By skyforbes 
A practical proposal for making American capitalism work for actual Americans
Most of us want the same things. A decent job. A safe neighborhood. A chance for our kids to do better than we did. We don’t want to see our neighbors struggle, even the ones with different yard signs. The fights that dominate cable news and social media — they’re real, but they’re not the whole story. Strip away the noise, and Americans mostly agree: hard work should pay off, big companies should contribute their fair share, and everyone deserves a shot at success.
But here’s what drives me crazy: we keep trying to solve 2025 problems with 1925 solutions. We’re debating “socialism versus capitalism” like it’s still the Cold War, while artificial intelligence is about to change everything about how we work and live. We’re using rotary phones to navigate the iPhone era.
So I started sketching something different. Not from some ivory tower — I’m just someone who’s tired of watching the same arguments produce the same nothing. I wanted to hear what it would sound like if a leader actually proposed something built for our moment. So I asked ChatGPT to write the speech I wish a president would give. Not because AI should write our policies, but because sometimes you need to hear an idea out loud to know if it’s worth fighting for.
Here’s what it came up with:
A Letter to the American People: Building a Future Worth Working For
Fellow Americans,
For generations, our nation has thrived on an unshakeable belief — that when we work hard, dream big, and build together, there is nothing we cannot achieve. From the lightbulb to the microchip, from the assembly line to the internet, American ingenuity has never been just a slogan — it has been our way of life.
Today, I believe we stand once again on the edge of something historic — a new era of innovation, productivity, and shared prosperity. But to step into that future, we must look honestly at where we are and how we move forward, together.
A New Partnership Between the People and the Prosperous
For too long, success in America has felt uneven — a system where corporations can grow boundlessly while too many citizens struggle to see that success reflected in their own lives. This is not a call to tear down achievement; it’s a call to balance it.
Under our proposal, the largest corporations — those that owe their incredible growth to generations of American workers, taxpayers, and innovators — would contribute proportionally more to the nation that made their success possible. A fair share, scaled by size and reach, not by favoritism or punishment.
But this isn’t about taking — it’s about returning. A significant portion of those contributions would go directly back to the American people: working families, students, and small business owners. The rest would strengthen our infrastructure, modernize our schools, and subsidize the research and development that keeps American innovation ahead of the world.
This is not redistribution. It is reinvestment — the American way of giving back what we all helped build.
Innovation as the Great Equalizer
Some will ask: “Won’t this hurt business?” The answer is no — it will build better business.
Because when every citizen is empowered to spend, learn, and create, American-made products don’t just survive — they thrive. Every paycheck spent in a local shop, every new graduate trained for the industries of tomorrow, becomes proof of our nation’s economic vitality.
Corporations that invest in their workers and communities will see direct benefits: reduced costs for R&D, expansion credits tied to local job creation, and the kind of loyal consumer base only a healthy middle class can provide.
When America’s people do well, its businesses do better. That is not politics; it’s economics.
The Next Leap: From Labor to Leadership
We cannot ignore the truth — the world is changing fast. Automation and artificial intelligence are not threats to fear but tools to wield.
Our goal is not to replace American workers but to elevate them — from manual labor to skilled supervision, from repetition to creation. Where ten workers once built ten thousand, twenty will soon manage millions. And those millions of products, ideas, and technologies will carry the proud mark of American craftsmanship — even if crafted by the hands of intelligent machines under human guidance.
We will not let fear of progress define us. We will shape progress to serve us.
A Nation That Believes in Itself Again
Somewhere along the way, we started to believe that “Made in America” meant “too expensive.” That innovation belonged to a few tech giants or foreign capitals. But our history tells a different story.
Every major leap the world has made — in flight, in energy, in medicine, in computing — was born from the creativity of the American people. It is time we remember that.
This plan is not about making a profit off Americans; it is about ensuring Americans profit from progress.
We must change not only our tax code, but our mindset — from scarcity to possibility, from competition to cooperation, from short-term gains to long-term greatness.
Together, We Can Leap Forward
China and other nations are racing to lead the next industrial revolution. But leadership isn’t just about speed — it’s about vision.
The rest of the world is ready to pay for a better, cleaner, smarter future. And we have the solution — right here at home. When we invest in American innovation, we don’t just create jobs; we create the blueprint the world will follow.
Let’s make sure that when the world looks for what’s next, they still look to us.
The American Dream, Renewed
So to every small business owner wondering if this system will finally recognize your contribution — yes, it will.
To every worker wondering if technology will take your place — no, it will give you a new one.
To every corporate leader wondering if America will still be a good place to build — it will be the place to build, because our people will have the means to buy, support, and believe again.
Let us rise above old divisions. Let us remember that the greatness of America has never been about wealth alone — it has been about purpose, courage, and belief.
The best of America is not behind us. It is the next breakthrough waiting for us to believe again.
Together, we will build a future worth working for.
— [Your Name] President of the United States
When I first read that back, I was struck by something: it doesn’t sound impossible. It sounds like what we should be doing. So I pushed past the rhetoric and mapped out how it would actually work. Not in theory — in practice.
Here’s How It Works (In Plain English)
Think of it like a rewards program, but for corporations and communities. We call it Community Return Capitalism, or CRC. Here’s the deal:
The biggest companies — those making over $50 billion a year — pay a little extra in taxes. Not a crushing amount, just a few percentage points more. Think of it like this: if you’re Walmart or Apple, you’ve benefited enormously from American roads, American schools, American workers. You’ve won the game. This is about chipping in for the stadium maintenance.
