Capitalism, Socialism, Synergism and Protectionism

Dear President Obama:

California is laying off teachers. Kansas City is going to lay off teachers. The Jordan School District is proposing to lay off teachers. And these are just the ones I've seen in our local papers.

It appears to me that there has been so much time, effort and political capital spent on Health Care Reform, that another very important issue, education, has, to some extent, been ignored.

The problems with funding Education, Health Care, etc. are grounded in the same issue; protectionism. Protectionism is inherent in both capitalism and socialism.

Capitalists protect themselves with patents, insurance, estate planning laws, copyrights, and corporate structures, which have the mandate to maximize and preserve personal and shareholder wealth.

This mandate slows the movement of capital down the economic food-chain to those who would consume that which is produced.

Socialists protect themselves with legalese, laws, rules, regulations, penalties, protest marches, etc. Those in power exercise protectionism as a function of their own special interests. This power is often grounded in capitalism, rather than in the best interests of the community.

Both capitalism and socialism are based on self-interests.

Protectionism is at the heart of our economic ills.

If we are really going to resolve the Education and Health Care issues, it is incumbent upon us to synergize. Synergy means to maximize our potential by working together.

Capitalism and socialism thrive on fear, self-interests and competition.

Competition allows us to measure our performance.

Fear changes behavior.

Self-interest is a powerful human motivator.

Synergy means that we can produce more together than we can alone. Synergy is a spirit of teamwork. It means that we maximize our potential in a spirit of community.

We live in a telestial world, ruled by entropy. In other words, things wear out. It takes work and energy to make this world a better place. Abraham Lincoln understood this as well as anyone. His mandate was Education, Hard Work and Synergy.

Synergy, instead of pure capitalism and socialism, could resolve our economic problems that are now exacerbated by protectionism.