The World We Want Special Issue: In Depth
- A Vision for the Economy
- Share
A Vision for the Economy
< 1 MIN READ
Feb 19, 2020
By 2030, we can achieve a significant reorganization of the U.S. economy, from one that serves only the wealthy to one rooted in principles of equality and fairness.
One thing is certain: the super-wealthy cannot keep avoiding paying their fair share of taxes. A wealth tax helps kick-start the transformation, but a more progressive tax code overall becomes the basis for ongoing support of a new human-centered economy.
That new economy begins with paying a living wage to everyone—part of an anti-poverty program that also ensures jobs for those who can work, and a guaranteed income for those who can’t. The social support network also establishes universal health care, paid family leave and child care, free education in public college or trade schools, and affordable housing for everyone. These robust social services are supported by a network of public banks, modeled on the century-old Bank of North Dakota (see accompanying story), reinvesting local tax dollars in their own communities.
This is only the beginning of a just economy, but these first steps will bring us closer to the world we want, where we’ve curbed the power of Wall Street, paid reparations to the victims of slavery and genocide, and reside in a United States that lives up to its founding principles.
Reprints and reposts: YES! Magazine encourages you to make free use of this article by taking these easy steps.