RESTORING THE PUBLIC GOOD

Restoring the Public Good: A Call to Reclaim What Was Ours

Since the Reagan era, America has suffered from a slow, calculated erosion of the public good. Under the banner of “small government” and “free markets,” we have privatized what should never have been for sale. Our most essential public services, healthcare, energy, transportation, education, and social welfare, have become profit centers for corporations and hedge funds. In doing so, we have not only weakened our democracy but also betrayed the very idea of a shared society.

The result is the America we see today: fragmented, selfish, overworked, and uncaring. It is a place where greed has replaced community, and the ethic of “every man for himself” has become our cruel new national motto.

It is time to reverse course. It is time to restore the public good.

What Is the Public Good?

The public good refers to society's collective well-being, a shared commitment to the welfare of all citizens. It means having institutions and services that are not for profit but for people: universal healthcare, clean energy, public transportation, fair education, livable wages, clean water, and safety nets for those in need.

These are not luxuries. They are the pillars of a civilized society.

Yet, over the last forty years, the public good has been sacrificed at the altar of privatization. Greed has hollowed out the middle class, stripped rural and urban communities alike, and turned human needs into revenue streams for the wealthy. The free market was never meant to be the final judge of justice, fairness, or care.

What Went Wrong: The Privatization Era

Ronald Reagan famously said, “Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.” With that, a campaign began, not to improve government but to dismantle it, defund it, and sell it off piece by piece to private corporations.

• Healthcare has become a for-profit industry, where illness is profitable and prevention is discouraged.
• Energy was deregulated and handed to monopolies that profit from pollution and price gouging.
• Transportation was underfunded or turned into toll systems, inaccessible to those who needed it most.
• Education was disinvested and replaced by charters and vouchers, draining public school budgets.
• Welfare and relief programs were slashed, rebranded, or offloaded onto churches and nonprofits.

Since then, we’ve learned that the market has no conscience. It chases profit, not justice, and it fails us in matters of human dignity every time.

What Must Be Restored

To rebuild the nation, we must recommit to the public good, expanding it beyond what it was even before Reagan. It’s not enough to reclaim, and we must reinvent the public sphere for the 21st century:

1. Healthcare as a Right, Not a Commodity

No one should go bankrupt because they got sick. A publicly funded, universally accessible healthcare system is not radical; it’s rational. It’s more efficient, humane, and just than the nightmare we now endure.

2. Public Ownership of Energy and Transportation

Energy and transport are lifelines. They should not be subject to the whims of profit-seeking monopolies. Public investment in green energy and reliable, affordable transportation will serve everyone and protect our planet.

3. Universal Education and Lifelong Learning

Education is the bedrock of democracy. Public schools, free college, vocational training, libraries, these aren’t expenses. They’re investments in a functioning society. They must be funded, defended, and elevated.

4. Community Welfare and Human Dignity

Food security, shelter, elder care, mental health, and addiction recovery are public goods, not private ventures. No child should go hungry in the wealthiest nation on Earth. No elder should be left without care.

5. Civic Engagement and Community Control

Democracy doesn’t stop at the ballot box. We must empower local communities to participate in the decisions that shape their lives. Town halls, participatory budgeting, and cooperative ownership are the tools of a renewed republic.

Project 2029: A Blueprint for Restoring the Public Good

Where Project 2025 seeks to dismantle government and privatize everything, Project 2029 seeks to restore democracy by restoring the public good.

It is our declaration that:

• The people come before profit.
• Government exists to serve all, not enrich a few.
• We are stronger together than we are alone.

Project 2029 calls for:

• Public investment in healthcare, education, and housing
• The re-nationalization of critical infrastructure and utilities
• A guaranteed minimum standard of living for all Americans
• Civic institutions that educate, organize, and empower the people

It is a plan to bring back care, compassion, and common sense to our politics.

The Moral Case for the Public Good

We cannot build a just society based on selfishness. We must reject the poisonous lie that freedom means being free from responsibility to others. In truth, freedom only flourishes in the community, with shared commitments, shared burdens, and shared prosperity.

We are not just taxpayers or consumers; we are citizens. The role of a citizen is to look beyond the self. The public good reminds us that we are connected, that our futures are bound together, and that democracy cannot survive without care.

