You know, we're all a pretty smart bunch of guys here (none of the women on WBF have posted to this thread as far as I know), and we're hard pressed to come up with real solutions. I don't think this has much to do with intellect. Sure, you need 'experts' to some degree, but as edorr said, economics, particuarly on a global scale, is hardly an exact science. I also don't have a problem with 'elites' in government in one sense: if they already have money, they don't necessarily go into politics to line their pockets, but ostensibly, are dedicated to public service. (Say what you will about the Kennedy clan, but Joe Sr. pushed them all to 'do something,' and none of them needed a dime, given his fortune).
We do need leadership though, and more of 'what's good for the country' as opposed to 'what's good for my constituents.' That's where the pork comes from, right? Look at the deals that had to get made to get Obamacare passed, even though there was some recognition that something had to be done to address healthcare. (Believe me when I say I'm not a believer in what became law, just that the issue of skyrocketing costs, insurance and the like were real issues that deserved to be addressed without 'pay-off's' to get politicians to act). I'd love to see a requirement that only that which is 'necessary and related' to the core of a piece of legislation is permitted to go through the process; if someone wants something as a 'tag-a-long,' it should be addressed in its own, freestanding bill.
My thoughts are:
1. Mandatory public service of some sort, for 18-24 months after high school, which could include military, infrastructure rebuilding (like WPA) or other socially beneficial programs that provide training as well as man or woman power.
2. Put the money spent on prisons into schools- there was a piece some time ago comparing the facilities of a prison to that of an intermediate,e.g. junior high, school. You would have thought the pictures and captions had been mistakenly reversed.
3. Decriminalize the small stuff, like pot, but treat serious crime seriously.
4. Rethink our mental health support system, including our reliance on pharma as a substitute for real care- and perhaps, change the laws relating to involuntary commitment if necessary.
5. Take a business approach to government - have the department heads figure out where the cuts are, and that includes the morass we call Homeland Security. I'm all for a real defensive and if necessary, offensive capability, but the system is so bloated, it is offensive.
6. Tie government paid 'support' a/k/a 'welfare to job training or work, even if it is basic infrastructure stuff.
7. Revisit the healthcare mess with a hard look at single payor, interstate competition and not just the cost of drugs, but our over-reliance on them. Sure, you get into questions about the government legislating on issues like over-eating, but why do we as a nation support the idea that you can eat crap and medicate your way out of diabetes or high blood pressure?
8. There's been lot's of controversy over the use of drones, but frankly, I'd rather see them used than put our young folks in harms' way if it can be avoided.
9. Change the cultural objective of our society from one which is all about money and celebrity to more constructive goals and role models- I'd love to see more emphasis placed on innovation, science, music and the value of reading, thinking and talking to each other. A common goal or 'mission' brings people together, e.g. the 'space program' of the 60's, which was a race against Russia for the moon, also spawned a huge amount of science and business. Some of this know-how we 'borrowed' from the Germans after WWII, but a lot was homegrown. Let's make good cars, and let the failing companies fail, rather than bail them out.
I'm sure I've got some of these things wrong, and some of it may be wrong-headed, depending on your own view of what's really important, but the thing that caused a 'reset' and that drew people together in times of war was not just the economic demand for materiel, but a common goal that was at some level, selfless.
