What if TV news programs focused on uplifting stories about the good things that are happening in our country instead of on crime, gun violence and political and corporate misbehavior? They would cover those negative things, but what if they didn’t make them the major focus of their news coverage?
What if CEOs were evaluated on their performance based not only on how much money the corporation made but on how they treated workers and customers, how much the corporation contributed (not just monetarily but socially) to the community, and the steps it took to protect the environment? [A proposal made by Ralph Estes in his book The Tyranny of the Bottom Line: Why Corporations Make Good People Do Bad Things]
What if corporations received tax breaks for creating jobs in American and for their efforts to protect the environment and were taxed at a higher rate for moving jobs overseas and for polluting the environment? [A proposal made by Joseph Stiglitz in The Price of Inequality: How Today’s Divided Society Endangers Our Future]
What if more teachers and school administrators, fed up with political leaders ill-conceived educational policies and disrespect for the teaching profession, decided to take this course of action?
What if all of legislators, state and federal, adopted the outlook of Sam Rayburn when he spoke to his caucus after the Republicans won control of the House and Eisenhower was elected President in 1952. "We're in the minority, now, but we're still going to be helpful and constructive. Remember, any jackass can kick over a barn door. It takes a carpenter to build one."
What if our Presidential Election campaigns were limited to 3 months instead of two years? British PM elections last less than two months. The Canadian 2015 election lasted 78 days. Other countries limit their election campaigning as well.
What if TV and radio refused to air political ads that were merely character assassination and would only air ads that addressed what a candidate would do to improve the lives of the people they were hoping to represent?
What if schools focused more effort on preparing students to be informed and involved citizens and future leaders? Wouldn’t that make students not just college and career ready but also better prepared to accept their responsibilities as citizens?
What if, instead of being distracted by hollow slogans like Make America Great Again or America is the Greatest Country in the World, Americans in all walks of life, including politicians, simply and focused on making American better, perhaps using an updated version of FDR’s Economic Bill of Rights as a starting point?
What kind of country would we be living in if these what ifs ceased being what ifs and became realities?