Chasing an Ideal: The Pursuit of Happiness
9/10/20
I’m hard pressed to think of a more eloquent statement than the first paragraph of the Declaration of Independence: “…We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” How is text that is so foundational and so revered also so disregarded? I’m speaking, specifically about the pursuit of happiness.
They say that money doesn’t buy happiness, and I’m prepared to believe that; but without having basic needs satisfied, people simply don’t have luxury of even considering pursuing happiness. If we were to honor what the Declaration of Independence says, we should be looking to the government to assure that all Americans have the financial wherewithal to meet their basic needs — food, shelter, and access to healthcare.
The Democratic party is a giant step ahead of the Republican’s with respect to healthcare considerations. In that realm, it’s a foregone conclusion that after the coming election, a Democratic majority would expand healthcare coverage. On the other hand, if the past is any guide, four more years under Trump would likely lead to exactly the opposite outcome — fewer people covered with healthcare insurance. All utterances to the contrary by Trump and the Republicans, the multiple efforts to dismantle Obamacare over these past eleven years since its enactment without articulating any plans for a replacement policy speaks volumes about Republican predilections.
With respect to food and shelter issues, the Democrats also have the advantage, although not as large a one as I would have hoped. Democrats are ready to be more generous with Covid-related aid, but those measures are likely to be short-term. The underlying needs of those who remain financially secure even after the effects of the pandemic start to fade appear likely to be ignored — as they largely were before the pandemic.
Neither party truly takes the words of the Declaration of Independence literally. If either did, they would be advocating putting money in the hands of those who are most financially insecure, not just temporarily, but as an ongoing practice. I’m particularly disappointed by the fact that the concept of a universal income, which had been part of the discourse during the democratic primary thanks to @AndrewYang, has largely fallen by the wayside. I guess Joe Biden isn’t quite the socialist that the other side might have you believe. Too bad. In my opinion, universal basic income would be a game changer; and in the absence of this policy, long after the effects of the Coronavirus become memories our most disadvantaged compatriots will continue to face significant roadblocks preventing them from moving to more comfortable economic circumstances.
For some (many?), resistance to a universal income program stems from the presumption that those at the bottom of our economic ladder deserve their lot. Given that we live in America, the land of opportunity, our poor are largely victims of their own making. All they need to do is to apply themselves and take responsibility for improving their circumstances. Beyond that, I expect a larger population see a universal income program as taking away from “us” to give to “them.”
Reacting to the first of these viewpoints seems almost pointless to me. Anyone holding those views today seems beyond redemption. Failure to recognize the systemic disadvantages that trap large numbers of our fellow Americans in poverty seems to me to be an exercise of willful ignorance. On the second point, however, I believe a counter argument is compelling: Providing a universal income will serve as a boon to consumer spending, which represents almost 70 percent of economic activity in the US.
This proposition was well stated in an article in today’s NY Times by @Patricia Cohen, “Debate Lingers on $600 Benefit: Has It Crippled Hiring Efforts?” Buried in that article is a quote by a businessman, Bruce Zoldan, from Youngstown, Ohio. He acknowledged that with the pandemic, his firm was having to pay higher wages to attract workers; but he credited the $600 per week unemployment supplements as being responsible for record sales because “it put money into customers’ hands.” That’s exactly what universal income would do. Implementing universal basic income doesn’t just help “them.” It helps all of us.
Those who live with severe financial insecurity need a helping hand — one that gives them a fighting chance to pursue their hopes and dreams… their happiness. It’s what the Declaration of Independence says these people are entitled to; and it’s good for America, at large. Universal basic income deserves more than reconsideration. It deserves action.
