Navigating the Tides of Change: Societal Shifts, and the Emergence of Universal Basic Income
Residing across the pond in Europe, amidst a different and more nurturing culture, it’s essential to recognize that upbringing has historically played a pivotal role in societal divisions. Children, from a young age, necessitate thoughtful nurturing to excel both in school and later in life. Parents, acting as key stimulators, are instrumental in the intellectual challenge of their children, fostering their latent potential.
Regrettably, schools often overlook the underprivileged, those with limited English proficiency, and individuals from diverse cultures. The more gifted are often cherry-picked for special programs, leaving children from diverse backgrounds as collateral damage, their talents overlooked.
Education is not a one-size-fits-all endeavour, and disparities persist within the education system. However, no child should be hindered from pursuing their talents and passions. These discrepancies begin early in life, as evidenced by a child raised by educated parents hearing up to 3000 words a day, compared to around 800 words for a child from a single-parent household. With the U.S. boasting the highest percentage of single parents globally at 25%, this trend is hardly a positive development.
Children in such circumstances often grow up in a culture that fosters dependency on handouts and susceptibility to criminal activities, a consequence of society’s failure to compensate for the shortcomings of fragmented families. The U.S. faces the lowest workforce participation percentage among OECD countries, even ranking below Italy. Statistics indicate that 15% of men aged 25-55 have never worked a day in their lives, highlighting that education and opportunity inequality are more significant issues than wealth inequality.
The Medicare and Social Security entitlement explosion is met with reluctance in progressive circles to address it seriously through austerity measures. Despite entitlements skyrocketing from 1960 to 2010, normalization of benefits in society remains a significant problem. The real issue lies in labour participation, lower in the U.S. than in Europe, as Senator Moynihan once remarked, ‘The issue of welfare is not what it costs but what it costs those who are receiving it.’
These challenges coincide with the undeniable presence of Trumpism, with “America First” as its leitmotif, leading to increased polarization in a constantly evolving world that places different groups on a collision course based on mutual distrust.
Since the 1960s, influenced by technological and industrial changes, divisions, injustices, paralysis, and inequality have continued to grow. A significant portion of the population has been left behind or simply refuses to adapt to modern organized society, resulting in an impossible daily struggle—a symptom of a divided country that, in the words of Abraham Lincoln, ‘dies by suicide.’ Economic inequality is eroding America, pushing the activist population into four ideological camps, paralyzing the nation with dubious theories of blame and redemption.
The current political climate stems from discomfort during the Vietnam and Watergate years and the polarizing climate created by Pat Buchanan and House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Gingrich, who led the failed impeachment of President Clinton, was supported by the dominant tea party. After President Bush, tensions reached a destructive level under President Obama, resulting in a completely dysfunctional Congress. This paved the way for the incompetent authoritarian bigot Donald J Trump, marked by xenophobia, racism, nationalism, and isolationism.
Pat Buchanan’s warning signs of populist insurgency emerged in 1991, using the phrase ‘America first.’ Blaming free-market economics and globalism for the demise of the industrial American heartland, Buchanan’s populist nationalism laid the groundwork for Trump’s presidency. The slogans of ‘America First’ and ‘MAGA’ (Make America Great Again) and rejection of the liberal order echo the 1930s when fascists claimed liberal democracy was over.
‘America First’ has deepened divisions within American society, obstructing solutions for global problems like climate change, inequality, and the global flow of resources. International cooperation, open dialogue, and a shared commitment to addressing common challenges are essential. ‘America First,’ an isolationist approach, may offer short-term solutions but often hinders long-term progress.
The U.S. is a large and diverse nation, but problems and differences persist in healthcare, education, welfare, overflowing prisons, gun control, poverty, sustainable development, climate change, foreign policy, world governance, and the budget and deficit are out of control. This has led to a society with an inadequate social safety net, where a large group of people has been left behind, symptomatic of a divided country open to cynicism.
Responsible leaders must address the question of ‘How do we define our civilized society in light of the present divisions and inequality?’ Suggesting, ‘A civilized society takes care of the neediest among its citizens.’
