The Value of Native American Indian Investment in America

In the last few months I have been thinking a lot about the values and obligations that we Americans share with one another.

In December I wrote a column that asked the question of whether GDP (also called GNP or Gross National Product) was the best way to measure American success and happiness. (InDepthNH.org - http://bit.ly/2I38p1q );

In February, I wrote a column titled "Restoring the American Voice" (InDepthNH.org http://bit.ly/2Kfuvyn) advocating the need for us all to moderate our differences by remembering and respecting those values that we all share. . . Singing the American Song together as we find our way through the sea of changes ahead.

In my March 3, 2018 column "A National American Social Dividend and a New American Paradigm" (InDepthNH.org http://bit.ly/2r1HYRB ) I suggested that we recognize an American Social Dividend. Essentially making the case that beyond the inheritance of private wealth that we have long recognized in America, that there should be a recognition of an inheritance of public wealth. A recognition of those contributions made over the centuries to the nation's wealth by those who are not in the 1%., including both the collective personal investments made (willingly or unwillingly) and the collective investments created by laws and institutions that have provided the legal and economic framework for a successful economy and a robust democracy. Those investments have played a role in the long term success of the American economy and our way of life that is every bit as important as the Plutocrat, who is able to pass along to his or her children the wealth generated during their lifetime. In fact, it could be argued that, without the robust institutions of Democracy, Capitalism - which is more of an "Operating System" than it is an ideology - could not have produced the rewards it has produced for those Plutocrats.

Now don't get me wrong. . . I am a "Capitalist" and there is nothing , in my opinion wrong with being wealthy; frankly, I wish I were. The sooner we stop denigrating people for being wealthy, or poor, the faster we will rediscover our American Voice. But the myth of the "self-made man" is just that, a myth. Behind every self-made man is an education financed by taxpayers, or a patent protected by a law and perhaps financed through a government research grant; a government infrastructure and a physical infrastructure, paid for by taxpayers at every level; or, a government guaranteed loan for a business . . . do I need to go on?

In the Column I cite just some of the ways in which, over more than two centuries, we have padded the GNP at the expense of one group or another concluding, finally that "in some way or another we are all aggrieved, we are all due reparations; we are mutually responsible for our successes and our failures and mutually entitled to an American Social Dividend paid for with the blood, sweat and tears of every American. . ."

Naturally in thinking about all this I began to wonder if there were not a way to show that both the political and economic success of our nation is grounded in the contributions and sacrifices of all Americans, even those who have been marginalized historically.

So I began to construct a series of questions that I wanted to try answering to help me better explain all this and to defend the proposition.

Our Time Comes

Here is the first question I asked myself (hey give me a break I'm Iroquois!) How does the value of the land taken from Native American people in the conquest of the US relate to GNP today?

As far as I know, no one has done extensive academic research on this topic and for good reason. It would be almost impossible - without Big Data and a powerful computer - to figure out, given differing land values and differing time tables, to say nothing of the fact that knowing when a land transaction was actually voluntary (not very often). On the other hand there is enough data out there to do a "back of the envelope" calculation generally, so here goes:

Using very rough estimates and not including the land taken from Native American people prior to 1776 and also not including improvements on the land such as the towns established in Georgia and the Carolinas by tribes like the Cherokee. It is generally understood that since 1776 Native Americans have been moved from lands totaling 1.5 Billion acres to a small set of reservations dotted around the country. If you simply use the general value of an acre of land prior to the Gold Rush ($1.25) the 1.5 Billion acres had a rough value back then of 1.9 Billion dollars. Using another rough calculation, real dollar values, we can estimate that $1.00 in the early 1800s is roughly (very roughly as we have no data related to inflation before 1913) equivalent to about $49.00 today. Since we know that no land in California today sells for $49.00 per acre (Average 2012 California farm real estate values set an all-time record - $7200 per acre) we can be sure that this is a conservative number, the value of the theft of native lands is, at a minimum $87 Billion dollars. If we use the $7,200/acre value, the value - still conservative - is 10.1 Trillion dollars. A glance at an estimate of the total value of US land is $14.48 Trillion dollars. The numbers show a surprising correlation. While about 80% of the lands of America were taken from native people after 1776, the value of that land today represents 70% of the total value of "unimproved" real estate (land only) in the US.

