Humane democracy will die with a thousand cuts as we further monetize survival

Our economic system is like a snake that must eat itself to survive as long as possible until it ultimately consumes itself. It's deeper than the end of a humane democracy. It's catastrophic death.

This morning as I prepared for the program, I replayed the mini-documentary titled “Legalize Democracy,” which reinforced why many of us or incessant in promoting the truthful narrative that our economic system, by design and visible outcomes, is a threat to the humane survival of most. I was an executive producer along with Pamela Brown, Daniel Lee, and Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap. Dennis Trainor Jr. directed and wrote it. I did several interviews in the documentary with activists from all over the country. It is frightening how much has changed from bad to worse.

It is no accident why things continue to deteriorate. It is the monetization of everything. Worse, said monetization slows down progress as it enriches the few and the expense of most of us. Does this sound dire? It should. It is.

My electrical contract for my home expired in August. My electrical bill has subsequently doubled. These companies claim that energy cost increases were to blame. Of course, as I pointed out in several articles, there was never an energy shortage. It was legalized theft by the oil companies.

Many solar panel installers are using these increased electric bills to encourage Americans to put solar panels on their homes under the pretext that it will save them money. If the price of installation and the panels are fair, it should save a lot of money, especially in states like Texas. Our government provides a 26% tax credit for solar panels.

Unfortunately, I have found that most solar panel companies are no different than oil companies. Your price is fungible and bears no resemblance to the actual cost of the panels or installation. There are a few on top who profit immensely at your expense.

The companies first lure you by pointing out that your upfront cost is zero, and then they purport that you will save money even with their inflated cost. Worse, however, is that the salespersons, with me and others I have spoken to, make assumptions about how gullible they think you are.

After expressing my horror of the pilfer, I had one obscene quote for $90,000 that became a $60,000 offer. The salesman said the manager decided to cut into his profit. I got another quote for $23,000 for a similar installation from another company. According to them, each of these installations would have saved me about $50/mo over a 20-year life. As an engineer, I only believe in numbers. A back-of-the-napkin analysis made it clear I was only replacing between 55 and 47 percent of my utility electricity use, respectively.

Every rooftop should have electrical panels to store or sell its excess generation. It should be a national policy. The electrical generation capacity would be enormous. Unfortunately, as with all critical resources, when we turn anything required for our survival to market vultures, a few make huge profits, and it prevents the proliferation of, in this case, solar panels that could save the environment, reduce personal costs, and much more.

People die in our healthcare system not because we do not have the resources to save them. They die because the for-profit healthcare system exchanges their life for money. Families are destroyed because we choose to minimize a necessary safety net at the expense of developing children’s lives.

An economic system cannot be fair if the things we must have are profit based. Health care, energy, and beneficial national policy options should not be for-profit. It is inhumane and creates disparities that have little to do with ones worth or meritoriousness.

I believe wholeheartedly in free enterprise with a strong social safety net. Every American should be able to own their own business, compete, and make a fair profit. Those who decide to work for someone else deserve a livable wage. A company that cannot pay a livable wage is not a business but a hobby. But some portions of our economy where our survival is at stake should not be at the whim of a few for-profit companies.

This subject is the topic of discussion today on Politics Done Right on KPFT 90.1 FM Houston today at Noon Central Time (1 PM Eastern/10 AM Pacific/11 AM Mountain). You can listen to it on air at 90.1 FM in the Houston metropolitan area or at politicsdoneright.tv.

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