Stimulus

As the lowly politician continues to figure out how to stimulate the economy now in a COVID-induced slump, they forget what stimulus is about.

It is not about pumping money into the hands of individuals. It is not about putting a Band-Aid on an open sore. It is not about patting people on the back and calming them down.

No; stimulus is about sparking people into action that creates future benefit. The action may be now; or later.

Investing in people is the secret. Helping people see their potential is part of it. Educating them is one process that can be used effectively. Training them for a skill set or specific work process, is missing the point. That sort of education only buys time in an always-changing economic environment. No, education is about helping people understand themselves intrinsically so they can live fully. Living fully helps them adapt to changing forces around them. It calls forth creativity to accomplish change for themselves and others. They become the adaptor that makes new normal possible.

Investing in education first and foremost produces the highest return on investment. Good education. Not rote learning.

Education systems in America are always changing, but political surrounds slow that change too much. Education is dynamic. Learning is dynamic. Why not the system from which we learn? Why is this not recreating itself in fresh ways? It is not all about the dollars. No, it is about control and that’s politics.

Let’s invest in new learning processes and technology. Let’s replace the existing status quo with something much more effective.

The pandemic has given us pause enough to realize we need new ways of teaching people, our kids, how to live life, how to discover life, and how to live responsibly. Remote learning is still mostly misunderstood by teachers, schools systems, students and parents. That pretty much involves 40% of our population. Reinvestment here will pay huge dividends.

Just do it.

Another investment is in healthcare. We spend way too much GDP on healthcare. We can get better results while spending much less of GDP. New systems and institutions will do this. First we have to rid ourselves of the insurance company layer. Let healthcare workers do their job. Encourage medical schools and hospitals and clinics to do their jobs. Get the middlemen out of the equation. They just soak up valuable resources best spent on research, tools, training and facilities and the people who do the work.

Now, those two investments will stimulate the economy in wondrous ways. Economists say this is so. Who could be against this? Bankers. Insurance companies. Politicians who are paid for votes from banking, insurance and investment institutions. You begin to see the problem here? What needs to get done is stymied by special interests.

Big oil stands in the way of solving energy issues because it is in their interest to maintain the status quo. Same is true for politicians in the pockets of special interests. And for insurance companies who play gatekeeper with our health for the sake of their own wealth.

Building the new on this base of wreckage won’t be easy. But it must be done.

I’m thinking Congress is not up to the job. What would help them change that status?

July 26, 2020