Restoring the public good is not nostalgia, and it is a necessity. It is the only antidote to a nation sick with greed, disconnection, and despair. If we are to save this republic, we must revive its soul. We must invest in one another. We must believe again in the power of people coming together to solve common problems.

William James Spriggs

 

THE NEW DEMOCRACY

Overcoming the Fear of Socialism: Reclaiming a Misunderstood Word

For decades, Americans have been conditioned to recoil at the word socialism as if it were synonymous with tyranny, repression, and failed states. The term has been deliberately demonized and weaponized to instill fear and prevent meaningful reform. But it’s time to set the record straight: socialism is not communism and isn’t the antithesis of democracy. In fact, in many forms, socialism is democracy—extended into the economy, everyday life, and fairness.

Debunking the Myths

The myths are many, and they’re persistent:

• “Socialism means the government will control every aspect of your life.”

• “Socialism kills innovation and rewards laziness.”

• “Socialism is one step away from dictatorship.”

These statements aren’t grounded in fact. They’re rooted in Cold War propaganda and political opportunism. In truth, most developed nations today practice some form of democratic socialism, blending capitalist markets with strong public institutions. Think of universal healthcare in Canada, subsidized higher education in Germany, or nationalized transportation systems in Scandinavia. These aren’t dystopias. They’re functioning democracies with thriving economies and higher living standards than the U.S. in many categories.

Socialism Versus Communism

Let’s clarify: communism, as practiced in authoritarian regimes, abolishes private property and installs a single-party state. That’s not what we’re talking about. American socialism, or, more accurately, democratic socialism, simply seeks to mitigate the cruelty, inequality, and instability produced by unchecked capitalism.

It doesn't abolish private ownership but says that basic human needs, like healthcare, housing, education, and clean air, should not be commodities sold to the highest bidder. It affirms that markets serve people, not the other way around.

Capitalism Needs a Counterbalance

Unbridled capitalism has proven itself incapable of regulating its own worst impulses. Greed becomes a virtue. Corporations buy politicians. Wealth trickles up, not down. Inequality becomes a feature, not a bug.

Socialism, in the American context, simply means restraining capitalism's excesses through public policy. It means ensuring that workers have rights, that the environment is protected, and that billionaires don’t rule over a nation of wage slaves. This is not revolutionary. It’s responsible governance.

Socialism and Democracy Go Hand in Hand

The great irony is that while socialism is often painted as anti-democratic, it strengthens democracy by democratizing more than just the ballot box. It asks:

• Why shouldn’t workers have a say in how their workplace is run?

• Why should a handful of CEOs decide the fate of millions?

• Why do we call it freedom when only the rich can afford to be free?

Real democracy doesn’t end at the voting booth. It lives in the classroom, the hospital, the workplace, and the dinner table.

Building Support Through Education and Grassroots Movements

If socialism is to shed its unfair stigma, we must educate, organize, and reframe:

1. Education: Teach the history of socialist movements that fought for the 40-hour workweek, child labor laws, Social Security, and Medicare. These were socialist ideas before they became mainstream American policy.

2. Grassroots Organizing: Support local cooperatives, community land trusts, and worker-owned businesses. Show socialism in action, neighbors helping neighbors, and communities building sustainable economies from the ground up.

3. Language Matters: Don’t shy away from the word socialism—reclaim it. Define it not as state tyranny but as community empowerment, economic fairness, and moral responsibility.

4. Policy Wins: Highlight successful policies like public libraries, public parks, Social Security, and the Postal Service, which are socialist in principle yet cherished by Americans of all stripes.

The Moral Argument

We must ask ourselves a deeper question: What kind of society do we want to be?
One that allows billionaires to hoard more wealth than entire countries while children sleep in cars? Or one that prioritizes human dignity over profit margins?

Socialism, far from being a threat, offers a path back to balance, empathy, and justice, values that once formed the backbone of this nation.

It’s time to stop letting fear guide our politics. Socialism is not the end of America, it may be its salvation. By reining in capitalism's abuses and restoring power to the people, democratic socialism aligns perfectly with the founding ideals of democracy: liberty, equality, and justice for all.

Don't be afraid of a word. Embrace a future where we care for each other and call it by its name.

