Tick - Tock

Can the youth of America read a clock that is not a digital one on their i-Phone? I honestly am not sure of the answer to this question. However, I certainly have an opinion.

I understand and can grasp that the world is constantly evolving every day. Humanity itself has rapidly progressed over recent centuries, which to all of our benefits, has resulted in the highest standard of living and quality of life ever experienced.

There are many benefits to this progression but let's break down where this has led us in simple terms. Many of you reading this blog can remember when you were growing up as a child, you were constantly outdoors, exploring, being creative, getting dirty, and engaging in any type of activity you could think of with the all the other kids on the block. You would always make sure to work your way home towards sunset so you could hear the whistle to get inside for the night. Today, social media and electronic devices consume the youth of America.

The Boy Scouts of America recently re-branded to Scouting America. There are many angles to take from this one, please have at it, but the one specific to this, is that the number of enrollments continue to decline year over year. Their thought: let's promote to a broader audience to increase enrollment and engagement in our programs. Programs that are mainly outdoor, interactive group settings. Additionally, sporting enrollments in our nation have decreased in recent years at all age levels. To pile on, I recently read a survey that 72% of Americans, between the ages of 21 and 30, stated TikTok was their primary news source. Really? Is the decline of these mainstream American outdoor interactive activities a direct correlation of the youth of America being stuck inside behind a screen on social media?

There are even articles being written that show porn users have increased in recent years, and the mainstream population is having less sex, due to less personal social interactions, because they are constantly stuck behind the screen, which is resulting in increased numbers of depression in society. Listen, I am well aware that you can't believe all the stats you read, but they certainly make you think. Generations from now does this lead to a declining population, and a shrinking economy? An issue we are already facing with a shift in the baby boomer generation's life cycle. And on go the dominos...

I have a few thoughts I will leave you with. Where is the biggest opportunity to attack and look for practical solutions to the societal issues we are facing above? Is it in the education system? How can we do better educating our youth? What is wrong with the system?

Let's throw this out there. Is there an age limit that needs to be set for social media accounts? A driver's license scan to verify age? This is certainly possible with today's technology. This might create an equal playing field. Rather than certain children getting more flexibility to be on social media than others due to their parents making different rules; it can be that no child is singled out, and they all get the privilege of being on social media at a certain age, forcing their hand to interact with fellow children in settings other than behind a screen. This might be an outlandish thought, but it is a thought. It would be great to hear more of them. This is a problem we are all facing. We need solutions-based dialogue to bring ideas to the table. We have to start somewhere. The children are "our" future.

It is only a matter of time.

-VC

What the dust?

Sometimes I have to ask myself, what is wrong with people? That being, humans. But that tends to take you down a slippery slope. How about this example. Last Thursday, I am pulling out of my parking garage to head to the office. It is a quick right turn and you are at a stop sign to pull out. I look right, I see an older lady about 10-15 feet away on the sidewalk walking towards my car...

I look left, no cars. I look right again, getting ready to pull out, and this lady is suddenly giving me the double middle finger lunging toward my car. It is 7:30am, and I have not even had my first coffee. Yet, this lady has the energy to cause a problem out of nothing because if she was ten feet closer, I would have run into her. Well, if she was ten feet closer, I would have stopped to let her cross the street. As I looked this lady in the eyes giving me the double middle finger at 7:30am, I realized I had a few options. The option I chose, was to roll my window down, wave, give a huge smile, and say have a great day; before quickly pulling away.

Point being, we all have options. The lady giving me the double middle finger had options. Options of whatever put her in the state of mind to do what she did that morning. I had options. Luckily, choosing the right one in my opinion.

This may be a glimpse of a very small situation. However, it is all the small situations added up, that can impact real change. How people, human beings, handle the small situations, like the one above, can change the nation and the world. We all think we are too small to have an impact. That could not be more of an excuse. We can impact real change; by always extending our hand to our fellow American, or fellow human being. Where is the love? Extend your hand, bring everyone to the table. Have solutions-based dialogue.

How you do anything, is how you do everything.

-VC

Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick.

How big do you want to dream; and how hard do you want to work? Pay the price today, so you can pay any price tomorrow.

The poor man resents the rich man. The rich man looks down upon the poor man. Yet, one doesn't exist without the other in the American economy. How did we get here? It’s not different opinions, it’s different facts. It’s only different because we allow it to be.

American Capitalism has continuously evolved throughout our history. The balance of power has evolved with it. We have transitioned from free markets with limited government, to highly regulated "free markets", in an effort to even the balance of power and distribution of wealth in society. "No regulation" has the opportunity to create chaos, while big government and “over regulation”, undoubtedly restricts the free markets of American capitalism.

