How we choose to talk about fear, conditional love, and vulnerability impacts our economic ecosystem and the wages we pay

A theme in my writing is that vacuum and how we have structured our economic ecosystem in a way that undervalues a large segment of our population and their contributions to it. Most of the time I will try to focus on policy prescription idea’s that might be worth a closer look. Today I want to lay out a few questions that I encourage people to “Chew On” as a friend would say.

• How does the marketing message of “fear” in our economic ecosystem cause the majority of Americans to accept the status quo?

•  How does “conditional love” factor into how we perceive and value citizens in our economic ecosystem?

• How do we weaponize someone’s “vulnerability” in our economic ecosystem, and engage in a zero-sum game in which we compete for limited resources in a system that is based on a scarcity marketing message?  

• Why do we accept low wages when the productivity gains made during the last 40 years should have translated into twice the increase for a majority of its citizens?

• Do we allow our idea of “Hyper-Individualism” get in the way of advocating for more collective action that benefits the majority of citizens and realize that we do better when we work as a team? One team?

• How do we let the inaction of our politicians cause us to throw up our hands, and say why bother? Nothing changes? Both parties put tribe before country and say if you’re not in our tribe, your wrong? Even if an idea might be worth listening to?

• Why do we choose to engage in a race to the bottom? Instead of inspiring, encouraging, and motivating one another to engage in a race to the top?

• Why do we let outer appearances dictate how we behave, react, and interact? Culture, ethnicity, faith create the diversity that should strengthen not weaken U.S.? Finally, do the majority of us appear the same when we view one another as an X-ray technician might? So, how different are we?

• Does reacting to perceived grievances accomplish more than proactively understanding another’s position, and listening and hearing what they might have to say? Attempting to walk in another one’s shoes?

Our system of government in the U.S is not an entitlement. It is a legacy system that is operating on investments made long ago. Every system needs to be nurtured so that it may yield a vibrant and valued community where each person’s contribution matters. A system that creates and provides the space needed for all to maximize that opportunity. History is littered with Empires, Republics, and Systems of government that did not survive the test of time. By encouraging the vacuum, by creating more extreme economic divides, whether spatial or social, are we failing to make the necessary updates to our system? What price will we pay for our short-term thinking?