William James Spriggs

PROJECT 2029

Project 2029: A Blueprint for Democratic Renewal

As the American experiment has died and has been replaced by authoritarianism, corporate dominance, and theocracy, it is no longer enough to simply resist. We must rebuild. We must envision a new democratic architecture rooted not in profit, privilege, and power but in fairness, dignity, and collective well-being. That is the mission of Project 2029: to reclaim the Republic and restore democracy to the people.

This is not a partisan proposal—it is a people’s proposal. It calls for redefining the relationship between citizen and state, labor and capital, community, and governance. It is a blueprint for the next American chapter, replacing despair with agency and oligarchy with true self-rule.

Here are six foundational pillars of Project 2029:

1. Strengthening Worker Cooperatives

At the heart of economic democracy is the principle that those who do the work should have a voice and a stake in the fruits of their labor. Project 2029 encourages the widespread formation and support of worker cooperatives, businesses owned and managed by their employees.

This isn’t a fringe idea. Cooperatives have proven resilient, ethical, and community-centered. They foster better wages, safer workplaces, and more sustainable decision-making. Project 2029 would provide federal grants, tax breaks, and technical assistance for workers seeking to buy out retiring owners, convert existing businesses, or start new co-ops. By democratizing ownership, we build an economy that values contribution over-exploitation.

2. Expanding Public Ownership of Essential Services

Capitalism has failed to deliver necessities at fair prices. Healthcare, energy, and transportation, services essential to life and liberty, have been hijacked by profiteers. Under Project 2029, these key industries would be transitioned to public ownership.

Imagine a healthcare system that puts patients over profits. Energy providers are accountable to communities, not shareholders. A transportation infrastructure that connects people because it’s needed, not because it’s profitable. Through public ownership, we reclaim control over our future and ensure that no American’s access to life-sustaining services is determined by their bank account.

3. Democratizing the Workplace

In most of today’s corporations, decisions are made in boardrooms by executives who’ve never met the workers whose lives they affect. Project 2029 would mandate worker representation on corporate boards and decision-making bodies, ensuring that labor is not treated as a line item but as a partner.

This model already thrives in countries like Germany and Norway, where co-determination has produced more stable economies and higher levels of worker satisfaction. It's time American labor had a seat at the table—not just in negotiations, but in governance. This reform would apply to all corporations above a certain size, enforcing transparency and equitable power-sharing.

4. Guaranteeing Universal Basic Services

Freedom is meaningless without security. Project 2029 would enshrine a new social contract: that healthcare, housing, education, and childcare are not privileges but rights.

Through public investment, we would provide:

• Universal healthcare, decoupled from employment and profit.
• Guaranteed housing, ending homelessness and stabilizing rents.
• Tuition-free education, from early childhood to college or vocational training.
• Publicly funded childcare, enabling parents to work without sacrificing their children’s well-being.

These basic guarantees would reduce economic anxiety, promote social mobility, and unleash the human potential of millions.

5. Progressive Taxation to Fund the Future

Inequality is not inevitable; it’s a policy choice. Since Reaganomics, wealth has flowed upward, hollowing out the middle class and trapping millions in poverty. Project 2029 calls for a bold tax code restructuring to reverse this.

We would:

• Tax capital gains and income at the same rate.
• Reinstate higher tax brackets for the ultra-wealthy.
• Close corporate loopholes and offshore shelters.
• Institute a wealth tax on fortunes above $50 million.

The revenue generated would fund universal services, infrastructure, environmental restoration, and local innovation—all without burdening the working class. This is not punishment—it’s justice.

6. Political Reform: Ending Corporate Control

No real change is possible until we sever money's chokehold over our politics. Project 2029 demands a full-scale political detox:

• Ban all corporate donations to candidates and political parties.
• Outlaw corporate lobbying.
• Require public funding for campaigns.
• Mandate transparency in all political spending.

In short, we return political power to communities, not corporations. We empower civic action over dark money and citizens' voices over the influence of billionaires. Only then can legislation serve the common good rather than the special interests.

A Democratic Renaissance

Project 2029 is not a dream. It is a necessity. It is what democracy must become to survive the wreckage of oligarchy and theocracy. It is a roadmap for those who believe that power belongs with the people, not the prophets of greed, not the prophets of God, but the people.

William James Spriggs

 

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Bottom of Form

 

ARE YOU AWAKE YET?