In his 1962 book ‘Travels with Charley,’ John Steinbeck described his travels through America and observed how technology had shifted society towards cities. He witnessed protests against integration, revolted by the sickness of racism and its unfounded hatred, asserting, ‘Pain spreads out to all America.’ Steinbeck saw America in the 1960s as directionless and endangered, moving rapidly into an uncertain future marked by huge population shifts, technological and industrial change, and unprecedented environmental destruction.
Today, these divisions will continue to grow due to unstoppable developments in society stimulated by technological and artificial intelligence advancements. Cities are affected by the disappearing middle class, resulting in opportunity and inequality issues, rooted in deeper origins than we wish to accept and requiring a return to a more egalitarian society.
Advancements have created a different society, in a world where 14% of the U.S. population is functionally illiterate. As an example of the failure of the education system, we can look at the city of Detroit, where 47% of the people are functionally illiterate. By comparison, the figure for Vietnam is 6.7%, and for Croatia, it’s 1.7%.
Functional illiteracy relates to the inability of an individual to use reading, writing, and computational skills in everyday life. This includes filling out a job application, reading traffic signs, figuring out an election ballot, reading a newspaper, and understanding a product label. Functional illiteracy also manifests in ‘corrective institutions.’ According to the Department of Justice, ‘The link between academic failure and delinquency, violence, and crime is welded to reading failure.’ Statistics back up this claim: 85% of all juveniles interfacing with the juvenile court system are functionally illiterate, and over 70% of inmates in America’s prisons cannot read above a fourth-grade level.
In the richest country on earth, which accounted for nearly 40 percent of military expenditures by countries around the world in 2022, greater than the next nine largest countries together, 14 percent of Americans—34 million men and women (one out of seven)—cannot do these things. In 2014, CNN estimated that 19% of high school graduates fall into the category of being functionally illiterate, revealing deep-seated issues in the educational system and priorities. Glorified college athletes are among those functionally illiterate.
The overall statistics are unacceptable, and the government and the educational board are responsible for ensuring that children and young people can educate, train, and further educate themselves according to their abilities. Children should be supported in their development to become self-reliant and socially responsible individuals, sustained in their social, cultural, and political integration. The government and the educational board are responsible for schools providing adequate basic education available to all children.
Should we not conclude that the quoted statistics are unacceptable for a free and civilized society, posing a more serious problem than arranging tax cuts? This goes to the core of the question of what we consider a civilized society. However, the problem of illiteracy, in its various forms (illiterates, semi-illiterates, and functional illiterates), is not only a U.S. problem but a worldwide issue. Globally, over one billion people are illiterate, with the most problematic and destructive form being hidden illiteracy—a form concealed from individuals and others.
These people are ignorant of their own ignorance, not fully comprehending received information. They may have studied or wrongly concluded, and their actions are based on what they do not know or do not understand fully.
We live in a world which is increasingly complex, interdependent and constantly evolving, and neither is converging towards a steady state. A world where there’s an increasing divide between the technologically advanced and educated and those who will become dependent on basic income. Education plays a pivotal role in shaping future prosperity and can be a powerful tool for mitigating such divisions. Education is the key to prosperity for future generations, enabling them to navigate the evolving technological landscape and be a powerful tool for mitigating divisions in society.
Addressing the root causes of present educational disparities, such as socio-economic factors and systemic inequalities, is essential for fostering a more united and prosperous community. The challenge lies not only in recognizing the importance of education but also in ensuring that it is accessible to all, regardless of socio-economic backgrounds. It requires concerted efforts at various levels, from policy-making to community engagement, to create a more equitable educational landscape. Considering the growing disparities in inequality, which have persistently increased since the 1970s without improvement, it becomes plausible to argue that a radical shift is inevitable.
The socio-economic landscape is undergoing substantial changes, possibly leading to a paradigm shift. This shift may deviate from the 19th-century liberal principles that overlook the interconnectedness between the environment and the individuals within it.
The trajectory is shifting away from individualistic survival toward a model that promotes competition through cooperation. As part of this paradigm shift, there appears to be little doubt that a new value system must be formulated. In the future, serious consideration may need to be given to the implementation of a universal income.
William J J Houtzager, Aka WJJH-14.01.2024
📌Blog Excerpt
Diatribe: on the impact of upbringing on societal divisions, disparities in education, and the rise of “America First” ideology. Addressing the historical context of divisions, challenges in education, technological advancements and the paradigm shift towards cooperation and equality.
In what kind of world do we wish to live 