If you’ve arrived on this page to discuss the poor condition of the world our children and grandchildren have to face—welcome. I know there must be many parents who have concerns about this. So, this is my attempt to draw people together, parents or not, to discuss the completely unacceptable conditions of our world and realistic steps we need to start taking to move toward something ‘really’ worthwhile.

Whew! Where do I start? Government, education, medicine, legal, economy, income disparity and more; all needing serious attention. So much needs to be improved that it may seem overwhelming;  maybe impossible. It will take all of us working together to help our failing situation.

I think the easiest place to start is with a simple indisputable fact. Most people in the world live poorly. Talking specifically about the US there is at least 20% of the population trying to get along with way to little. As for me, I’ve always been in the average when it comes to income, sometimes more, sometimes less; and it has been a constant financial struggle. Some people do okay, but they are far from the majority.

So what’s the point to this effort?

The point…is to strike up intelligent conversations with people who are troubled by the poor condition of the world we are leaving for our children and to talk about correcting the wrongs. My claim is that life, using the example of living on the west coast of the US, is nowhere near what it should be.

And what should it be? How about a life that is about living, as opposed to a life that is about working? How about lives that allow parents to have more time to spend with their children; and spouses have more time to enjoy each other’s company? How about communities which feel safe, and, based on statistics—are safe? What if people who don’t work for large corporations could have quality medical and dental care? Wouldn’t it make sense to have government representatives who live like we do? How about if we figure out why crime and violence are ubiquitous and getting worse; then do what has to be done to change that too! Personally, I think it is wrong for retired public administrators to receive retirements which are 400% larger than the average income in America. Our institutions are flawed, and will be, until we get our act together.

I would like to live in a place and time when people try to help each other instead of get over on each other. I’d like to be able to leave something out and not worry about it being stolen. When we hear of a missing child we should all join the search. I don’t like looking at billboards and listening to advertising. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could simply search for advertising for something—if we want it? Our culture is so far off track that it efficiently creates desires in us that others want there. Does it bother you that your children are being subjected to all the propaganda so common in our lives that we don’t even recognize it as such? Isn’t it sad that so many girls struggle with self-image because of the constant onslaught from the media? It seems wrong that one of the most popular high-school graduation presents is ‘breast implants’.

How about we get our heads together and create an economy which responds to us instead of the other way around. Truth is, in spite of what they taught us in school, an economy based on needs and controlled by the majority makes a lot of sense. Is it reasonable to expect an egalitarian, secure, reasonably comfortable lifestyle? In other words; do we owe each other anything; are we right to expect something from each other? The answer to this is—yes! To both questions we must answer—yes, based on Social Contract theory. Some of the well known philosophers have spoken of the Social Contract. They talk of how and why society originated and about the relationship between government and the people. To make one general defining statement the best seems to be; we gain civil rights, not to be confused with natural rights, in return for accepting the obligation to respect and defend the rights of others.

So, it sounds like we owe something and we expect something—sounds like the description of a community in which it is reasonable to expect a fair share. Why not, the reason people pulled together originally was for security and prosperity.

Let’s talk about this!