The wealth we generate in America is made possible by our special combination of Public Knowledge, Public Investment, Public Resources, and Public Extensions. To keep it shorter and simpler, let’s call this our KIRE Engine of Prosperity. It’s how America has produced such incredible Public Gains.
The KIRE Engine sustains our American group life. Public Resources—we the people and our environment—operate like our American “body.” Public Knowledge—all the know-how we inherit and develop—is like our American “mind.” Public Investment is how we use our body and our mind in the world. And Public Extensions are how we keep flexibility and maintain our balance.
Every society has some form of KIRE Engine. It’s not unique to America. But ours has been the most powerful and productive the world has ever seen. And every human society produces Public Gains. But again, America has generated Public Gains beyond any other society on the planet. And those Public Gains are distributed in our distinct American way.
Another country might say Public Gains all belong to a royal family. Or it might try to portion out an equal share of Public Gains to each person. Or it might just let Public Gains go to the victors of a predatory free-for-all.
In capitalist America, we believe some Public Gains should be claimed by Americans through fair and balanced competition. And we expect those gains to be cycled back into American Life over time. We also reclaim some of our Public Gains to put back into our KIRE Engine, so it’s stronger for all.
When our system is working, we keep moving toward more equal freedom, equal security, and equal opportunity. Each of us can have the chance to collect some of America’s Public Gains directly as Free Income. And we can feel pride and gratitude for that bounty.
But the Counting Class cuts off the healthy regeneration of our American system. Counts hoard America’s Public Gains as they collect more and more outsized amounts of Free Income to inflate their extreme Money Counts. They throttle our KIRE Engine, and even break it down for more self gain.
Today, each part of America’s KIRE Engine is endangered by Counts. Counts use AI to raid Public Knowledge. Counts take apart the public options we provide through our Public Investment. Counts abuse Public Resources at extremes that threaten life in America. And Counts hinder Public Extensions with maxed-out debt and “crypto” money.
Our American future depends on the strength of our KIRE Engine of Prosperity. It’s how America survives and thrives. It’s how we keep the American Dream alive.
On the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the Big Woods Declaration (BWD) renews the call for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, free from the corruption of extreme money.
The BWD is a First Amendment petition to the American people and our government. It is not limited to any political party or group.
The BWD is a total of 60 pages: the Core Declaration (4 pages), the 13 Notes, the 27 Dangers to America, and the 16 Solutions for America.
The BWD may be shared and reused under the terms of the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. View a copy of this license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
The BWD was created without the use of any AI, opinion polling, or focus groups. The BWD draws on many core American ideas as well as the work of Thorstein Veblen, America’s visionary from the Big Woods of Minnesota.
All photos in the BWD were taken in the Big Woods. The BWD was framed by Erik Christopher Sahlin with Alyssa Beth Wulf.