OK but the way we measure the wealth of our nation is not by real estate value, its by GDP. So how do we figure out what portion of the nation's wealth has been generated from lands taken from Native American people?

Well, let's try this: 18% of GDP is generated by real estate activity. 70% of 18% is 12.6%. GDP in 2016 was 18.57 Trillion. 12.6% of 18.57T is 2.32 Trillion dollars or 12.5% of 2016 US GDP generated from the 1.5 Billion acres of land taken from Native Americans since 1776.

While this is a seat of the pants calculation - I suspect the actual numbers would be higher - and certainly subject to legitimate criticism as there are many variables in the cost and value of land across the USA, the point made is the same. A large portion of national wealth has grown from the lands that we expropriated from Native American Indians.

Native people have not sought reparations. The loss of culture and marginalization for them has been far more important and can never be remunerated. It would be a step in the right direction to at least recognize that a substantial portion of our bounty today can be attributed to the land their ancestors called home.

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If you know of better sources for the information on the back of my "envelope" I'd love to find out about them so that I can update this information. If you disagree with my points, I'd like to hear you, especially if you have a well thought out response and not just a snarky or snide remark. Lets have an honest dialog and we'll all benefit from it. wdk

Preamble - Critical Thinking and the Paradox of History

Lessons from a Lifelong Student (and sometimes Teacher) of History
Wayne D. King

"Skepticism is the chastity of the intellect, and it is shameful to surrender it too soon or to the first comer: there is nobility in preserving it coolly and proudly through long youth, until at last, in the ripeness of instinct and discretion, it can be safely exchanged for fidelity and happiness."
George Santayana
US (Spanish-born) philosopher (1863 - 1952)

History and politics must be approached with a large dose of skepticism whether from the left or the right because, after all, history is generally written by the "winners" whether their cause was just or not. Trust me, I'm Iroquois on one side and Mayflower on the other. While I may have coined, or simply adopted, the phrase "The Paradox of History" neither the phrase itself, nor the thought, is unique or original.

Economist John Maynard Keynes coined the phrase the “Paradox of Thrift” to describe that point in a recession when the public is inclined to save as much as possible and spend as little as possible, while at the same time massive spending is the only way to alleviate the economic peril that the country faces. The Paradox of history is simply that history is written by the “winners” who have a vested interest in the narrative, while at the same time, history's greatest benefit to us is what might be learned from an unbiased narrative that provides us an opportunity to see both the good and bad in its events, personas and results. Stated more eloquently by Gordon Craig, “the duty of the historian is to restore to the past the options it once had.”

So, therefore, a good teacher's first responsibility to his or her students is to convince them that they should believe as little as possible of what he or she is about to tell them. Let's call that the "educators corollary" to the Paradox of History.

Having admitted to complete and utter fallibility, a good teacher must then impart knowledge assertively, as if no other source was closer to the oracle of knowledge and truth.

A worthy teacher, then, seeks not to serve answers or truths but to urge students toward the development of critical thinking skills and a healthy skepticism, from which they can derive their own narrative.

This does not in any way alleviate the burden upon you, the student. Quite the contrary in fact - it imposes a larger responsibility because you must find a way to demonstrate a modicum of deference to my years of experience and knowledge while, at the same time, double checking the veracity of everything you learn from me.

One of the first things that you will learn is that a good critical thinker does not mistake opinion or "common sense" for fact. Opinion, after all is just that; one person’s view of something. Common sense, that stalwart beacon of logic and wisdom with which your elders have urged you to imbue your thoughts and behavior, is an even more devilish force because it is empowered by the vast influence of majority thought.

Stephen Hawking, in his extraordinary "Science in the New Millennium" speech, said “. . . common sense is just another name for the prejudices that we have been brought up with.”

Facts, on the other hand, as Mark Twain said, are "stubborn things" they may stand by themselves or they may be turned into thought, but without them thought has no basis in reality; and, ultimately, no power.

So, as we begin this adventure, make it your goal to keep both your eyes and your mind wide open. Take joy in the moments in which your notion of the world is turned upside down because that is the surest sign that something useful is happening to you.

The Best Leader

Snow River

A leader is best
When people barely know
That he exists,

Less good when
They obey and acclaim him,
Worse when
They fear and despise him.

