last post wasn't supposed to be political --but some folks thought I was busting on Trump and his 'winning' ways

This one is political.

There is something really wrong with both parties---from Trump to Sanders and most everyone in between, both parties seem to be stuck in the mindset of thinking that there is a limited amount of good stuff in the world (GDP, health care, education, etc).  Both parties seem to believe the size of the pie is fixed---the debate rages as how to divide it.  Who is winning and who is losing?  This is most people's default way of thinking----how does my pay, house, car compare to theirs?  For example, would I still like driving a Porsche if everyone else has a Ferrari?  This base level, lizard brain way of thinking is not only not productive, but harmful when applied broadly, and currently ravaging America.

GOP supporters---would you have a problem in a world where US real GDP was growing at 5% a year, violence was non-existent, high quality life expectancy was 120 years, a super generous pension existed to ensure those 120 years were great, and there was amazing education freely available to all? And our infrastructure made the Jetsons look like the Flintstones.  BUT the top tax rate was 75% and the richest 10% of the country controlled only 50% of the wealth in America.  Would living in country that seems like nirvana but that has a much higher top marginal tax rate and less concentration of wealth at the highest levels be acceptable?  Honestly I bet you are having trouble deciding if you would take more equality in wealth distribution, and much much better outcomes for all.

Democrats, and Sanders's supporters in particular how would you feel if the same idyllic world could only exist with a top tax rates of 10% and the wealthiest 10% of American's controlling 99% of the country's wealth?  Would you be willing to support an outcome where wealth is even more concentrated than currently, but even the poorest American has a very high quality of life (health, education, pay, etc)?  I bet you are choking on that and thinking up a gazillion reasons why it wouldn't work.

These extreme questions are designed to show you just how hard it is focus on growing the size of the pie not fighting for your slice of it.  It's not our nature.  It's a very hard message and our lizard brain screams against it.  Yet this is what our country needs.  America needs politicians from both parties arguing over how to best increase the world's growth rate (and since the US is the biggest slice of the global growth pie higher global growth will be great for the US).  And if we can't figure out ways to grow global growth then grown US growth--but not at the expense of others.  I am sorry Donald but if the US wins on every deal then everyone else is losing and my guess is that is not a long term sustainable strategy.

Lets focus our thinking and our policies on how do we improve our growth, health care, education, and safety.  For example the question should not be how do we divide up a limited amount of health care but how do we expand the healthcare pie?

Almost enough of this silly crap that no one will truly support--but first a last question.  If China invented a cure for cancer (and was willing to sell it across the globe) did America win or lose? Yea US pharma is gonna lose market share to China pharma, but my sister-in-law and a college roommate just got a cure for cancer.  As I head off to a free physics lecture with my daughter in lovely Aspen I am thinking winning like everything else is relative (thanks Einstein).