The Land We Live In

I watch and read a lot about science and technology. It is obvious that to accomplish either requires sophisticated and very, very, very expensive equipment. Rather you are talking about satellites, rockets, submersibles, ships, planes, super computers, sequencers, telescopes, and many other things. I value this American Eco-system at about ½ a trillion dollars. America spends more on “defense” than all its allies combined. I estimate we are talking in the neighborhood of a trillion dollars. If you throw in the off book expenses under the heading of “black operations”, the number gains another 1/3.  

Recoup some of the meager "real" tax revenue from American multi-nationals, the tax and incentive give a-way for business at the Federal and local levels, the very wealthy escaping paying appropriate tax percentages, plus the religious donation tax deduction and you are looking at another trillion.

What do these vast sums of money mean? It means America is the wealthiest nation the world has ever known. Even in the current downturn it is fabulously wealthy. The issue is how the money is spent. 

How much money would we have if we cut the defense and military expenditure by ½, cut the business give a-ways by 1/3, allow only a 75% religious tax deduction [religious cannon does not say it has to be tax deductible],  and institute a true ATM [Alternative Minimum Tax] for American multi-nationals and the very wealthy? We would have enough money to provide good free healthcare to all Americans, we would have enough to go from social security to providing defined pensions for all Americans, we would have enough to provide a free skills training or college education and graduate school for those that desire it. We would also have change left over.

The schism in American society is one of private versus public wealth. It has widened as the wealthy have captured more of government and the mechanisms of society.  The issue we should ask is what quality of life do we want for ourselves and descendents? We need to approach it from the economic perspective of the median in America. It is apparent American laissez-faire capitalism exacerbates the negative quality of life issues.