Are we ready for change? Are we prepared to do what it takes to make the American dream come alive again? It would take some drastic reforms to get those much-needed results. Something’s got to give, and this administration has to go. Today’s guest is Andrew Yang. He’s Asian-American, a 2020 Presidential Candidate, a serial entrepreneur, and a man who actually understands people, numbers, and technology. In other words, the complete opposite of Trump. Laurie and Andrew talk about progressive platforms that will spark the change we need to get us back into shape.
Andrew agrees that work is broken. The times are changing and we need to transform how we think about work to get any real benefit from it. We’re going through the greatest economic and technological transition in human history. The problem, now, is that our government doesn’t understand this shift. They are stuck working with obsolete concepts that will eventually break the economy – and not in a good way.
When change isn’t happening, you’ve got to make change happen yourself. Capitalism has worked effectively for corporations but often crushes human welfare. Capitalism prioritizes efficiency and profits over everything else. How do we fix this? Andrew proposes a new form of capitalism that gets the market to work for us and not against us. He calls it “Human Capitalism,” which focuses on maximizing human well-being and fulfillment. Andrew further explains the tenets of human-centered capitalism.
Laurie and Andrew talk about the “Freedom Dividend.” A proposed policy wherein every American adult gets $1,000 per month – no questions asked. Andrew believes that if we were to remove the existential threat of poverty, people could focus on finding jobs that better fit their skill sets. The Freedom Dividend is actually an old idea, but a similar policy has been effective in Alaska for almost four decades. Andrew talks about the value of revisiting this idea and how it will benefit US citizens.
How do we get Value Added Tax into the dividend equation without people worrying about the deficits? Andrew shares how the present mismanagement must not lead us to believe that we lack the resources to progress. Our economy is on a record high, so the fear is based on the current mess the government is in. By using VAT funds to invest in our citizens, several other issues will start toppling down.
Laurie and Andrew talk about the problems in the work environment. If our economy is doing so well, why can’t we do justice to make our citizens’ quality of life better? We’re not living in the dark ages, and yet, most of the same issues are present. Seriously, how can the world’s richest country be so anti-women, anti-family, and anti-poor? It’s time we take into consideration what’s good for the people versus what makes the most money for companies. After all, since this country’s greatest asset is its people, it should be a no-brainer to invest in making their lives more meaningful.
Andrew Yang
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