toward India, if poverty is growing, our middle class shrinking, what we — as a democracy — are currently doing needs a review. Republicans have an economic philosophy consisting of two essential tenets: More of the same and twice as hard for the rest of America. More for the favored, less for America.

I suggest an economic review, a national conversation, just so we get all the economic cards on the table. Who’s getting richer? Who’s losing ground? Why? And is there anything we can do, as a people, to turn it around?

If we have an economic philosophy (our current American economy) that favors certain elements of America at the expense of others, well, let’s have that discussion and see if we cannot pragmatically develop an economic approach that lifts more Americans boats.

Republicans tirelessly chant, “More of the same and twice as hard.” If only America’s impoverished worked harder? Or, worked at all. If only America’s middle class had more moxie, worked more creatively, were more productive, offer House Republicans. Yes, that’s it.

Let’s cut food stamps while subsidizing big agriculture. That’s the ticket. Tax labor income at higher rates than investment income. Slip special tax favors and regulatory policies benefitting the few into federal and state legislation.

The Indiafication of America belies the worth of such Republican policies. If poverty wages and $20,000 homes are just the market working its magic, if street corner begging — legless vets with food bowls the new norm — well, that is an indictment of our democracy and of ourselves.

Oh, you can’t mess with the sacredness of “free” enterprise. Genuflect now. Capitalism is God and the “truth” of maximum profit is the law of our infallible markets. Songwriter Leonard Cohen wrote, “Everybody knows that the dice are loaded . . . Everybody knows the fight was fixed. The poor stay poor, the rich get rich.”

If America is a cake, reflect on who eats the crumbs.

Jepson is a 27-year resident of central Florida. he’s fiscally conservative, socially liberal, likes art and embraces diversity of opinion. reach him at [email protected]