What is the BPR?

WHAT IS THE BIG PICTURE REPORT?  The Big Picture Report encourages readers to step back and look at the big picture. Most importantly, Americans should not allow themselves to be distracted by the trivial day to day “junk food” news, but rather focus on The Big Picture. The other stuff is sometimes important, and sometimes interesting, but in the big picture is ultimately just noise and distraction.  Understanding The Big Picture is the key to figuring out where we have gone wrong, and what needs to be done to make our society function for the benefit of all of its citizens.

AMERICA IS BROKEN. All the usual stories in the news every day–the changes made to the latest tax bill, the newest gun law in Texas or Utah, the outrageous nonsense spouted by a potential presidential candidate–deserve some attention, but are primarily distractions that keep our attention from the real, more serious problems our country–and ultimately, the world–faces.

They pale in comparison to the problems that are the heart of America’s troubles–the systemic dysfunction that makes up The Big Picture. The reality: Our political and economic system is broken.

SO WHAT IS THE BIG PICTURE? The Big Picture requires understanding the Big Problems. Nearly all our problems–with the exception of those caused by religious beliefs– are caused by the greed and immorality of an economic and political system run amok.

WHY THE BIG PICTURE REPORT? The United States is on a serious path of decline and anybody who pays attention knows it.  We are drowning in debt, waging perpetual wars, sacrificing our constitutional rights for “homeland security,” losing jobs, homes, income, security, and hope. On top of that, we are more divided politically and culturally than ever before. We need to recognize the necessity of a major overhaul of our economic and political system.

THE BIGGEST PROBLEM. Why are we in the mess we’re in?  Let’s start with what I call “Out-of-Control Capitalism (OCC).” OCC has done more than lead to our serious economic and societal  problems. Over the years, OCC has sucked the very soul, the quintessential American values from our way of life, and replaced it with greed that knows no bounds. I am convinced nearly every major problem we face in our society can be traced to Out-of-Control Capitalism. I believe religion is the major contributing cause of the other problems.

 IT’S THE SYSTEM, BABY.  All the little stuff, the outrage of the week, the big news story of the day, the latest screw-up by a famous politician or celebrity, it’s all a distraction. If we don’t fix the systemic problems, starting with the Out-of-Control Capitalism that controls us, our slide into the junk heap of history is inevitable.   If we don’t rein in OCC, we will become like the Romans, just one more failed empire for future students to read about in history books.

CAPITALISM IS AMERICA’S TRUE RELIGION.  Let’s be honest: America worships at the altar of the free market. Our “free market” economic system is rarely, if ever, questioned, certainly not by this country’s mainstream corporate media, or any other major institutions.

CAPITALISM ISN’T ALL BAD. Let me make clear that Capitalism, the so-called free enterprise method that is at the heart of our economic system, is not inherently bad. In fact, there is no other economic system that has proven to be more innovative, creative, and productive than capitalism. But without the necessary checks and balances, unrestricted capitalism becomes Out-of-Control Capitalism, which has led us to where we are today, an America that has lost its bearing and is floundering in a sea of debt, poverty and fear.

OCC UNLEASHES GREED. Being essentially amoral, and human nature being what it is, an unregulated free market will invariably fall prey to the forces of greed.  It will inevitably spin out of control and turn into a voracious monster, plundering everything in its path. That is what is happening right now in this country, with a few powerful corporations and individuals accumulating an unprecedented disproportionate share of this great country’s wealth,  leaving the rest of us scrambling to pick up what few crumbs we can find.

THE FALLOUT FROM OUT-OF-CONTROL CAPITALISM.  More than just our smaller paychecks, failing schools,  bloated military, and the other results of the Darwinian drift of our economy, the worse damage OCC has done has been to our psyche. Out-of-Control Capitalism has eviscerated our collective soul, purging Americans of our most decent instincts and values.   We have been left with a country that is no longer the beacon of hope and possibility for the rest of the world, no longer offering the promise of the Great American Dream. Instead, America is all about greed, materialism, and the accumulation of wealth.

YOU WANT A GOOD EXAMPLE? Despite overwhelming scientific evidence that human activity is contributing to Global Warming (or Global Climate Change), a large and powerful group of industry leaders, media figures and politicians dispute these facts. Large segments of our society are literally willing to risk the destruction of life on our planet rather than being willing to change the potentially harmful activity that they profit from. When one values short-term financial gain over the ruination of the planet, we’re talking serious dysfunction.

OCC HAS CHANGED WHO WE ARE. Where once Americans cared about each other, we now distrust. Where once we strived to erase poverty, we now ignore or distain it.  Where once peace was a priority, we  now unquestioningly accept perpetual war. Where once we were concerned for civil liberties, we now look the other way as our privacy and rights disappear. Where once we valued truth and facts, we now ignore them in favor of winning our argument or accomplishing our goal. Where once we cared about improving lives, we now give priority to accumulating money and cutting taxes.

HOW BAD OFF ARE WE–IN BIG PICTURE TERMS?  Our economic system has failed and our political system is broken. We no longer have a functioning democracy. Tinkering around the edges won’t save us.  We need a total overhaul of our political and economic system to avoid a crash landing.

WHAT IS THE GOAL OF THE BIG PICTURE REPORT? Our mission is to find solutions that will help society to correct this impending metaphorical train wreck. Our goal is to find solutions, with the assistance of many other like-minded thinkers, that will enable us to reverse the current course of impending disaster and move in the direction of a healthy, functioning nation and world.

IS THE BIG PICTURE REPORT GOING TO CHANGE THE WORLD? I wish. The world will not be saved by one blog, but if enough people put their minds together in a positive and creative way, we can at least be part of the solution, and do what we can to reverse the damage and help push our country in the proper direction. Right now, baby, we’re going in the wrong direction, and at a dangerously rapid pace.