It is time that we begin thinking about a new economic model. Capitalism as designed sucks the resources from the working and middle class and puts it into corporate and elite interests. It does what it does very well. In a democracy, we can choose a better economic model. We can redesign a "populist" capitalist system. One where the resources are owned collectively and together we share in the nations prosperity.

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Maybe it is time we started looking at the overall national budget and redesigned our priorities.

Military spending is the largest item in the United States budget. The military industrial complex and corporate interests have been the beneficiaries of “trickle down” economics and the tax cuts over the last 30 years. It has worked perfectly – like a vacuum cleaner – cleaning out the wallets of the middle class and the national treasury.

It is time we put people first. This is a democracy after all (isn't it)?

As a nation we put military spending, corporate interests, the elite and special interests ahead of the interests of society at large. Instead of waiting for the “rising tide” to lift all boats, we can lift all boats as a matter of policy by paying society first.

Health Care, Education, Job Training, Childcare, long term care, secure retirements for all – the things we all worry about – what if we as a matter of policy - funded these items first?

Financial planners coach individuals starting a savings plan a concept known as “paying yourself first”. It means, quite literally, setting up an automatic savings and long term investment accounts that are the first expenses of the month – saving becomes the first priority. Then, using the left over resources, to determine discretionary spending. It is an indirect way of budgeting.

Maybe it is time on a national level that we “pay society first”. We FIRST take care of the societal needs. Things like infrastructure, education, health care for all, mental health care, drug prevention and rehabilitation, lifetime job training programs, secure retirement through enhanced social security and child and adult care for working people.

First, all the programs that allow us to have a healthy and productive society.

By creating a minimum bottom to our society – one that no one would ever have to worry about falling through – we could create real security for everyone - always.

Instead, we allow our political leaders to choose the route of “fear”. We are so afraid of other nations that we drastically outspend and overspend every other nation on the planet in military spending. More than half our total annual budget on assured destruction.

We allow our leaders to terrorize us by using fairy tale language like the “axis of evil” – to justify the bloated military budget. They manipulate us through the use of fear about countries that are substantially weaker than us. Countries that do not have “one single nuclear weapon” are used to “terrorize” us.

Most Americans have never looked at the national budget and would be shocked to learn that we spend more than half of our total national budget on the Military. Then, in order to continue to justify this over bloated military budget, we allow our politicians to create a “perpetual war”. The “war on terror” has no clear end – no clear enemy – and can be endlessly recreated, redesigned and reinvented.

No WMD’s? That’s ok, we are creating democracy.

No Nuclear plan? Well how about “potential knowledge”. Now we are not just the policeman of the world – we are the thought police.

It’s not the “Iraq” war it is the “terror” war. Used as a power grab by military and oil interests to grab the national resources – the people’s treasury - and used to justify keeping an unbelievable arsenal of power – used for one thing – destruction.

We are continually told that we are the “richest nation” in the world but the people in this nation do not share in that prosperity. Only the “ownership class” does. The rules are stacked against the average Joe.

Shouldn’t we somehow all be “owners” in our society? Create a minimum bottom to our society that we create for one another?

The work and effort of everyone of us collectively is the “the wealth” of the nation. It should be shared by all of us.

The “owners” some that inherit and do no work – get a free ride. Those that are not born into the lucky owner club - are taken advantage of for life. What an interesting system if you stop and think about it.

Those in our society that do the most back breaking work, are trickled down to nothing. Those at the top, bent the political rules and turn on the vacuum. They rob from the poor and the wealth of the nation – to support the owners at the top!

We all benefit in the work of others. Hording the “wealth” of the nation by creating systems that centralize it into the hands of the elite – is immoral. It is unethical. It is unfair. It is today’s capitalism.

But, the rules can always be changed.

What if society became the ownership class? What if we all collectively benefited by the work of the whole? What if there was a democratic form of capitalism that benefited the middle class instead of the top 1%?

Once we define the goal of paying society first finding a better system then the owners take all capitalist system we operate under is possible. Shift the national resources back into everyone's hands and we can all benefit - not just the few at the top. Life could be easier for everyone.

The trickle down economic policies created by the wealthy elite have failed to trickle. Instead, they work like a vacuum cleaner – emptying the pockets of the working class, now the middle class, and now our national resources.

When the great capitalist system collapses – then we will have the opportunity to build a new system. That day might be coming.

We need a more equitable financial system, and we can design one. The current capitalist system needs to be redesigned – into a populist capital system. A democratic system, one where the resources of the nation are owned by the people and they pay a societal dividend. A societal capitalist system.

A system where the national resources are put back into the hands of the nation, not selected corporate interests. One where society instead of individuals become the ownership class. We could create an economic system where instead of the hands of few - collectively all of us in society could own the national fortune. We could create a “society first” form of capitalism. One that creates a minimum floor for everyone and the national resources are not owned by private corporate and elite hands - but instead are shifted back into the public domain and the nation profits and prospers.

A new paradigm – something better – something that works for everyone. We need an economic system that allows more people to share in the economic prosperity, the “wealth” of the Nation. One that truly “lifts all boats” by creating a level of security for all of us, “pay society first!”

Authors Bio:
August Adams is an author and activist with a background in accounting and finance, a CPA and has a Masters Degree in Business Psychology. He is committed to creating a country and world that is fair and just.