Ideas for going forward

Here we as a USA country are in a recession, the winter is coming, and too many fellow citizens have income problems that make them and their families colder and hungrier and life style changing than they want to be.
For most of we USA citizens, the last half century has been comfortable and confident, as the status quo worked out. Something good must have been going on.
Now cycles of boom and bust seem to be a part of life, all over the world. Perhaps it is just a part of our human nature. Perhaps we have done some things that have intensified the boom and the bust? Here in our USA we have had two national parties for at least 8 generations (I count a generation as 20 years, genealogy wise), and we USA citizens have supported all this past stuff and elected all these people for a now long time. And the cycles have continued, boom and bust, for a long time.
And here we are again, questioning ourselves and how we got into the present mess we are in, and how can we get out. Part of this questioning is more underlying thoughts about our future, and ways to improve from the past. And this kind of discussion and debate even went on before our times and by our ancestors. They were smart, too. But now it is our turn.
I am from the school of thought that says identifying a problem is only part of what is needed. One should also offer solutions, ideally three, that decision makers can act on, if their judgment says so.
Here’s three American ideas, or at least I think they are American.

1) The government solution.
a. Term limit our legislators at all levels, federal, state, county, city, and school boards. Start with the federal legislators, maybe even one house like the House of Representatives. Now the amendment process required is long and often arduous, but we have already term limited the federal presidency, and we can do the same to the federal legislators. And I suspect the Congress will never limit themselves, so it will take the states to get this done. Since the process requires both proposing Amendments, and then ratifying these Amendments, it will take a long time, but one has to start sometime.
b. Require we in the federal government and its budget to live within our means (by amendment). This is commonly called a balance budget idea, like most families do. The results will be gut wrenching, but that is going to happen anyway and too often and to too many when we USA people can no longer get federal loans to pay for all these good things we have right now.
2) The American people solution.
a. I think most USA citizens believe in the idea of governments to rule us and provide the benefits we most appreciate, like police and fire safety, clean water, waste water treatment, electricity on demand (like keeping our refrigerators and freezers working all the time), and public national defense, since most think we still have enemies. If this is the case, which I think so, then our elected rulers at all levels should promote laws and policies that enhance all these things. Assigning priorities is key as to whom we decide to elect.
b. I also think we Americans have become used to the idea of Social Security and Medicare to take care of so many of us, to include our old ancestors who begat us (like our parents). This has much to do with the decline in the birth rate, I think. In the old days, one reason so many couples had many children was to take care of them when they got old.
c. Standards that seem to make sense are a wave of the future. The idea of ethics seems to be gaining force. The idea of PC and moral equivalency seems to be fading, as it should. We are a melting pot whether we like it or not. The value of education without brains or morals seems to be more doubted than it has in a long time. What is right or wrong is not inherited or innate; it is taught, mostly at home. And this idea is beginning to assert itself. And I only suggest we teach our kids our values, more so in our future. Anyway, we have to start somewhere.
d. The rule of those from the North East, to include schools and business institutions will come to an accommodation with the rest of the USA people, I think. After all, these NE people are Americans, too, as well as the rest of us, whom I think make up the majority. Things will sort out in the end, but the tidal motions will be difficult as people go through change.
e. Out of wedlock births are shameful. Kids with both a mother and a father at home are better off for the long run. The idea of shame as an American standard needs refurbishing. There is no moral equivalency for this idea.
3) The human solution.
a. Having a problem is less important than what you do about it.
b. Who knows what we Americans will do about the future? We, as humans in America, have three options. Voting (our traditional course), revolting, or a having a civil war, are the options.
c. Perhaps the government cure can be worse than the disease?
d. The human factor is always alive.
i. People just want to hear things straight. Parsing of words and phrases too often confuses. Just having a human explain things in a way we can understand is always most important.
ii. People will always accept criticism, like peer or spousal criticism. People will also resent insults of all kinds.
iii. People just want to have faith, and believe in their leaders, no matter what their leaders political beliefs. Trust, and again, faith, is key. Violate trust and faith, and all is lost to humans. Faith that our votes count is so key to continuing to support all our governments and Constitution.
e. This is the new world. All bets are off. We can do what ever we think will help our families and our future.
i. Consider a third national political party in our future... kind of like the Whig Party. Even Lincoln was a Whig before he became a Republican. The present day Tea Party stuff seems to be in that direction.
ii. In the last 5 generations, most third party efforts have been based on a personality, and funding. This time, the effort is based on an idea. The times they are a changing.


Yes we, as USA Americans, have a way forward. And it appears it will take time to happen. But by golly, it will happen. Things will change, as always.