Democrats need DAD
A reimagining of American public education for the 21st century & big idea for the Left
America needs help. Our democratic experiment is going through a dark night of the soul. People have lost their sense of power, hope, and purpose. Diseases of despair like suicide, alcoholism, drug overdose are on the rise. Our seniors are ignored, miserable and dying from purposelessness. Students are hopeless as they enter into the workforce with too much debt and not enough relevant knowledge, sending them into underemployment to pay the bills. And all the while social media scatters our brains and forces us to endlessly compare our lives to others. We lose control of our health, relationships, and finances. Then we spend more money than we should just to cope.
What happened? We can face this world with strength, but we haven’t been prepared for it. It all changed too fast. It’s not the culture our education system designed us for. This world requires more initiative, ownership, and self trust. 20th century education built to make full-time, single-job-for-life factory or desk employees is not useful anymore beyond secondary school. We can assume responsibility for ourselves and local communities, but what can we do as a country?
One solution proposed is a tracking system to bring more students into vocational tech schools earlier on. That’s a good idea, but by itself it sounds like the beginning of a very depressing dystopia where individuals are sorted into categories and left there. We need a big, bold new idea to invigorate us; something tangible we can build toward that will serve as a continuous source of inspiration. We need a way to empower ourselves from the inside out, not from putting up endless walls and squashing others. We need to encourage individuals to explore and discover what makes them come alive. We need to equip individuals with the tools to build their self-esteem. We need people to be local culture creators instead of just national culture consumers. We need an approach to education that acknowledges the infinite options we now see across the world and on the internet
What we need is the Department of the American Dream, aka DAD.
DAD will be responsible for handling the American Dream Allowance.
Here’s how it works. Starting at 18, every American adult will receive a set amount each month, say $250, that they can spend on lessons, courses, coaching, and tutoring. They choose what to learn. They choose who to learn from. Teaching services that want to participate will need to be approved by DAD to make sure no one gets scammed. Think of how the USDA oversees food benefits, but this is a benefit available to all adults for their whole lives.
That’s it. Bring the Dream to Life.
DAD let’s young people experiment and explore their passions without locking them into one track for 4 years and hundreds of thousands of dollars. DAD let’s older people renew themselves and grow throughout their lives. We all get tired of the same old thing. We all dream of change. What are you inspired by this month? Archery, pottery, entrepreneurship, web design, coding, weightlifting, yoga, stained glass, ballet, personal finances, history, skiing, baseball, knitting, supply chain management, meditation? What if one of these unlocks a life-long passion that brings joy and value into your life, community, and local market?
It’s not about dreaming of a different life, it’s about living the best life. We don’t need to turn to substances. We don’t need to quit everything. We need to remind ourselves that we are so much more than our job. We contain multitudes.
DAD and the American Dream Allowance will be funded by reallocating a current amount of public education subsidies as well as an Accession Tax, a dynastic wealth inheritance tax that also limits how much unearned wealth/power an individual can receive from previous generations. Breaking up these concentrations of unearned power is necessary for a thriving and healthy democracy. And it will be reinserted into the economy in a way that promotes inspired action, increases earning potential and quality of life. Talk about REAL Trickle-Down Economics.
You might ask, what about giving people money for necessities or medicine? One: We want to empower people to live their best lives, not just infantilize them and make them dependent on endlessly greedy corporate power. Two: With the hope and purpose from DAD, individuals will have a growing sense of self worth. They’ll take better care of themselves. Their immune systems will improve. They will be empowered to be better stewards of their finances and relationships. We’ll create an upward spiral that will be a net-benefit all around.
So, what does Your American Dream look like?
