​Our country is based on one core belief:

that all men and women are created equal. 

Not equal in their skills or talents, or character or intelligence.  Instead, equal in their ability to know what is best for themselves, to decide the course of their lives.  In our United States of America, we believe that each individual has the ability, and right, to decide how to live their own lives.​

The Purpose of Government

This view of humanity defines the purpose of our government:  It is to extend individual freedom, to give each person, as much as possible, the freedom to live their life as he or she sees fit.  We have never believed in the promise of equality of outcomes.  However we have always believed that the primary purpose of our government is to extend equality of opportunity, to give every American what they needed to take control of their lives.  We certainly didn’t achieve equality of opportunity for all Americans.  But this idea has been the beacon that has guided our country and our policies.
Our government helps extend equality of opportunity in hundreds of ways, large and small.  Making sure there are good public roads we can drive on to get to work.  Making sure that every person, regardless of their parents’ situation, has access to an education.  Making sure the meat you buy doesn’t poison you.  Ensuring the banks are secure and stable.  Protecting us from crime and mayhem.  All of these actions of government, all of these responsibilities, allow us to live our lives with less worry, and more control.  Our freedom is enable by the many hundreds or even thousands of acts of government that protect us from harm and extend opportunity.

Democratic Capitalism

“Democratic Capitalism” was how our country extended equality of opportunity in our complex, interconnected world. 
Democratic Capitalism is capitalism moderated by the power of democracy to ensure we all have a chance to participate in our economy, share in its benefits and that everyone plays by the same set of financial and legal rules.  
Politics isn’t a history lesson, but the history is important.  In the 1930’s there was a global conflict between two different economic systems, capitalism and socialism.  Socialists believed that the government’s scientific management of the economy would generate greater wealth, which the government would share with everyone.  Supporters of capitalism believed it would create greater wealth, and because that wealth was in the hands of citizens instead of the government, better support individual freedom. 
Under President Roosevelt’s guidance our country essentially reached a compromise.  We stayed with capitalism, with the free market instead of government control, but we used democracy to make sure capitalism worked to everyone’s benefit.  Capitalists got to continue owning the means of production, the factories and mines and railroads and stores, but we used government to make them share the rewards with the people that worked in the factories and mines and railroads and stores.  We applied government to the task of ensuring that every person would have the skills and opportunity to participate in our economy and that everybody played by the same set of rules.
This compromise – we stick with capitalism, but everyone gets in the game and everyone plays by the same set of rules – helped create the post-WWII economic expansion that grew our economy to be the largest in the world.  Because capitalism actually works better if there is one set of rules for everybody.  If there’s one set of rules, free market competition decides the winners, not the government.  Our economy is more efficient and produces more wealth. 
Capitalism also works better if it can draw from the talent of the whole of our population.  Talent doesn't respect economic or racial boundaries.  There are talented, motivated kids of all colors and creeds, with parents in many different economic circumstances.  Our country wants those kids, regardless of their background, to be able to get in the game, to be able to participate in our economy. Talented kids become driven adults pursuing their dreams and growing our economy.  Making sure that everyone has a chance to get into the game, tapped into the potential in every part of our society.  It caused the United States become the economic powerhouse that it is. 
It seems obvious, but to have consumer capitalism you need consumers.  Making sure everyone got in the game gave our workers the money to participate in our economy.  Clever entrepreneurs responded by creating things for people to buy, vacuum cleaners and radios and vacation packages.  A virtuous circle was created – more money in the hands of workers created markets for more consumer goods, which led to demand for more workers to build the consumer goods.  This compromise, we stick with capitalism but use democracy to make sure everyone gets in the game and everyone plays by the same set of rules, is what made the United States the country that it is.
Somehow our country has slipped away from a commitment to Democratic Capitalism.  We have allowed our roads and bridges to fall into disrepair and backed away from our commitment to public education.  We stepped away from our commitment to one set of financial rules for everyone.  And all of this has taken a toll on our country.  All of this has put our future in question.  
We need to again work to ensure all citizens have the ability and the opportunity to participate in our economic system.  We need to again make sure that there is one set of financial, investing and insurance rules.
We as a nation need to return to the compromise of Democratic Capitalism. 
Read more about the history of Democratic Capitalism

The divisiveness is undermining our country.

The United States, in many ways, has gotten off track.  We have stepped back from civil society.  We have stepped back from respect for everyone.  We have stepped back from the core idea of our Constitution, that every person has a right to their own opinion, and a right to be respected as a human being.

​About Blake

​Blake Ashby lives in Ferguson, Missouri, with his wife Dara (and dogs). He was previously a member of the City Council of Ferguson, representing the 2nd Ward. A longtime entrepreneur, he has helped start numerous successful businesses. He writes the occasional commentary for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and other publications and is an occasional talk radio guest.