How will we unify America and achieve our grand vision?
It’s not enough to say why we believe in the American ideal. Though inspirational, it’s a broad brush vision that lacks decisive substance. A united America is only achievable when we set the cornerstones to support the structure.
We need a framework for the vision. To frame our discussion, let’s reconsider our American ‘why.’ Our vision is threefold:
We are all created equal, and we can all become great. We take pride in the fact that greatness can sprout from any circumstance in America. But it’s not enough to celebrate the exceptions. We must create a society where success is not an anomaly for the disadvantaged but a tangible possibility for all.
We all have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Our rights are not the offering of a government. Our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are inherent to our human condition. We establish a government to secure these rights.
We believe in our constitutional republican democracy. Liberty is the cloth of our republic. The intricate balance between personal liberty and national division creates a resilient, enduring, free society. America relies on the individual liberty that empowers personal freedom, even while that individual liberty creates division. This relationship demands our active engagement to respect and fight for the liberty of others, even when — especially when — they oppose our views.
The unanswered question is: how? How will we unify ourselves and achieve our vision? We need to look at the commonality of our statements.
Individuals from all backgrounds must be able to achieve their view of the American dream. Individuals need to be able to demonstrate the personal liberty inherent to our human condition. Individuals elect representatives who, on their behalf, advocate for their interests at the local and national levels. We form a government to secure these rights.
If we form a government to secure our rights as individuals, we need to establish rules for individuals to achieve their goals. It’s not enough to develop rules that only support businesses. When our policies fail to work for everyone, it’s not enough to rely on other Americans for assistance. If Americans have to rely on the aid of others through social programs or other means, our efforts to help individuals failed.
When we unite to set the cornerstone with the premise that individuals must be able to succeed, we will achieve our vision. Not by focusing solely on businesses. Not by passing assistance from other taxpayers through the government.
How would we set the ground rules for both individuals and businesses to succeed? Likewise, what changes would we make with a standard that social programs represented a failure for individuals to advance?
To unify America, we must recognize that a pro-business approach isn’t inherently wrong. Nor is reducing poverty through social programs. Neither conservatives nor progressives who advocate for these approaches are out to destroy the nation.
First, a pro-business approach does benefit both business owners and workers. Business owners need the incentive to take personal risk and put in the effort to establish and maintain their business. America needs a strong business culture. Further, growing worker wages relies on increasing revenue. This culture benefits individuals who, for one reason or another, don’t have their own business. These individuals need jobs.
Conservatives are not out to destroy America.
Pitting business owners against workers divides us. We need policies that support individuals who own businesses while at the same time supporting individual workers.
Second, social programs do reduce poverty. A business-first approach doesn’t reduce poverty for all. We don’t all start from the same starting line; some have insurmountable disadvantages.
Progressives who advocate for these programs are not out to destroy America.
Both approaches focus on something other than the premise that individuals must succeed to achieve the American ideal. Rules that support businesses first fail to meet the needs of all workers. Likewise, rules that support individuals with additional benefits from taxpayer dollars fail to meet their needs.
Our ‘how’ to achieve our breathtaking vision of the American ideal is straightforward. Rather than focusing our efforts primarily on businesses or social programs, we must focus first on individuals.
If we are to achieve our grand vision by enabling success for individuals, what would we do to set the ground rules that allow individuals to provide for their own needs?
We could raise the minimum wage with constraints that support leveling the playing field for businesses in a way that also supports state’s rights. As a viable alternative to this approach, we could achieve a similar goal by incentivizing companies that pay higher wages with tax breaks that increase business revenue. And we could consider modifying the fiduciary responsibility of businesses to include the business, the shareholders, and the workers. Achieving this goal would additionally reduce the need for taxpayer-funded social programs.
We could improve the ability of young Americans to buy homes in safe neighborhoods. Young Americans need to be able to compete with those who are buying homes as investment properties. This approach sets young generations on solid financial footing early, promoting stability for individuals.
We could promote educational and job training programs achievable for all, even the 100 million working-class Americans who don’t graduate from college. We could enable those who do attend college to be able to pay for their own education.
We could support policing that focuses on serving individuals first, promoting dignity and respect for everyone regardless of race or background. We can do this while maintaining the integrity and dignity of our proud officers.
We must continue to support individuals expressing their right to demonstrate their liberty, such as the right to speak freely or bear arms for protection. We must solidify the right of every American of sound mind to make their own healthcare decisions.
How will we unify America and achieve our grand vision?
Our ‘why’ is threefold: We are all created equal, and we can all become great. We all have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We believe in our constitutional republican democracy.
To achieve this vision and unify America, we must focus on the foundational bedrock of the nation: the individual.
May God bless the United States of America.
Unify America