World Views

We need to stop repeating old, costly, and deadly mistakes.  Will we ever learn? To borrow a line from America’s baseball-player philosopher, Yogi Berra, it’s déjà vu all over again. America has once again done it wrong (on the whole), with tragic consequences.  There are models in other countries for how to do it right. 

“Recovery” will not be enough; the status quo was not working for many of us.  We must turn in a new direction, with changed values, new policies, and revitalized institutions.  Or else. There must be a basic consensus about the duties and obligations that we have toward one another.  Such a consensus no longer exists in this country, and it is a very dangerous situation.  We must create a new political consensus around a set of shared values, with a social contract that aims to achieve fairness and a fair society.  Among other things, this must include a universal basic needs guarantee.