novelnext Chapter 7: A copy of the 1944 "Constitution"
Chapter 7: A copy of the 1944 "Constitution"
When Roosevelt uttered the word in his distinctive tone, Leo Wallace felt all the blood rush to his head.
This is not an unfamiliar term.
For a doctoral student who dedicated his academic life to the New Deal, these six words were like a lost Bible, representing the most radical ideal of Roosevelt's entire political career.
That was a brand-new "economic constitution" that he envisioned for the future peace and prosperity of the United States as he approached the end of his life.
Leo found himself back in that warm virtual study.
Roosevelt still sat in a wheelchair, but he was no longer the sorrowful historian looking back on history.
He became a stern mentor, preparing to explain this long-forgotten blueprint to his only student.
"Those who criticize me always say that I have betrayed my class and want to turn America into a socialist country," Roosevelt began, his tone calm yet powerful. "They are wrong. I never wanted to copy anyone's model. I only wanted to graft a solid foundation onto America's own democratic tradition that could guarantee the economic freedom of all citizens. This bill is my answer."
"Now, let's look at its first right and upgrade it for the 21st century."
Roosevelt's gaze sharpened.
"First: Every American citizen has the right to do and be paid for useful work."
"Watch my words, Leo," he emphasized. "It's a right, not a welfare benefit, much less a handout from the government. Back then, my Public Works Promotion Agency and Civil Engineering Department were just temporary scaffolding erected with planks and glue during a national emergency, while real buildings should be permanent."
As soon as he finished speaking, the image he knew best flashed into Leo's mind.
In Pittsburgh, rusted and scarred, the closed factories stood like steel tombs, and countless unemployed workers, his father's generation, numbed their despair with alcohol in bars.
Then, the scene changes.
In Leo's imagination, a massive torrent of investment, guided by the state, flowed into this rusty region.
The unemployed workers took off their greasy work clothes and put on uniforms with the logo of the "U.S. Green Infrastructure Corps".
They no longer idled away their time; they began rebuilding a high-speed rail network that covered the entire country.
They erected rows of huge solar panels in the western desert.
They climbed the power towers and upgraded the outdated power grid into a smart grid that can meet future energy demands.
"Look, son," Roosevelt's voice rang out, like a voice-over, "when private capital refuses to invest in the nation's future because of insufficient profit margins, when they would rather let their money swirl in Wall Street casinos than build a bridge, the nation must become that chief investor and ultimate employer."
"To enable every American who is willing to work to find a dignified and valuable job in the cause of building their own country."
"This is the right to work in the 21st century."
The screen disappeared, and Leo was filled with emotion.
Roosevelt gave him no time to catch his breath and proceeded to present the second item.
"The second right: Every American family has the right to decent housing."
"A family's home, a safe haven where children can grow up in peace," Roosevelt's voice tinged with anger, "it absolutely should not, and must never, become a financial tool used by those bastards on Wall Street for gambling!"
Before Leo's eyes appeared those foreclosed houses scattered throughout the suburbs after the 2008 financial crisis, which had been seized by banks and left vacant for many years because the homeowners were unable to repay their loans.
They are like pairs of empty eyes, staring at the country's failure.
Then, the scene changed again.
These vacant houses were taken over and renovated by a newly established "National Housing Authority".
Meanwhile, new large-scale communities are springing up on abandoned industrial sites on the outskirts of the city.
These houses are designed in a modern, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly manner, with large green spaces and parks between them, and are directly connected to well-equipped public schools, community hospitals, and daycare centers.
"Housing must return to its most fundamental function of providing shelter," Roosevelt stated his core idea. "Through the power of the state, large-scale construction of public housing for rent only will be carried out, with rents determined not by the market, but strictly linked to the median household income in the area."
"What we need to do is to completely transform the real estate market, which has kidnapped countless families, back into the most basic livelihood security."
The right to work.
The right to housing.
Leo almost stood up when he heard this.
Aren't these exactly the kinds of appeals he and his companions made countless times on Twitter and in various forums under the "specter of the new government," only to be ridiculed as "naive utopian dreams" by those so-called "realists"?
And now, these dreams are being articulated one by one by one of the greatest presidents in American history.
But his rationality still led him to raise questions.
"Mr. President..." Leo's voice trembled with excitement, "All of this...all of this sounds incredibly wonderful, but...where will the money come from?"
He paused, then added, "We're going to be talking about astronomical figures; the federal government's debt is already high enough."
