Address differences honestly to make America great again

To the editor:

Recently I have been pondering the sharp division in American politics and society and wondered: “What has happened to America?” It seems our politicians and our own people have stopped listening to one another to arrive at compromise; instead, we have exchanged it for polarized disagreement through social media “fake news.” We seem to be content to point out symptoms of stress in society and fail to see the big picture.

I don’t presume to be a prophet of infinite knowledge, but I would like to point out what I believe to be in part what is responsible. There are three changes I believe could make a profound effect on America and truly make America great again. The first place we need to look is within the Federalist Papers, specifically Federalist Paper #10 written by James Madison in 1787. To summarize, this particular document implies America will only survive in balance; otherwise, faction (sharp political dispute) will produce insurrection. Seen any faction lately?

Part of the problem lies in the American tax code. Our tax code is designed basically to provide federal incentives to four pillars of business:

1. Mergers and acquisitions

2. Innovation

3. Automation

4. Maintenance and renovation

These incentives are acceptable and fine for business, but the problem is “where is the balance?” The fifth component and the first change should incentivize wages and benefits for EVERY full-time U.S. citizen employed. The action would create balance and a common cause between business and the common American. There are those who would argue that this would trigger widespread wage inflation. This, I believe, would be controlled the same it has been for the last 40 years. The second change would come about through legal immigration. Wages and benefits have been suppressed by illegal immigration and automation for the last 40 years; however, making employment for the U.S. citizens a substantial tax deduction would considerably diminish their influence. This will allow legal immigration to be determined by inflationary metrics. In addition, this would also increase the standard of living making immigration more attractive to foreign citizens. Immigration has always been a lynch pin to the greatness of America, and if America is the lead in years to come, its culture must attract not only the desperate and the destitute, but also the best and the brightest. As America controls wage inflation through immigration, it will begin to grow in population. This will engage the third component. America will shift from a supply side economy to a demand side economy making foreign competition less constrictive to wage growth.

To sum up, I believe faction and failure to see the “big picture” is our greatest danger. If we close our borders and stand alone in our arrogance, I believe we will follow the path of Spain and become less significant on the world stage, but if we address our differences honestly, America will truly have greatness in its future.

James L. Allen Jr., Brazil