Theodore Roosevelt is someone who recognized this in its infamy. Teddy Roosevelt was the Governor of New York before joining the ticket as Vice President, of then President William McKinley. After winning in a land slide, they took office together in January of 1901. President McKinley was assassinated 6 months into the term and then Vice President, Teddy Roosevelt, assumed the Presidency as the 26th President in American history, and the youngest to hold the office to this day. Teddy was elected as a Republican, with a pro-business ideology. To the surprise of many, after he assumed the Presidency, he supported a variety of anti-trust and progressive policies. Whether you agree with the progressive policies that became the Roosevelt agenda or not; he pushed the boundaries of his time, in an effort to level the playing field between the laborer and the rich man. If his political party knew this was the way he would govern, he never would have been nominated to begin with. In his own right, this was a way for Roosevelt to preserve the American dream for the working class; but also open the doors to the future of big government and institutional regulations. Teddy may have won some battles during his time, but the war wages on to this day.

On the other hand, during the same historical time frame, we have Andrew Carnegie. A true and passionate believer of American Capitalism and the opportunity it has created for all of mankind. What is American Capitalism? What does it represent? It represents extreme individualism. It represents the vehicle of wealth accumulation. The wealth in the hands of the few, who know how to better facilitate its utility, and have more overall beneficial impact on society and the race. We the industrial capitalist can do better for them, than they can do for themselves. Yes, there are consequences of capitalism, but the argument is made that the benefits far outweigh these consequences. The benefits: luxuries and commodities are more accessible and available than ever, offered at prices generations before could not have imagined. The poor enjoy what the rich could once not afford. The luxuries have become the necessaries of life. The common man in America has books and paintings more elaborate than the King could once obtain. The condition of the race is better with these principals than any other utility that we have tried. If thou dost not sow, thou shalt not reap. Neither master, nor servant was as well situated then, as they are today. The consequences: Thousands of operatives are assembled in factories, farms and other industrial landscapes. These large industrial enterprises know little of the working man in their factory, and the employer accumulating the wealth is almost a ghost or mythical figure. Rigid castes are then formed, resulting in mutual ignorance then breeding mutual distrust. Each caste is without sympathy for other and ready to credit all bad acts towards the other. The solution: The accumulation and then administration and distribution of this wealth is key for capitalism to move society forward. Social and political equality improve when the surplus wealth is returned the community. This is the concept that has the opportunity to create a harmonious relationship between the rich and the poor - and a chance for that American dream to be present for all who have the ability and desire to try and climb that ladder.

Some can make the argument that one of the largest opportunities in modern day American Capitalism is not as simple as the lack of or too much government intervention and regulation; but the lack of understanding of one of the purest fundamental values of American Capitalism. The issue at hand is how the extremely wealthy are choosing whom and how to distribute the wealth acquired thru capitalistic endeavors. If we want to hold true to form, once these individuals reach a certain point in their lifetimes, there should be redistribution of wealth thru philanthropic efforts of the individual, so it is clear and visible to the working man. The working man then sees how not only he benefits from being employed, but also recognizes and receives wealth back through clear philanthropic efforts of the extremely wealthy. The wealthy who leave their full riches to their family to protect their name and legacy, should do so in modest accord, as it has the potential not only to do a disservice to society but to the beneficiaries of their wealth. This disservice is to be accounted for in the vehicle of an estate tax, with a wealth tier. This can be viewed as a fair re-distribution of wealth for endeavors in American Capitalism. Benefiting the working class and also minimizing tax on American businesses? To the contrary, we can also then make the argument that if we limited the income tax on the population, more wealth would accumulate amongst a broader segment of the population, and in turn they would feel more obligated to give back to their local communities in philanthropic efforts.

Does this ideology transform the right to being more progressive, yet holding truer to fundamental conservative economic values? While also transforming the left to become more capitalistic with trickle-down economics, yet holding true with giving more rights and opportunities to all? One which is simple enough for all Americans to understand and relate too? Does this also have the ability to create a moral code in its own right?

This American dream still exists for those who choose to see it. There are many opportunities we have as a nation, but we still offer the ability to dream. There is no nation that offers this same dream, as much as we want to tell ourselves otherwise with how embarrassed we may be in the state of our nation's current affairs. The dream requires hard work, hustle, determination, and a little luck along the way. But it is there for the taking. It just depends how bad you want it. - We also need to remember it is our responsibility as the people, to preserve this dream and protect the great American experiment in democracy, and the institutions it represents.

Carnegie was a factory worker's son, who also worked as a laborer before having the opportunity to work in an administrative role at a telegraph office. He then went on to live out his American dream. Countless others have set this example, and it is fact, black and white. Vanderbilt, Edison, Rockefeller, Pulitzer, Ox, Walton. Think of the ingenuity by these American capitalist figures who fulfilled their American dream. This is the dream we are fighting for.

Dream Big.

Go get it.

-VC