Message to Kristen

Kristen Gendron , the questions in your recent LinkedIn post are straightforward (How do we fix civil society?). However, addressing them within the current context of civil society in the United States presents some complexities.

For example,

·????? The voice of the average US voter has been substantially diminished by recent Supreme Courts decisions, including Citizens United v Federal Election Commission, which allows wealthy individuals, private corporations and unions to make unlimited political donations, and Trump v United States, which entitles the President to absolute immunity from criminal prosecution. Corporate profits, not society’s welfare, now dominate government policy.

·????? Republicans and Christian evangelicals, traditionally strong supporters of judicial independence, fair trade, and cultural and faith-based norms, overwhelming elected a convicted sex offender, fair election denier, and convicted business fraudster to become that President. Ethics and “Christian values”, no longer apply in civil society.

·????? According to Forbes, the US is home to the most billionaires (813), twice as many as China in second place with 406. Despite its wealth and self-proclaimed exceptionalism, the US ranks 10th overall on the OECD’s 2022 Better Life Index, 33rd out of 38 on life expectancy, and last on maternal and infant mortality. Americans have been sold a lie while being pitted against each other on the basis of race, gender, religion and income.

·????? Democratic and Republican administrations over recent decades have failed to significantly change the US’s OECD rankings. Trump is right in one respect; the average citizen is not benefitting from America’s wealth by the actions of either party.

So, what can business and community leaders do to improve American civil society? Clearly, sacrificing 5% of their time and money isn’t going to cut it.

I have two suggestions. First, you and your cousin Mackenzie should join forces to encourage businesses to build a social license to operate. Second, join a local Georgist association and promote the tax reforms of Henry George.?

A social licence to operate (SLO) is an area of growing interest in organisations overseas. As opposed to a primarily profit driven motive, SLO refers to an organisation’s ability to gain acceptance and approval from its stakeholders, including local communities, employees, customers, governments and the wider public. SOL is informal and based on trust, legitimacy and social acceptance. Essentially, companies benefit from the schools, health care, roads, bridges, housing, workforce and other social and economic infrastructure provided by the society they operate in. They should pay it forward as good corporate citizens.

The concept of SLO arose in the natural resources and extractive industries in Canada and Australia. It is not coincidental that counties with high levels of SLO also score highest on the OECD Better Life Index, including Nordic countries, Canada and some EU countries. You know, the counties Trump intends to punish for being such good neighbours.

A second suggestion is to promote reform of the tax system so that America’s enormous wealth is more equitably distributed. After all, Elon Musk arrived in the US with a backpack and became the richest man on earth because of the social, economic and political environment he found here. Perversely, he is now in the process of destroying that environment rather than working to improve it. Go figure.

Henry George, an early American economist and social reformer, led a tax reform movement in the late 1800s and early 1900s. He had a huge influence here in Australian society and on its land tax system. Georgists believe that individuals should own what they create, but that a country’s land and natural resources are common assets and should be taxed so that all society benefits. It is based on the idea that land value is created by the wider community rather than by individual effort.

George’s book, Progress and Poverty (1879), argued that economic inequality and poverty arise from land monopolisation, and that a single tax on land value could replace all other forms of taxation and lead to a more prosperous and just society. ?Privatize the Methods, Publicize the Profits, an award winning essay by Jamal Thomas, puts a contemporary spin on Georgists thinking. Give it a read.

Progress in either of these areas won’t come easily or soon, particularly given the destructive forces and ideas of the current US administration. You may in fact end up rebuilding civil society from the ground up. These will be great tools to start with in that event.

Good luck!

Uncle Joe