Upon hearing this question, Leo chuckled softly, recalling the image of Roosevelt in his mind.
There was no sarcasm in the laughter; instead, there was a hint of approval.
"Good question, child."
"This is the ultimate question they will always use to stifle all progress, and the answer to this question will lead to our most important battleground next."
"The third and fourth rights," Roosevelt continued, "are the rights to adequate healthcare and a good education."
"Let me put this in the simplest terms: a person's life or death, and a young person's future, should never be determined by the size of their parents' wallets."
Another set of images immediately appeared before Leo's eyes.
He saw the bloated, enormous, labyrinthine headquarters of a private health insurance company, as well as his own university's extremely luxurious administration building, where the number of administrative staff even exceeded the number of full-time professors.
In his eyes, these two buildings were two enormous tumors sucking the lifeblood of the nation.
Then, in the silent scene, the two buildings collapsed with a roar, turning into dust.
What rises from the ruins is a brand new landscape that is simple, bright, and efficient.
A nationwide "universal health insurance system" terminal allows patients to receive necessary treatment simply by swiping their ID card, with bills settled uniformly by the state.
In public university campuses where tuition fees are waived, students can focus on their studies and research, and professors can return to their core duties of teaching and research, no longer needing to waste half their energy applying for meager funding for their projects.
"Where will the money come from?" Roosevelt's voice cut in as precisely as a scalpel. "You see, it's about restoring healthcare and education from industries that can be endlessly exploited for profit to their original public service attributes."
"Sever those layers of subcontracting and those financial and administrative cancers that leech off patients and students, and the money will naturally follow."
"Leo, this is not something that has been fabricated out of thin air. It is simply taking back the resources that rightfully belong to the people from the hands of those legalized parasites."
These words sent a chill down Leo’s spine, making him feel a sense of exhilaration.
But he knew this wasn't the final answer. All of this was still just repairing that dilapidated house.
Then Roosevelt told him where the real goal was.
"The fifth right," the president's voice became incredibly sharp, as if it could cut through the air, "the right to be free from unfair competition and commercial monopolies."
"That's the core of it all, Leo. That's also where I fell short the most, where I failed the most." For the first time, he so frankly admitted his limitations. "I fought those trust giants my whole life. I did win some battles, but I only pruned their overgrown branches, never really touching their roots."
"Now, the time has come."
Roosevelt's voice was filled with determination.
He pointed out to Leo the real battlefield of the 21st century, and the enemy that had to be targeted.
"Finance, energy, and data."
"Remember these three words, child. These three areas are the lifeblood of modern civilized society. Whoever controls them controls everything."
"They can determine whether a country's economy prospers or collapses, whether we have a clean future or are suffocated by fossil fuels, and whether people's minds are free or manipulated by algorithms."
"They cannot, and should never, be in the hands of a few private individuals whose sole purpose is profit."
Leo felt like his heart was about to jump out of his chest.
He knew that this was the true blueprint for the revolution.
Therefore, our solution must also be direct and thorough.
"First, establish a national investment bank. Its sole purpose is to serve the real economy and national infrastructure, completely replacing the speculative function of Wall Street that only creates profits for itself."
"Second, through legislation, major oil, gas and electricity companies should be gradually nationalized or reorganized into public utility companies jointly owned by the community and employees, whose operation must prioritize energy security and environmental protection, rather than shareholder profits."
"Third, and most importantly," his voice became exceptionally serious, "the legislation declares that all citizens' personal data is sacred and inviolable digital private property protected by the Constitution. Tech giants like Omni, Google, and Facebook can act as custodians to provide services to citizens, but they have no right to use this data for their own profit."
"Ultimate ownership of data must be returned to every citizen who created it."
This grand, clear, yet incredibly radical blueprint slowly unfolded in Leo's mind.
He was completely stunned.
After the initial shock, his mind, hardened by reality, came to a conclusion about the most fatal obstacle.
"Mr. President..." His voice was hoarse, "To achieve any of this, or even just any one of these things... it would be tantamount to formally declaring war on the entire ruling class of America."
The more he spoke, the colder the chill rose in his heart.
"They will use every means to stop us... The media will portray us as devils, Congress will use endless procedures to delay, the courts will declare our bill unconstitutional, and even..."
He didn't dare finish his sentence, but both he and Roosevelt understood what the unfinished words meant.
The military, the police, and the intelligence agencies that lurk in the shadows.
Roosevelt's image became very serious in Leo's mind.
"you're right."
"So this is not just about economic reform."
"This is a revolution."