First-time readers, the dialogue in this blog is set in the future (sometime after the year 2020).  Each entry assumes there has been a 5th revolution in the US — the Revenge Revolution.  More about Revenge Revolution and author, Entry #1.  List and general description of entries to date.  Annual assessment whether Revolution plausible.

Note: most characters appear in a number of entries, with many entries building on previous conversations.  Profile of characters.  You’ll catch on quickly.  Thanks for your time and interest…and comments.

Scene: Jordan’s office in Washington, DC

Gelly:  “At the beginning of each year, I clean out some file drawers.  Look what I ran across.”

Jordan:  “I’d forgotten about these.  I must have drafted some of these in about 2010-2011, but never published them.”

Gelly:  “What were they for?”

Jordan:  “Each article was to be a chapter in a primer about how to develop practical, affordable government policies to address key issues.  The primer would be the foundation for an organization I thought of creating – the working name was the Practical, Affordable Policies Institute, as known as…”

Gelly:  “PAPI.  I like that name.  My ‘pappy’ always had good, practical advice for our family.  So you wanted to become Washington’s ‘PAPI’, right?”

Jordan:  “You know better than that.”

Gelly:  “Well, someone must have wanted your advice, at least some idea about what was in the primer.”

Jordan:  “Not that many people knew about the primer.  As a sense check, I circulated the articles within a fairly small group inside the Beltway.  Wanted to get reactions and ideas how to improve.” 

Gelly:  “That explains the phone call in the early days of the Trump Administration.  A couple of staffers asked for copies of the primer.  I wasn’t sure what they were talking about.  Remember when I asked you about it?”

Jordan:  “Yes and I was out of town…somewhere.  I emailed the staffers a copy but you and I never talked about the primer when I got back.  The staffers that called probably were part of the review group.”   

Gelly:  “Now the rest of the conversation with the staffers makes sense.  They were concerned that senior officials in the Trump Administration had no clear policy for addressing many aspects of the economy.”

Jordan:  “You mean they didn’t consider Trump’s tweets and ‘toss out whatever Obama did’ as real policy?”

Gelly:  “I still shudder when I think about Trump’s approach early on.  Do you think these articles actually helped turn things around?”

Jordan:  “In Washington, as you know, a good idea has many fathers.  But, I presume the staffers did distribute the primer to some people in the Trump Administration…very discreetly, of course.”

Gelly:  “As I flipped through the pages, some of the articles seemed to be more about approach than actual policy.”

Jordan:  “True.  I thought the articles about approach might be helpful since to make something happen – accelerate economic growth, for example – you can’t simply wish it to be true and expect results.”

Gelly:  “So, to implement a policy and make it work you really do need a plan and a disciplined approach to implementation.”

Jordan:  “Yes, and the statement seems so incredibly obvious.  I remember some people finished an article and asked…and I think rightfully so…’what’s the value here?  What’s being discussed is just common sense.’”

Gelly:  “Funny, I thought the same thing about some topics.  But I agree that common sense seems to get lost on some people when they’re inside the Beltway.”

Jordan:  “Let’s hope it doesn’t get lost for us.”

Gelly:  “Another question.  Do you think if all the ideas in the primer were implemented, the country could have avoided the Revenge Revolution?”

Jordan:  “That’s a real stretch.  What I do know is if the Trump Administration had considered more carefully the essence of what was outlined in the primer, then the likelihood of a Revenge Revolution would have diminished.  At a minimum the Revenge Revolution would have been later and less disruptive.”

Gelly:  “You ever going to publish these?”

Jordan:  “Should I?  Whadda think?”

Gelly:  “My vote is ‘yes’ you should publish.”

Jordan:  “I’m not sure what all the topics were.  You have a list?”

Gelly:  “Here’s a list so far.  I think there are a few more.”

1. You Can’t Drive Fast Looking through the Rearview Mirror
2. Basic Economics and Common Sense
3. National Debt Is Too High.  Well, Not Really.
4. Unemployment: Always a Lagging Indicator
5. Seasonal Adjustments and Trend Lines
6. Manufacturing Creates Wealth
7. Impact of Losing the US Manufacturing Base
8. Eliminating the Incentive to Pillage
9. Recruiting New Plants or Overseas Manufacturing
10. Practical Policies to Rebuild US Manufacturing
11. Why a Healthy Domestic Auto Industry Is Important
12. Securing Equity Capital for Start-Ups, Emerging Companies
13. Capitalizing on Global Warming

Jordan:  “I’d forgotten about a few of those.  Gelly, here’s an idea. I’ll consider publishing the primer…rather we’ll consider publishing the primer…after you edit the various entries.”

Gelly:  “You want me to edit?”

Jordan:  “I know some of the data needs to be updated, which I can help with.  But having you edit will make sure the papers are understandable to the average reader.  I tried to make the language simple but not sure I always succeeded.”

Gelly:  “How quickly do you want the editing finished?”

Jordan:  “Weave the editing into your normal schedule.  Finish at least one per week and try to get two finished.  And, then we’ll publish as you finish, OK?”

Gelly:  “We’ll publish?  But these are your papers.”

Jordan:  “No.  They’ll be our papers and we will publish.”

(Entries for the primer will be published at one or two per week.  Entries published to date will be available for download on the “Policy Primer” page of the blog.  Format will be double columns.)