The News York Times

Op Ed Submission

To: The Editor

There is an increased discussion about inequality, capitalism, the minimum wage and a host of other topics bearing on the manner in which we measure the well-being of people in our society. Two aspects of our method of measuring that poison the well are our penchant for labeling and placing the value of money as the foremost measure of well-being. The discussion of the minimum wage is a prime example of confusing the amount of income with the quality of life. Providing low-income people with a minimum wage of $15 dollars sometime in the future is not going to change their quality of life. They will still be poor and many of life’s quality determinants will still be beyond their reach.

Although income is an important factor, it is not the only or most important determinant providing one’s well-being. Those areas of life that account for human need, such as medical care, education, transportation, public utilities and numerous other areas, should be provided by the government and paid for by a truly progressive tax structure. Those areas that provide consumer goods, such as automobiles and other consumer products should be provided by the private sector.

Labeling in our society causes a confusion and misunderstanding of the existing economic structures extant in the industrial world of today. Some people will refer to European countries as socialist and the United States as capitalist. Neither exists in today’s industrial world, but the words carry a significant mythological message. The industrial world embraces the concept of mixed economies, where all or some of the human needs of society are in the hands of government and consumer production is accomplished through the private sector. The problem exits when human needs are controlled by for-profit corporations or when there is too much control over consumer production by government.

It is really time for our leaders in government and industry to embrace more completely the mixed economy model and focus on the quality of life factors in our society. In mixed economies, some important industries are government owned, such as railroads, public utilities, public transportation, health care, and education. Progressive taxation and elaborate welfare systems help achieve equitable distribution of resources. The concept of equality is one of equality of condition. Examples of such economies are found in Germany and the Scandinavian countries. In addition to government benefits, high taxes provide a system where the gap between CEOs and worker’s pay is much less than that of the United States today.

427 words

Harry E. Berndt

150 Parsons Ave.

St. Louis, Mo 63119

Phone; 314-962-1749

Email: hberndt1926@sbcglobal.net