WHY CIVICS AND ECONOMICS

WHY CIVICS AND ECONOMICS?

By

Fay E.A. Reid

We need to include both civics and economics in public school education. Why? Some people have a small grasp of civics, in as much as they know the Federal laws outweigh the State and Local laws.  They even understand we, as a country, are supposed to respect and obey the rule of law.

But, most of them have never read the Constitution. They think they couldn’t understand it, it’s too complicated. But that is not true. Modern editions are written in current English, not the archaic English of the 18th Century. And if you read it, as it is written, without looking for hidden meanings, it’s pretty easy to understand.

As has been illustrated by journalists, questioning citizens on the city streets, or shopping malls, an awful lot of people have no idea of the three branches of government. Not because it is too complex, or they’re too stupid (Senator Tommy Tuberville excepted) It’s more because they were never taught. In the same way they’ve ever thought about why checks and balances are so necessary for a democratically run representative Republic such as ours.

Even people who are college educated don’t really understand what communism really is.  They just know that countries that call themselves communist are our enemy, they have no idea why.  From the 1950’s forward we were just taught to “fear” communism.

In order to fully enjoy and value our system of representation in a free Republic every child in the country needs to know what this entails.  Sure it’s a lot to think about. And it takes years to learn. But it matters.

Instead of spreading fear of ‘communism’ it should have been explained that regardless of what those rulers called themselves - communism does not now and never has existed. They are simply, every, single, one of them authoritarian dictatorships.  Communism can only truly be practised in very small groups (less than 100) where every member of the commune does what they do best for the good of the commune and all share equally in the result of their labor. All the ‘grown ups’ in the commune are ‘leaders’ and they lead by consensus.

Dictatorships, everyone understands. One man (and as far as I have read they are all men) tells everyone else what they may or may not do. That one man gathers about him a group of sycophants so dedicated to him that they are willing to suppress any one who opposes the leader.

People should also understand fascism, monarchy, anarchy, and democracy. Also they should know the meaning of aggression, regression, suppression.

If people really knew, and understood civics, we wouldn’t have Reagans and Trumps.

Would we all think alike? NO.  Nor should we want that. We should welcome diverse thinking and diverse people.  There will always be people who prefer security to risk. Who dislike change. And people like me, who want everyone to be treated equally, regardless of cost and who would run the country into bankruptcy trying to serve everybody. (Not a good idea) There will always be people who are willing to give a leg up, but expect people to take care of themselves, working and being thrifty. Just as there will always be people who want MORE. More of everything, like Musk

What we need is checks and balances. A place - Congress - where ideas can be exchanged amongst intelligent people and compromises made. Without animosity and fighting.  A good example was the friendship between Associate Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia. Polar opposites in legal approach, but able to compromise.

Economics is also teachable. There are different ideas on how to arrange the economy of a country that is best. Adam Smith (and I agree) believed the best and fairest economy was regulated capitalism. Capitalism depends on the ingenuity and leadership of some entrepreneurs. For which they should be awarded. BUT, while ingenuity is admirable, too many people get overly greedy and want more. That’s where regulation comes in.

Capitalism needs ordinary people to carry out the production of the ingenious person’s ideas. While these people may not have this ability to invent new things, they must be respected for their labor and input and rewarded with a livable income. That is why we need regulation.  Another problem with the accumulation of wealth is offspring.  Just because the parent (female or male) is brilliant and successful, does not guarantee their children  will be their equivalent.  This is where inheritance and wealth tax come justifiably in.  While not leaving the heirs destitute, they should not be entitled to enormous fortunes to squander.

Nationalization has been tried, especially after World War 2, and generally failed. The government may be great at running education, infrastructure, utilities, parks, for the benefit of all, that in no way assures they can run industry. And vice versa. Business is incapable of running public utilities, honestly, fairly, for the benefit of all citizens, with no profit. So, all citizens need to understand the dichotomy between business and government.

Beginning in 1986 when the Reagan administration managed to get the first approval of “supply side economics’ through trump who rammed it down our throats. Wealth has been redistributed from the middle class (majority of citizens) to the top 10% Ultra Wealthy to the detriment of the entire Country.  But the majority of voters didn’t understand either the theory of supply side vs demand side economics. And Regan, being an actor (second rate or not, had a good voice) was able to persuade the unknowing that this would help them.  Every time some bright politician tried to change this system they were blown down by the wealthy screaming in come redistribution (after all - there was still more redistribution to be had in their direction if they could keep supply side a  little longer)

There have been centuries of authoritarian rule on Earth, where a relatively few controlled 90% of the wealth while 70% or more of the ordinary citizens worked and died in utter poverty.

In the 1930’s (the Great Depression) a British economist, Maynard Keynes, proposed a different economic theory. When I took Economics for two semesters, it was referred to as priming the pump.  What Keynes suggested to Franklin Roosevelt was if the Government offered some job programs to a small but significant portion of the unemployed, this would get the economy of the Country rolling again. And it did. However WW2, while it pulled the whole world out of the depression by raising enormous militaries, and munitions industries, left destruction as its aftermath. At the end of the war in August 1945, Harry Truman carried on FDR’s thinking and plans, The United Nations, The Marshall Plan helped rebuild Europe and brought wealth to America, a wealth that was shared.

Dwight Eisenhower, although a Republican continued in the same vein. Some of the programs coming out of WW2 really helped America. The GI Bill helped pay the tuition and books for veterans and their families to get college degrees. And the idea of fair taxation combined with Eisenhower's plan for nationwide highway system resulted in the largest middle class the world had ever known.

It also proved that a democratically run representative Republic - combined with well regulated industry and fair taxation could provide a handsome income for all. Kenneth Galbraith, an American economist carried on the Keynesian philosophy and most people prospered. I’m not suggesting there were no inequities, there were. Racism was alive and well. Persons of color, Native Americans, Asians, Mexican Americans, women ,, and LGBTQ were all treated abominably.  But by the 60’s we were starting to work things out.

Then came a series of wars of aggression. Followed by increasing greed. So by the 1980’s we began our long slide down to the period we’re in now. Where greed is ‘admired’, wealth is adulated, and inequality reigns.

It took 40+ years to get here. I hope things change in the future. I hope we adopt individualized education, teaching civics and economics to all. Imposing wealth tax. And returning to civility in politics. And most of all including all Americans in our society. .