Bildsten, William Henry

This blog is a repository of my ideas and thoughts (or at least the ones I wish to share). All comments and questions are welcome.

Reduce Bureaucracy, Increase Fairness

Federal tax revenue is about 17% of our GDP, while spending is at about 25% GDP. If we were to continue that trend, in just 12.5 years, we would reach federal debt of 200% of GDP. That, by any calculation is unsustainable. The problem, however, is not that taxes are too low (rather that they’re too unfair), but that the cost of health care and entitlements (cough, cough, Baby Boomers) is rising so rapidly at a rate that, in time, the government would inevitably default. What our government needs to do is bring spending to the same level as our projected revenue and then increase revenue by 2-3% to start paying down the national debt. As much as one would like to believe that taxing the rich will solve all our deficit problems, the problem is more about unemployment and a bad economy than inequality (according to Time Magazine, $3.6 trillion of our debt is from shortfalls from the Great Recession).

The United States federal tax code is 7 times longer than the Holy Bible. It is ridden with loopholes, written by lobbyists.  In addition to our need to spend what we earn, we need to completely overhaul our tax code. Climate change is one of, if not the, greatest problems facing man kind. Why not take advantage of this unfortunate situation to create a tax code that does not only benefit our economy but our climate as well. We must stop taxing income and start taxing consumption. Essentially, a 25% or so consumption tax would replace income and payroll taxes. Anyone below the federal poverty line would receive federal rebates on consumption taxes paid (similar to the proposed Fair Tax). In addition, essential goods, such as groceries and prescription meds, wouldn’t be taxed. In addition, there would be a flat 15% corporate income tax (without loopholes for medium-sized and large corporations) and carbon, energy, water and other environmental taxes.

America must become fiscally responsible by paying down its debt and by leveling the playing field for taxes. The times are a’changing and so should our budget and tax code.

More Cake for Everyone

America wasn’t born a nation of fancy pants cake eaters; it was born a nation of rugged, perspiring ex-Loyalists who wanted the right say what they want, write what they want, think what they want, and do what they want. People emigrated from Europe to America to avoid political, religious, or economic persecution. They settled, bought property, and lived a plain life. Today, Americans eat cake, but not just cake: cookie dough ice cream cake with pink frosting. We have become accustomed to abundant opportunity and countless public services that we could soon loose our individuality and work ethic. Americans students study much less than those of East Asia but, nevertheless, find a way to support themselves in the future (and by support themselves, I don’t mean they always have an iPhone and a new car, but that we’re not destined to poverty). As proven by recent events (cough, European debt crisis, cough), the Europeans, especially Southern Europeans, are eating much more colorful and fluffy cake than they can afford. We Americans may define a comfortable life very differently than a Vietnamese or Angolan person would, but we cannot deny we have it pretty darn easy.

However, the world is changing, and we’re not going to enjoy being the world’s sole superpower much longer. Since the Great Recession of 2008-2009, economic growth has been stagnant and unemployment is still over 8%. At the same time, China’s and India’s economy grew around 10% in 2010 and, surprisingly, Ghana’s economy grew nearly 14% in 2011. In order or for some to have more, others must have less. So, in order for low-income countries to become middle-income countries, high-income countries will take the hit. The US is actually quite lucky we have any economic growth at all!

Now, for a middle class American whom’s income hasn’t grown for decades, it may seem that world is becoming less equal. But the fact is, the world is becoming a much more equal place. Extreme poverty in the world is rapidly declining. In fact, two Millennium Development Goals to fight extreme poverty by 2015 have already been reached. In order for extreme poverty to end, America and the rest of the first world will have to allow for a less comfortable economy and return to some of the principles of our founding fathers. If we want to sustain a strong economy, our goal should not be to stymie the third world’s economic growth but rather to outperform our first world allies like Japan, the UK, France, and Germany. We can be both the country that promotes a more equal world and the country with a growing economy. Let’s not disregard low-income and middle-income economies; let’s embrace them.

Why Invisible Children Hasn’t Done A Single Thing Wrong

There has been much controversy surrounding the Kony 2012 film. Let me debunk others’ debunking of Invisible Children’s latest and most successful campaign…

1) Many claim Kony 2012 has oversimplified this issue. But according to a founder of IC, the Kony 2012 campaign was designed to appeal to high school students. The video is largely pathos, or emotional rhetoric, with a little ethos and logos. Humans respond to stories better than they do to a list of facts, and if the goal of the video was to win over America’s youth in support of American involvement in defeating the LRA, this video did so as best as it possibly could.

2) Many balk about IC’s finances. 37% of its revenue goes towards programs, 20% goes towards administrative overhead, and 43% goes towards awareness projects. My dad works in the film industry, and let me tell you, making a decent film is NOT cheap. IC mostly makes a difference by raising awareness, so people demand the US government helps defeat the LRA. None of IC’s programs fund the Ugandan military. I guess one could say $80,000 a year is too high a salary for a non-profit, but it honestly isn’t that big of a deal.

3) The biggest controversy, of course, is that IC works with the Uganda government, which has abused human rights (for e.g. it murders all homosexuals). Most people don’t realize that the Democratic Republic of Congo is in chaos, the Central African Republic has no military, and South Sudan is the world’s newest nation and has not yet developed a military. Uganda is the ONLY force in the region that the US government can advise to. An alternative option would be for us to send combat troops. Oh wait, no one would support that. I guess we’re stuck with Uganda.

4) Many argue that it isn’t the US’s business to fight the LRA because it is of no national interest to us. It won’t get us oil or fight terrorism, but it will win over the people of Central Africa, which a good thing, considering China’s been doing that most of the time lately.

5) I agree with many that it is unfortunate it took this long for Americans to become of aware of this issue that began in the late 80s. But it isn’t IC’s fault that the issue hasn’t caught on. They were extremely lucky it did this time, and they would’ve done so before if they could’ve.

Everyone, please STOP ripping on IC. Because of IC, Kony and other LRA officials will be brought to justice and the LRA will be dismantled.