I’m worried about the state of the U.S. The country seems to be in worse shape than it has ever been in my lifetime, and many people are suffering as a result. Still, I am confident that we will eventually recover from our current condition. But what will it take to get us back on the right track? I’ve been thinking about this a lot.

In this blog post, I offer a list of what I consider the most important areas where corrections are needed. This is not a partisan list: I’m eager to vote for politicians of any party who are willing to address these issues.

We desperately need our country to become a place where all citizens, regardless of their beliefs and opinions, support each other and treat each other fairly and with respect, and where our government works to serve us and to earn our support.

Here are some of the important steps I think we need to take.  In the comments box, please let me know what you think should be added to (or removed from) this list.

  1. Jobs and the economy: We need to build the US economy, and not just for college grads. We need a strong middle class. We also need to acknowledge that AI and robotics will change the economy dramatically. Let’s talk about ways to make that transition without destroying whole segments of our society.
    Everyone should have a shot at getting rich, but we also need to find ways to eliminate poverty, including support for childcare for working parents. If you do get rich, you need to give back. Billionaires and wealthy corporations need to pay their share of taxes. And the rich should not run the government. There must be strict limits on contributions to candidates and elected officials.
  2. Education: Everyone needs an equal chance at a good education. And this is also what our country really needs: our kids are falling behind those in every other advanced country. Vouchers won’t fix this. If there is technology that can help, let’s use it. Preschool has been shown to be an important part of our educational process, and it needs to be widely available and free.
  3. Immigration: We need a fair immigration policy. Our country is a nation of immigrants, and our economy depends on immigrants. Immigration policy must be generous but controlled, and it must be fair to those who play by the rules.
  4. Healthcare: Basic healthcare should be a right for everyone. Medicaid is vital to many of the most vulnerable in this country, and it needs to be supported, not attacked. Medicare, too, must be defended.
    There is a severe labor shortage in healthcare, and our demographics suggest it will only get worse. We need to apply technology, including AI and robotics, where it can help; and we need to focus on developing cures, especially for the diseases of aging. And we urgently need programs in place to deal with the next pandemic.
  5. The environment: We are in a climate crisis. Advanced nations, especially the US and China, are responsible for a majority of the damage to our atmosphere, and we need to clean it up as quickly as possible if the world is to be livable for future generations. Our water resources, too, are being severely damaged, and that must change.
  6. Housing: Our lack of housing is the source of many problems. Housing from factory-built components is one potential cure, but only if obstacles are removed: outdated zoning restrictions, NIMBYism, and opposition by incumbent industries. Care must be taken to provide a future for those whose jobs would be imperiled by changes in building technology.
  7. The world: Like it or not, the world is interconnected. The health and well-being of the world’s people will impact our health and well-being. We don’t need to save the world single-handedly, but we need to work with other nations and do our part.
    One of the greatest threats to humanity is the threat of nuclear war. We need a government that will work to prevent it.
  8. Reform of government and restoration of voting rights: The constitution gives the Congress budgetary control and the power to make laws, and these powers need to be restored Congress. The rule of law and the protection of individual rights are under attack. This must be reversed.  
    Our country has ended up with system of voting that does not serve its people. Let’s look at the experiments in voting reform that various cities and states have undertaken and promote the ones that have the best outcomes. And let’s remove the restrictions that have been put in place to prevent universal voting.  

Finally, we need to speak to feelings of alienation and loneliness that have spread across our country, and how a new version of politics might reverse that. We must speak to the need for hope and for faith. We all share most of the same basic moral values, and let’s celebrate them. At the same time, we need to be clear that there is no single religion that has all the answers, and that religion is a private issue in which the state has no role.