It’s a beautiful Sunday morning, but cold, in northeast Kentucky. If you just look out the window, it looks like June. If you walk out the door, it’s January. At least it is a sunny winter day!
I heard a news clip first thing this morning – a debate about democracy and the state of our democracy in the U.S. Since my field is finance (though my interests range far and wide), the news clip made me ponder our form of government, which is democracy, and think about it in relation to our economic system, which is capitalism. Since many or most Americans believe firmly in an economic system of capitalism, how can we also believe in a dictatorship where businesses are owned by the government and workers are only paid a wage? I see a contradiction there.
Some fear that the U.S. is moving toward the theocracy form of government where the laws of the state are based on the laws of whatever the dominant religion is in the country and the leader is seen as some sort of religious deity. Although there may be less room for corruption in a theocracy since governmental activities are confined to a few, most theocracies are unstable. Although there are theocracies that have a fairly successful capitalistic economic system, Israel being an example, there is not as much economic growth or personal freedom as in a democracy. Again, I see a contradiction.
Then, we have the monarchy form of government, but I’m not even going there today!
Americans, or most Americans, believe in a capitalist form of economic system. They denounce socialism since they don’t want the government to own the means of production or the companies that drive economic growth, development and stability.
We have a lot to think about and consider in this most important election year of 2024. We have two candidates running for the highest office in the land with very different perspectives. What are your thoughts? Comments?
The Write Scribe 