Fail to honor people
And they fail to honor you.

But of a good leader,
When his work is done,
His aim fulfilled,
they will all say,
'We did this ourselves.’

Lao-Tzu
Chinese philosopher
Wayne D. King

Adopt an Image and Raise Money for Your Non Profit or Small Business

Alton Washday Expressions

Alton Washday Expressions

Produced by special request in an affordable limited edition of 100 signed and numbered originals for the good folks at the Rumney Village Store - that would be George & Sheila - a beautiful 8" x 20" signed image with a certificate of authenticity. You can purchase this original art for just $95.00 at the Rumney Village Store on Main Street in Rumney, New Hampshire. If it's too far to travel and you'd still like an original signed print, you can order it right here and we'll see to it that the Rumney Village Store gets credited - but you can save the cost of shipping by stopping by RVS and buying it directly and maybe purchasing one of their great deli offerings! or grab a copy of Sacred Trust 😉 . http://bit.ly/AltonEXP

As a way to support local businesses and nonprofits I have created this Adopt-an-Image program. If you or your nonprofit have an interest in adopting your favorite image its easy, just click here: http://bit.ly/AdoptImage 

Finding the Center - Reversing the Hollowing of the Political Center in America

This Week's View from Rattlesnake Ridge

"A serious and substantive discussion about lowering the voting age to 16 instead of 18 is also in order. Ten other countries now permit it. In Scotland the Parliament passed the franchise to vote for 16 and 17 year-olds unanimously after successfully testing the premise during their referendum on independence."

http://indepthnh.org/2018/03/18/finding-the-center-reversing-the-hollowing-of-the-political-center-in-america/

Colors of a Pike NH Home

A National American Social Dividend and a New American Paradigm

This week’s View from Rattlesnake Ridge Column at InDepthNH

Believe it or not, 1973 was the last year that wages for the Middle Class and the Precariat rose in response to increasing productivity. Since that time wages for both have stagnated while the real income of the top 1% has risen dramatically.

This growing income gap is the greatest threat to our democracy and our most important challenge as a Republic. Furthermore it is a virtual iceberg of sadness, rage and division within our society. Where most of the danger lies beneath the surface of the water. One need only observe that the margin of Hillary Clinton’s loss to Donald Trump in the 2016 elections can be found in the number of people who voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 – desperately seeking hope – and then having found that still no one seemed to be listening – they voted to burn the system down by switching to Donald Trump.

This collapse and the growing disparity of income in America represents a grave and existential  danger to our Republic. The stability of a democracy is built on the strength of its middle class and the belief that even those in the Precariat can aspire to moving up …  the belief that if you work hard and play by the rules that every American has the opportunity to succeed. When people begin to lose faith in this the Republic is in peril.

Equally as important, though rarely observed, this disparity represents a nearly complete denial of what has contributed to an American economy that is second to no other in humanity’s history. The Gross Domestic Product of our nation is a complex synthesis of recent success and hard won achievement built over more than 500 years of history.

http://bit.ly/USA_Social_Dividend

Income Inequality - America’s Greatest Single Challenge in the Age of Technology

Wayne D. King

I believe that income inequality is the greatest single threat to our nation. If we do not begin to talk seriously about how we address this - and not the simplistic pablum that both Republicans and Democrats have fed us for the last 50 years - then the Republic is in grave danger. We will pinball from one ideologue on the right to one on the left.

"The world is shifting beneath our feet. Consider this:

1. Since 1973 wages and income for the bottom 99% of Americans have been stagnant. That means that every year growth in the economy is transferred directly into the bank accounts of 1% of the population.

2. The marginal costs of products move ever lower in response to enhanced productivity but that productivity is purchased by an unstoppable wave of technology displacing workers.

3. 94% of the jobs added to our economy since 2008 have been agency conntract part time jobs most without benefits and within the next 20 years 40-60% of all jobs that exist today will be replaced by technology.

4. For the first time in 100 years average American lifespans have gone down over the past decade. Some of this can be attributed to the Opiate crisis but a large share is the due to the fact that even a health club membership is out of reach for many Americans and expensive prescriptions are out of the question to many.  