Are You Awake Yet?

Democracy is dead, or, if not yet fully buried, it lies on a slab in the morgue, awaiting a toe tag and final rites. The United States, once a shining beacon of representative government and the rule of law, is now being dismantled, brick by brick, law by law, institution by institution. And the worst part? We saw it coming. We were warned. And yet, we remain asleep.

Two powerful forces have executed a silent coup, each feeding the other until the American experiment in self-governance has been all but snuffed out.

First, there is Project 2025, an audacious and detailed plan hatched by the radical right to demolish America’s democratic institutions and replace them with a theocratic autocracy. It’s not just a policy roadmap; it’s a blueprint for regime change. It calls for the removal of career civil servants, the hollowing out of federal agencies, the centralization of power in a single figurehead, and the imposition of biblical fundamentalism as the law of the land. This is not reform; it is demolition. The goal is not to fix America; it is to burn it to the ground and rebuild it as a rigid, repressive theocracy governed by dogma, not law.

Second, and no less dangerous, is the rise of the billionaire oligarchy, personified most vividly by Elon Musk. A man not born on American soil, Musk has nonetheless managed to seize the levers of national power through wealth, technological monopoly, and political manipulation. He is no longer merely a private businessman, the unelected, unaccountable architect of our national infrastructure. His satellites serve our military, his platform shapes our public discourse, and his whims dictate the policies of elected leaders too spineless to challenge him. One man, with no loyalty to the country or the Constitution, now holds more sway over our future than the American people themselves.

These two forces—religious authoritarianism and corporate oligarchy—have found a common cause. The theocrats offer moral cover to the billionaires, and the billionaires offer financial power to the theocrats. It is an alliance of convenience and ambition. Together, they are forging a new American order in which power is divinely ordained, and wealth is the proof of righteousness. You will kneel to God or Gold, but either way, you will kneel.

The people? We’ve been shoved aside, pacified with culture wars and disinformation, manipulated into infighting, and rendered politically impotent. The institutions we thought would save us, courts, elections, and media, have been co-opted or neutralized. We are spectators at our demise.

So I ask again: Are you awake yet?

Because if not now, then when?

There is still a flicker of hope, though it grows dimmer by the day. The only viable path forward is grassroots resistance on a scale we have not yet dared to attempt. We must organize, unify, throw aside our petty differences, and build a coalition so vast, determined, and morally unyielding that it cannot be ignored.

It won’t be easy. It may not even be peaceful. And yes, we may have to consider once-unthinkable strategies to preserve what little remains of our freedom. The alternative submission to a billionaire-led theocracy is far worse.

There is still time, but not much.

So, are you awake yet?

William James Spriggs

 

THE PRINCESS

The Princess on Parade

Each morning she rises with flair and delight,
A vision of style, in colors so bright.
No day is the same—no garment reused,
She chooses her wardrobe as royalty would choose.

Sequins or satin, or floral in bloom,
She glides through the hallway, perfume in her plume.
With a twinkle of eye and a strut so serene,
She is grace on the move—a petite, living queen.

She greets every soul with a soft little sway,
As if blessing our burdens and brightening the day.
Her charm is magnetic, her joy contagious,
Her poise unshaken, her mood outrageous.

From room unto room she commands a mild hush,
As whispers of wonder and compliments rush.
Is she from Paris, or maybe Versailles?
No one can say, but we all sigh.

With a face full of sunshine and features so fair,
She tosses her head and ascends every stair.
She doesn’t just walk—she reigns where she goes,
With jewels in her collar and bows on her toes.

She curtsies in silence, accepts each caress,
Then pirouettes off in her daily new dress.
No tantrums, no barking, no fuss, no complaint—
Just the presence of peace, like a living saint.

And though she is regal, adored and adored,
She never demands, she’s simply adored.
She teaches us kindness with every small prance,
A lesson in joy, a masterclass dance.

Some say she’s a Duchess, some say a Muse,
Others suspect she once walked in high shoes.
But those in the know all smile and say,
“She’s a Princess, of course…

in a four-pawed way.” 

ODE TO SMOKERS

 

Ode to the Smokers’ Soirée
(A Florida Friday Night Delight)

Beneath the stars, in evening’s glow,
Where smoky whispers gently flow,
A crowd once gathered, bold and bright—
To toast the joy of Friday night.

