Let’s heed the wise words of a first lady

I believe that America is a grand and noble experiment. Can a big democratic country … containing all cultures, races, and religions … striving for liberty and justice for all … survive and progress toward a more perfect union? No other big country comes close.

Naturally, it’s been a struggle since the start, but this experiment has continued during 244 years of growth and constant change.

In 1770 the idea of “the people” voting was denounced as mob anarchy. Until 1870 we were overwhelmingly a nation of farmers and small entrepreneurs. Then our entire country was transformed by the growth of giant corporations. These new “monopoly trusts” created enormous wealth for a few, but needed constant regulating by government to keep them from poisoning our environment and killing workers.

It’s still a struggle. In 1980, the average pay ratio between CEOs and workers was $40 to $1. Today, it’s $400 to $1. This was accomplished in only 40 years by massive corporate campaign funding and small, complex changes in our tax laws. Smart, young graduates were recruited to “deregulate” corporations … all at the expense of the middle class.

Since 1990, our entire society has been changed again by the Internet. Lies travel faster than the truth. We’re targeted with “emotional trigger” propaganda and bombarded by “demonization” tactics to divide and conquer.

But solutions are out there! Our states are laboratories and smaller countries have tested good policies.

Eleanor Roosevelt said:

“Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.”

— Dan Raner, Forest Ranch