As an ocean sailor I am keenly aware of the consequence of America’s business model habitually outsourcing manufacturing to countries whose quality control is frankly often a joke. Many American branded products, which ten years ago one could depend on, today fail within months of purchase because American companies run by lawyers and financiers outsource their products to achieve short-term profits rather than actually fulfill the technical need they are supposed to serve.

In the case of sailboats, this is a life threatening issue. Repeatedly, sailors must jury rig the only mechanical and electronic equipment available on the market with creative measures, attempting to make their boats safe. This practice, I contend, is philosophically similar to America empowering corporations and multibillionaires to dominate political funding. We today empower short-term profit rather than long-term life-supporting practices to dominate public policy. This is dangerous strategy. It is also rather stupid.

Do the Kochs and the Adelsons of the American political scene literally endanger the human race? What indeed is the future of a culture that by law officially anoints a professional gambler, who stacks all decks in his own favor, a key influencer of public policy? Is not such a man akin to the financier who outfits a sailing boat, focused only on profits, but does not attend to the necessities to keep the ship afloat?

If we continue to empower such people to be our honored captains of society, are we in the long run in danger of foundering? It has been frequently noted by scientists that 99% of all species have over time become extinct. I am not a pessimist by nature. However, is that not an alarming statistic? But, what do I know? I am by definition a crazy man. I briefly forgot I am now disengaged from the human struggle. It takes time to change my ways. Please, cut me a little slack. I’m still working on it.