A perspective on how to find democratic and humane solutions to existential challenges.

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Life is full of challenges, and in order to survive we must find solutions. The alternative is to be defeated by the challenges. The advantage of living in a democracy is that we have the entire range of voices to draw from to find the most workable solutions.

The other option is to abdicate our responsibility as citizens and as human beings and to blindly follow a leader. There is a time when national leadership is required, but we should expect that leadership to be based on valid information and not just on personal whim.

The goal should be to devise a plan to deal with the challenge effectively and equitably. So, the solutions need to be:

· Practical

· Logical

· Equitable

· Just

· Inclusive

· Effective

· Workable

· Timely

Our current challenge is the threat to human life on this planet from a pandemic and and from climate changes in progress due to global warming. The goal is to find a logical and sustainable solution to these existential problems. This reality is not something we can negotiate with. There is no bargain we can make that will change this reality. This is where we must start. We must also realize that these are threats to human survival. That means we as humans are all on the same side when looking for solutions that will work.

That also means that the priority is to take care of the basic health needs of the populace, starting from the bottom up. Those workers whom we classify as essential must receive priority to assure not only their health and safety but also their economic and social survival. They need protective equipment and testing as well as unlimited and free health care. They need economic security providing for food, shelter and all other economic necessities.

Next is the groups most vulnerable, since without their health the entire society remains at risk. These include immigrants, indigenous populations, the poor, the black and brown communities. We must provide whatever resources are deemed necessary for them to not only survive, but also recover and thrive.

We can then move on to begin to add the important, but not necessarily essential jobs protecting them with testing as well as health and economic security, and so on up the ladder of recovery.

We can no longer allow those who control the wealth to tell us what they think is "affordable" which often translates into how their bank accounts and profits grow and how well Wall Street is doing. In a democracy taking care of the citizens is a priority we cannot afford to ignore.

Now is the time to use the accumulated wealth of Wall Street to finance the recovery of the society rather than sacrificing the lives of over 175,000 citizens to artificially prop up Wall Street, the Dow Jones and the obscene accumulation of wealth by a small economic elite.

As the recovery of health progresses then we can begin to devise a new economy to reflect how human beings must live in this new reality. We must use our creativity to find new solutions since we cannot simply contort the new realities to make them conform to the old, outmoded and no longer workable patterns.

The solutions will be measured by the levels of the health and welfare of the general citizenry and not some abstract economic measures.

Until we can find national leadership that cares about actual human solutions and the survival of democracy, we need to work from the bottom up, on the city, on the county and on the state and regional level, and that all takes individual focus.

Our energy needs to be laser focused on supporting real solutions and actions to deal with the problems and then moving on to elect leadership who will insist on a national strategy and programs to begin to deal with the problems in humane and democratic ways.

This is not the time for name-calling, demonizing, indulging in political theatre, anger, frustration or even arguing with those who are simply obstructionist. It is time to form coalitions-of-the-willing to move forward with effective alternatives. We need to simply do what is humanly necessary to resolve these problems in democratic ways.

We must practice patience, cooperation, inclusiveness and social justice in finding workable solutions and restoring democracy.

The fate of the human race is in our hands.

Authors Website: http://substack.com/@bobpassi

Authors Bio:

I have been a lifelong observer of American democracy and a passionate advocate for civic engagement and social responsibility. Born at the start of World War II, I grew up witnessing the high points of the New Deal, the promise of postwar democracy, and the slow erosion of those ideals in the decades since. I am a retired educator, consultant, and social commentator, and I am able to bring decades of reflection and historical perspective to my work.
My new book is Saving Democracy: From the Warnings of 2016 to the Urgency of 2025, an updated and expanded edition of his original 2016 book that examines how the United States arrived at its current political crossroads-- and how citizen action can help reclaim the democratic promise.
I writes regularly at www.perspectives-bobpassi.org and on Substack at bobpassi.substack.com, where I write about democracy, personal empowerment, and the deeper cultural narratives shaping our time.