reNew America

with a New Economy retooled for a New Century

The institutions of our grandfathers which brought us through the carnage and upheaval of the past two centuries are proving ill-suited for this one.

Despite a culture of self-pitying doom-and-gloomism, in which corrupt corporate puppets cry crocodile tears over an America in decline, an America who has to tighten her belt and can not make basic investments in her children’s education, environmental safety, or even basic services like weekly garbage collection — despite this centrist story of austerity, our country still has a lot going for it.

While the whiny “empire-in-decline” narrative may prove to be a self-fulfilling prophecy, the truth as it stands today tells a very different story:

• As of today, America has the world’s largest economy, with 5% of the world’s population consuming 30% of the world’s resources
• As of today, America has the largest military force on the planet, larger by budget than the rest of the world’s countries combined, with a thousand military bases, nuclear subs, aircraft carriers, satellites, and drones

In sheer dollar terms, America is wealthier than she has ever been, with much of that wealth poorly invested in shaky derivatives seeking ever higher returns.

If a fraction of this wealth was moved into investments for infrastructure upgrades and renewable energy transition, it would accelerate job growth, increase consumption, and jump start the economy (perhaps generating a new speculative bubble, but this time actually investing in the future). In fact, some analysts estimate that for the same cost of the ten year war in Iraq, the US could have invested in renewable energy production and now be getting 80% of its power from solar and wind, while being completely independent of Mid East oil.

The full cost of the Iraq war is equal to only about 3% of yearly global GDP — if this amount is invested in efficiency upgrades, new energy infrastructure, women’s health, education, parks and playgrounds, we could create the conditions for a stable climate and thrivable planet for generations to come.

While this number represents about 12.5% of US GDP in 2012, we already spent this amount on a needless war. Surely we can afford to spend the same amount on the necessary investments to ensure our children’s well-being, and grandchildren’s future.

America still is a mighty nation of fierce and determined pioneers, immigrants, entrepreneurs, and visionaries. We have more wealth, technological prowess, and collective genius than prior generations, and just as our ancestors rose up and sacrificed, standing tall through the challenges of their times, so that we might enjoy peace and prosperity in ours, so must we rise to the hour and as America moves, so moves the world.

We have an obligation and an opportunity to move our country onto the path of job growth and transition to a new economy that is equitable and sustainable. This will mean pulling together and generating the political will to do what is right and necessary to safe guard our children’s rightful inheritance of a bountiful and vibrant planet awaiting their discovery.