Only the things that make or break us...

I don't know about you, but these are exciting times. A new year, a big election, lots of changes in the horizon. Exciting, indeed.

This is hopefully the starting point of a conversation, at least, that's the goal. This isn't a debate about which political candidate is better because this isn't a partisan blog. This is a place for political thought, because the policies and positions in this country affects all M.A.Y.A.'s. In the spirit of full disclosure, I am a registered Independent, but was Republican when I first voted at age 18. Now, I'm looking for the best candidate that can bring about the change (there's that word again!) in this country.

I want to know what people think are the issues that greatly affected M.A.Y.A.s. Remember, M.A.Y.A. is Middle Aged Young Adults, so college-age and up. Here are some ideas, let's see if we can add to it.

1. The Economy. In the past debate, John Edwards mentioned a study that suggested that 20 to 30 million jobs will be lost. In mentioning that study, Edwards stated that those who stand to lose the most will be college graduates. I didn't see that particular study online (does anyone know what it is? Send me the link and I'll hook it up), but if that's true, that is huge. It directly conflicts with the perpetual narrative that college and post-graduate education is the remedy for lost jobs, in the manufacturing sector and otherwise. If specialty work is thinning, it does force professional works to take up jobs where they do exist in large amounts. In the case of today's economy, that's service and retail. But, many jobs don't provide a living wage and benefits, so it's either multiple jobs or other supplemental work.
It seems like society is in transition and the economic component is rapidly changing. Questions of the role of digital in the changing economy, the morphing of manufacture and the rejection of corporate America. Most of the rhetoric aims toward restore industrial jobs, because of the previous generations. However, with our generation, what does the job field look like? What is the role of government in encouraging change? And what about this abolishing of the income tax?

2. Health care. It's my opinion that health care is the leading domestic issue in America. It's agreed that something is very, very wrong when costs are $2 trillion, yet, almost 200 million Americans were not insured at some point in the past two years. The two political parties are offering two very different philosophies on the role of government in health care. Fundamentally, is health care a basic right that the government must provide Americans under the Preamble where the government is to promote the "common welfare and secure ourselves and our Posterity?" Is health care a commodity that is accessible only to those to access the market? Someone in between?

3. The War. Iraq is the result of a way of thinking. What is the role of America in the world? If the world is our neighbor, how do we treat our neighbors? More so, is it the role of government to attack and declare war on religious groups, knowing that religious extremism is only defeated by moderates of the same religion?

4. Social justice. At the root of most of society's ills is a lack of commitment to justice. What does justice look like today? How do we address systemic poverty? Discrimination? Hate? Is social justice the duty of government or the individual? Both? Neither?

5. The Environment. Put simply, the Earth doesn't need humans, but humans need the Earth. I feel that climate change is the symptom of the greater problem, which is waste. Waste in the sense that we use what we do not need, as we have taken excess as a barometer of success, not illness. With overpopulation and nations taking on their own industrial revolution in the same wasteful manner that the U.S. developed, we got more problems coming. What do we do?

Those are four that stick out for me. What else is important? Are none of these things important? As we move to our own adulthood, what is the road toward responsibility and growth? What's the road toward something else entirely?

Let's talk.