The economy is broken. We all know this, and we can all point out different angles on how and why it's broken--big money is in bed with the government, the control of national/internation interest rates is in the hands of a private few, fractional reserve banking techniques, slave wage capitalism, and on and on.

So, since we've identified a problem--the economy is fundamentally broken, and we're suffering because of it--now, it would stand to reason that the most empowering thing to do, would be to try and address the problem, figure out some possible solutions, and then try to get the ball rolling in a more positive direction.

Let's try and list some of the specific areas in which the system is suffering...

- So-called Slave Wages--most people make enough to scrape by, but it takes a massive percentage of their personal resources (time, energy, concentration, emotion) to function in society as a 'normal'.

- Interest rates are privately controlled--in America, that would be the Federal Reserve. So, not only do we have this artificial money being created by banks and creditors in the form of loans and other debt, but we have a very small group of private/quasi-governmental bankers with their hand on the throttle of our economy

- Consumerism--corporations drive the consumerism attitude through marketing and buy legislation through lobbying, creating and inflating desire for shiny, new stuff, causing much waste, and also the need for more money (earned painstakingly from too-low paying jobs) with which to buy the shiny, new stuff.

- Debt--we've been at this crazy game for so long, that there's an enormous amount of debt, and a very uneven distribution of wealth--so, in order to fix this system, we're going to have to sort out who really gets what and somebody's toes are going to be stepped on.

- Wealth & Power--disproportional weath relative to the general populace often creates disproportionate power over people. Simply said, a relatively small amount of people control a relatively large amount of the total 'money' floating around in this convoluted system that has us in its tendrils--money tends to bestow power, and those with power tend to want to keep it (or gain new power).

- Apathy & Distraction--the People as a whole do still have power, but many (or even most) people tend to be apathetic to what's happening (for reasons ranging from lack of belief in their ability to change things, to lack of direct discomfort caused by the deficiencies of our system in their own lives) or too distracted (by personal situations--i.e. life, trying to work enough to make enough money, trying to fit in, television, pop culture, gossip, and a million other things) to even notice there is a problem.

- Ignorance--whether because of all the distractions of society, or because of the failings of our education system (and i don't just mean k-12 here), many people simply don't understand the reality of the situation which has control of their lives.

I don't know what the answers are, but I do intend to find out.