American political, economic, and social problems: proposed solutions

¶ … national and the international communities there are circumstances and realities that are in need of change. The social and financial implications of the way in which American government and society works is up for review. With regards to five very foundational issues, the growing divide between the rich and the poor, the role of the media, market capitalism and its shaping of the American culture, the role between money and politics, and the role of power in American politics.

No one should be surprised by the polls showing that close to 90% of Americans are satisfied with the performance of their selected President, or that close to 80% of the citizenry applaud his Administration's seat-of-the-pants management of an undeclared war. After all, most Americans get their information from media that have pledged to give the American people only the President's side of the story. (McChesney & Nichols 2002)

The media tells us what the president wants us to hear, but that is not how the international world sees us and that is not how those in a position of helplessness see it. The problems are within an they are reflected by the reality without. Changing the media, to reduce the influence of the upper class and the government would mean making all new programs just a little bit more like those you find on public television and radio, rather than those which rely on the government to uphold its power structure.

Many Americans rich and poor, but especially the rich seem to be content to rely on old standards and simply sit back while America becomes something never intended for it to be. A corrupt greedy big brother with problems so substantial within that it would rather take its hard earned money and sink it into international watch dogging with standards it could not uphold within its own borders. " ... utterly convinced that they have discovered the winning formula for economic success -- the only formula -good for every country, rich or poor, good for all individuals willing and able to heed the message, and, of course, good for elite Americans: PRIVATIZATION" (Frank 2002)

The shrinking middle class is an issue that needs addressing. While rich American's continue, even in a failing economy to use tax incentives and tax and financial laws which favor them to continue on a an upward growth pattern while individuals who are working their fingers to the bone continue to have dwindling resources and a stagnating growth pattern. To solve this problem tax reform must be implemented that does not favor the big guy and large corporations, even non-profits need to take social responsibility for the role they play within the challenged economy and begin to reduce the bulging pockets of the upper 10% and send some of it down to those running their corporations.

Reagonomics have been a proven failure, yet those at the top with the most to gain continue to rely on the principles the rich have proven not to uphold, by refusing to let their profits go down to the little guy. Sally caps for upper administration salaries must be put in check while cost of living raises, that are realistic need to be given to the people with the least, the working poor. It seems that America has embraced an economy that leaves many with the real financial landscape in their homes of subsistence workers, such as sharecroppers enjoyed before the depression. "I can't afford to send my kids to college, or even take 'em out of their substandard public school, because the federal, state and local governments take more than 50% of my income in taxes. And then the guy on the news asks with a straight face whether or not we can 'afford' tax cuts." (Krugman 2003) Yet, tax cuts are not the answer, wage reform is!

The reality is that the core measures of both the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts mainly benefit the very affluent. The centerpieces of the 2001 act were a reduction in the top income-tax rate and elimination of the estate tax -- the first, by definition, benefiting only people with high incomes; the second benefiting only heirs to large estates. The core of the 2003 tax cut was a reduction in the tax rate on dividend income. This benefit, too, is concentrated on very high-income families. (Krugman 2003)

Market Capitalism blinds the American public into believing that they will gain from the competition of the market economy while those in charge of the wallet are reaping all the benefits of the hard work they put in. Those in control of the wallet are not willing to relinquish control or alter their plans they simply wish to continue to let the wallet bulge while evading the tax payments that could allow schools to offer above standard services or the welfare state to offer services that don't just put a band aide on the poor but give them a promise for living wages. "The villain that did this to my home state wasn't the Supreme Court or Lyndon Johnson, showering dollars on the poor or putting criminals back on the street. The culprit is the conservatives' beloved free-market capitalism ... " (Frank, 2004)

Those in elected positions hold a power base unprecedented, not only are they the voice of America they are also the voice of American money, without campaign finance reform the world will continue to see the wealthy, control the wealth and the poor get poorer while the middle class simply becomes a historical oddity.