No formal plans, no RSVP,
Just word-of-mouth and esprit de vie.
Sharon, our queen, with libations in hand,
Prepared the feast, and made it grand.

David, with grace, took up the floor,
Made sure all hearts were fed—and more.
He welcomed each soul with a laugh and a cheer,
No one went hungry, forgotten, or mere.

Reggie, the bard with a Bluetooth beat,
Spun songs so smooth they stirred our feet.
Some swayed, some danced, some just tapped a shoe—
But all of us felt the rhythm ring true.

We lit our smokes with stories shared,
With sass and wisdom none were spared.
A gathering rare, a spark in the dark,
A flaming reminder of our inner spark.

No age can dim the joy we bring,
No rules restrain the songs we sing.
Worldly, witty, warm and wise—
We toast to life beneath open skies.

And now a plan, as stars align:
Each Friday night, a toast, a sign—
That joy lives on in our little crew,
With smoke, and stories, and something new.

So raise your glass, your cane, your light,
To friendship found on Friday night.
Our sassy circle, ever bold—
Where no one’s young, but none feel old.

IT'S ALL ABOUT TRUMP

Understanding the Chaos: It’s Always About Donald J. Trump

Across the country, there’s a palpable sense of confusion, unease, and dread. People of all political leanings ask the same questions: What’s happening? What’s next? What are we supposed to do? Every day seems to bring a new shock, twist, and norm shattered. There’s no clear plan. No steady leadership. Just endless volatility.

But the truth is simpler than we’d like to believe. The uncertainty isn’t due to some complex, high-level strategy. It’s not part of a master plan with hidden gears and genius manipulation. The answer is much more straightforward, even if it’s more terrifying in its implications:

It’s all about Donald J. Trump.

It always has been.

From the moment he descended that golden escalator, Trump made it clear: he is the center of his universe and intends to make himself the center of ours. He doesn’t govern. He doesn’t lead. He manipulates, dictates, and dominates. He doesn’t pursue policies for the common good—he pursues power for the personal glory it brings him.

A Malignant Narcissist with Global Aspirations

Donald Trump exhibits the hallmarks of malignant narcissism—an extreme mix of narcissism, paranoia, aggression, and grandiosity. He shows no empathy, real connection to others, humility, or curiosity. He needs constant affirmation, absolute loyalty, and total control.

He fancies himself a ruler. A king. A strongman. Maybe even a god. In his mind, laws are for other people. Truth is negotiable. Reality is a tool to be shaped, not respected. And history? That’s just the set dressing for his show.

The confusion we feel isn’t because we don’t understand Trump. We keep trying to understand him like a normal political figure. He’s not. He’s not a traditional conservative, a populist in the real sense, or a nationalist with a structured ideology.

He’s a man obsessed only with his own power, image, and survival.

Unpredictability as a Weapon

The only constant in Trump’s world is that he will do whatever he wants if he thinks it benefits him. That means today’s enemy may be tomorrow’s ally. Those laws are suggestions. That loyalty is temporary and conditional, and that truth is another tool in his belt.

He thrives in confusion because it lets him be the only fixed point. Everyone must react to him, orbit him, interpret him. In this way, he exerts control even when he does nothing. He keeps the public, the press, and even his allies and enemies guessing.

But you don’t need to guess. You only need to remember that whatever happens next will be about Donald J. Trump.

He will fire, insult, pardon, destroy, praise, attack, or abandon anyone at any time as long as it feeds his need for dominance. He will surround himself with sycophants. He will dismantle institutions. He will break norms. He will tear down the scaffolding of democracy itself if it means he can rule the ruins.

What Do We Do Now?

We must stop asking, “Why would he do that?” and “What’s the strategy?” There is no strategy except self-service. We must stop pretending this is politics as usual and start calling it what it is: a slow and deliberate authoritarian takeover wrapped in the personality cult of one man.

We must resist normalization, stay informed, engaged, and organized, protect institutions, defend truth, elevate real leadership, and be prepared for anything.

Because while no one knows exactly what Trump will do next, we do know one thing for sure:

Whatever it is, it will be about Trump. Always Trump. Only Trump.

And that, in itself, is the greatest threat democracy has ever faced from within.

William James Spriggs