Fort Report: No Place Like Nebraska

If you have ever visited New York City, you have probably felt the excitement and energy of the dense urban setting. If you have ever visited Los Angeles, you have probably enjoyed the fascinating palm trees and the balmy seaside weather. Our Capitol, too, is a great and historic American city, one with its own particular rhythms of work and life that are different than elsewhere on the coasts. All three cities have unique assets and are centers of influence.

But the strengths of each are made possible by the deeper unifying strength of the rest of America—a strength of commitment to one another that begins in families and small communities. This strength does not come from a concentration of political power in Washington, economic power in Wall Street, or cultural power in Hollywood. It rises instead from the renewed dedication of Americans in each generation to do the best they can with their talents and take responsibility not only for themselves and their families, but for their local neighborhoods.

When more and more resources gather in fewer places, ideals of strong families and communities begin to lose force to sustain the greater nation.

Government bureaucracy and regulation that homogenizes everything from safety nets to education should never replace more effective local solutions and can never substitute for a robust civil society. An economy where the transnational corporation crowds out smaller players harms a genuine free market that supports social cohesion. We need a space for widespread opportunity and ownership where small businesses can multiply and thrive and where risk and reward generate a personal and inclusive entrepreneurialism. Commercialized cultural trends, often manufactured in boardrooms and exported by marketing professionals, are no antidote for the isolation and loneliness that many Americans feel.

New York City alone cannot cure what ails our economy. Los Angeles cannot create a true and lasting cultural solidarity. Politicians are good at pointing out problems, but Washington cannot provide all of the solutions. 

Answers come from places like the Lincoln Haymarket. On summer Saturday mornings, the farmer’s market creates the space for a diverse array of local products. Farmers and craftsmen exchange goods and conversation with families looking for that homemade feel. Behind the revitalized old brick storefronts, technology startups are thriving with new ideas that challenge well worn corporate models. Our version of a “silicon prairie” provides a fresh and organic market dynamism. 

While great cities have their role in the American landscape, a new economic model could challenge the power concentrations and return us to an opportunity economy. For things to get better in America, moving away from a government-controlled society—divided by class and income—to a renewed focus on what makes a healthy economy is the best pathway to financial independence where everyone counts. 

There is no place like Nebraska.