I ask the same question that I asked in my column of January 1, 2018 ("A Steady Hand and an Open Heart" http://bit.ly/ASteadyHand) Who will buy the products when technology has replaced the human hands that once made them? To whom will those products be delivered when the trucks delivering them are driverless or they are flown through the air by drones? Where will we employ the taxi drivers, the line workers, the coal miners?"

Every American has contributed to the success of our economy for 500 years. We must find a way to share in those fruits in order to unleash a new entrepreneurial vision and spirit and to shrink the need for a safety net because more people are sharing in our economic success.

Next column: A National American Social Dividend and a New American Paradigm

The Deep State From Rattlesnake Ridge

The Shadows We Cast Haiku

The Deep State from Rattlesnake Ridge

This week, between caring for Alice who came down with a stomach flu on New Year’s eve and bringing in enough firewood to keep the woodstove cranking as I watched the thermometer plunge from zero to minus 10, then minus 20 and then down to minus 30 degrees below zero, I managed to catch just a bit of news where I heard that President Trump had turned his attention to what he – and Steve Bannon – despite their recent fall out, refer to as the “Deep State”.

For those folks who don’t breath the rarified air of Washington DC., The “Deep State” is a term that has gathered some cache over the past few years as the whipping boy of both the far left and the far right – mostly those who never heard of a conspiracy to which they didn’t subscribe. They somehow have become convinced that there is a nefarious and shadowy group that acts to undermine elected representatives of the people. 

Based on this, I thought I’d take a shot at describing just what the “deep state” means here at 2,500 feet above sea level in the shadow of Rattlesnake Ridge in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

At 32 degrees below zero when I click that special button on my key fob that starts my Jeep remotely, making it warm enough to keep Alice happy, I thank the “Deep State” at General Motors that makes sure that my Jeep works at this God awful temperature and that the “Deep State” at EPA, the US Department of Transportation and the NTSB make sure it doesn’t blow up or seize up on the road. . . no matter who the President is or who’s in charge at GM.

When I walk into my house, turn on the lights and turn up the heat. I thanks the “Deep State” at the NH Electric Cooperative and Franklin Delano Roosevelt for providing the rural electrification that made it possible for electricity to power lights and an oil furnace to keep us warm and dry even in below zero temperatures and the “Deep State” at Dead River Heating and Propane for their oil and for our friend “Deep State Dave” the driver who dares our steep driveway even when it is covered with snow.  

At the Grocery Store when we buy meat or fresh and frozen vegetables all winter long we thank the “Deep State” at FDA that regulates the safety of beef and pork and chicken and veggies as well as the Deep State at Market Basket or Hannaford’s that makes sure they arrive on a regular basis so that we are never without the sustenance to keep hearth and home together – no matter who is President of the USA or CEO of our grocery chain.

When I stop in at the Pharmacy to get a prescription I thank the “Deep State” at the FDA that makes sure my drugs are safe. “Dr. Mike” our pharmacist one of the cogs in the “Deep State” counts every pill twice and checks to make sure that my prescription doesn’t interact dangerously with other medicines I take.  “Deep State Zita” takes the time to ask about Alice and our son Zach and still makes sure I’m not overcharged.

When a police officer stops us for a broken tail light I thank God for the “Deep State” department of Justice, the local police and courts and the “Deep State” at the ACLU that create a nexus of counter-veiling forces to assure my rights, even when I’m wrong.

When I turn onto the highway to return home, especially in a snowstorm, I thank God for the “Deep State” at the Highway Department and the Department of Safety and State Police that assure passage and protect our safety on the roads.

During the last few months we’ve read of several thwarted terror attacks here and abroad. You can thank the “Deep State” at Homeland Security and the Department of Justice for that. 

The “Deep State”, to those of us who do not see gremlins behind every bush, is just another name for the hard working, patriotic folks who go to work every day and do their jobs, even when some blowhards and politicians denigrate them and their efforts. 

This week President Trump took credit for the fact that no American had died in a plane crash on US soil in 2017 - though an army of journalists working feverishly over the past 24 hours has been unable to uncover a single point of contact between the President and anyone from the FAA or airline industry. With the entire airline regulatory infrastructure still in the hands of Obama appointees he might want to thank President Obama, or just the “Deep State” at the FAA.