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It is much easier to modify our capital flows than it is to upgrade complex systems and bureaucracies. If we get the money right many other systems will improve: people will be stronger, healthier, better educated, mentally healthier, and more entrepreneurial and creative.
I could say “we will educate and retrain all Americans for the jobs of the future.” Or I could say “we will put $1,000 a month into the hands of all Americans.” The latter is much easier to do in real life than the former. And the latter would help more in most cases.
The efficacy level of federally funded retraining programs for manufacturing workers was approximately 0-15%. Almost half of the workers left the workforce. If retraining is the answer we would need to be much better at it. It’s not a realistic answer for most.
Similar logic applies to many of our other systems. 70-75% of kids’ academic performance is determined by out-of-school factors: parental time, income, neighborhood, etc. Putting resources into families’ hands would improve kids’ abilities to learn.
I’m for investing in a national mental health initiative. But simply putting $1,000 a month into people’s hands would help our collective stress and mental health more than anything else we could do.
Also helps with enabling women to improve their situations and avoid abuse or harassment, communities of color accessing better opportunities and many other social issues.