But here’s the twist: companies can earn that extra tax back by doing things that actually help Americans. It’s like a tax deduction, except instead of deductions for corporate jets, you get credits for:
- Creating good jobs in struggling communities (think Youngstown, Ohio, or rural Mississippi getting a new factory)
- Building stuff that helps everyone (childcare centers near facilities, affordable housing for workers, public transit)
- Bringing manufacturing back home (making computer chips in Phoenix instead of Taiwan)
- Investing in American research (partnering with state universities, training the next generation)
Every credit is tracked on a public website. You could literally go online and see: “Ford earned $10 million in credits this quarter for opening an apprenticeship program in Detroit.” No backroom deals. No mystery deductions. Just a scoreboard everyone can see.
Where Your Money Goes
Here’s the part that should matter to every American: half of this extra revenue goes straight back to you. Not through some complicated program you have to apply for. Not through tax credits you might qualify for if you fill out the right forms. Direct deposits. Every quarter. To every American.
Think about it like Alaska does with oil money — every resident gets a check. Except this would be nationwide, funded by the companies that profit most from our economy. If the program generated $200 billion (which is conservative), that’s about $75 every three months for every single American. For a family of four, that’s $1,200 a year. Not life-changing money, but real money. Grocery money. Gas money. School supplies money.
The other half? It funds the very programs companies use to earn their credits — the job training, the research, the infrastructure. It’s a circle: companies invest in communities, communities get stronger, stronger communities buy more products, companies do better. Everybody wins.
Why This Isn’t Socialism (Or Corporate Welfare)
I can already hear the shouting from both sides. “This is redistribution!” “This is a corporate giveaway!”
Nope. This is alignment.
Think about your local Little League team. Local businesses sponsor it not because they’re forced to, but because it’s good for the community — and good for business. Their names are on the jerseys. Parents remember who supported their kids. This is the same idea, scaled up.
Companies aren’t being punished for success. They’re being asked to reinvest in the system that made them successful. And if they do it smart — if they train workers, build infrastructure, create jobs — they pay no extra taxes at all. Meanwhile, every American gets a stake in the economy’s success.
For conservatives worried about big government: this shrinks bureaucracy. One simple formula replaces hundreds of special interest tax breaks. Money flows directly to citizens, not through twenty federal agencies.
For progressives worried about inequality: the biggest companies finally pay their fair share, and working families get direct benefits plus better jobs.
For businesses worried about competitiveness: you get predictability. The same rules for everyone. Plan your investments, earn your credits, pay less taxes. No more lobbying for special deals.
The Automation Angle
Here’s where it gets interesting for anyone worried about robots taking their job. We all know automation is coming. The question is: will it help American workers or replace them?
Under this system, companies earn massive credits for retraining workers to run the robots instead of being replaced by them. Imagine you work in a warehouse. Instead of being laid off when automation arrives, your company gets a tax credit to train you as a robotics supervisor. You go from lifting boxes to managing the machines that lift them. Better pay, safer work, same company.
It’s like when ATMs were invented. Everyone thought bank tellers were doomed. Instead, banks opened more branches and tellers became customer service specialists. Same idea, but this time we plan for it instead of hoping it works out.
What You’d Actually See
Year One: Congress passes CRC. The online dashboard goes live. You see which companies in your area are earning credits and how. Your first dividend check arrives — maybe just $75, but it’s yours.
Year Two: Companies announce new training programs (because 30% tax credits are hard to ignore). That closed factory in your town? Someone’s looking at it again because hiring there earns double credits.
Year Three: Your cousin who works at the plant gets offered free training to become a robotics technician. The company builds a childcare center that locals can use too. Your quarterly dividend is up to $100 because more companies are participating.
Year Five: American manufacturing is actually growing. Not just tech companies — real manufacturing. Your town has new apprenticeship programs. Your kids have better job prospects. And every quarter, like clockwork, that dividend hits your account.
The Real Question
Will there be problems? Of course. Some companies will try to game the system — that’s why everything’s public and audited. Some politicians will try to raid the dividend fund — that’s why it’s locked by law for ten years. Some jobs will still disappear — that’s why we’re funding retraining from day one.
But here’s what I keep coming back to: we’re the country that put a man on the moon. We built the interstate highway system. We created the internet. Are we really going to sit here and say we can’t figure out how to make capitalism work for actual Americans?
The technology exists. The money exists. The need absolutely exists. What’s missing is the political courage to try something new instead of having the same tired fights.
I’m not running for office. I don’t have all the answers. But I’m tired of pretending our only choices are 1930s socialism or 1980s trickle-down economics. We can build something better — something that harnesses American innovation while ensuring every American benefits.
The rest of the world isn’t waiting for us to figure this out. China is racing ahead with its own model. Europe is refining theirs. We can either keep fighting about the past or start building the future.
This is a blueprint to argue with, improve, and maybe — if enough of us demand it — actually build. Because at the end of the day, we all want the same thing: a fair shot at a good life in a country that works for the people who make it work.
The question isn’t whether this exact plan is perfect. It’s whether we’re ready to stop accepting that nothing can be done. I think we are. I think you are.
Let’s prove it.
Who Would Fight This — And Why You Should Know Their Real Reasons
Let me be straight with you about who would oppose this plan and why. Some have legitimate concerns worth addressing. Others? They’re protecting their own interests while pretending to protect yours.
The Opponents You’d Expect
1. The Ultra-Wealthy and Their Lobbyists
The biggest corporations and billionaires would unleash an army of lobbyists against this. Not because it would destroy their businesses — it wouldn’t — but because it would cost them money they’d rather keep.
Their public argument: “This will kill American competitiveness! Companies will flee overseas!”
Their real reason: They’ve spent decades building a tax system full of loopholes that lets them pay less in taxes than you pay on your car registration. Amazon paid zero federal taxes in 2018 on $11 billion in profits. Zero. This system would end that game.
Is their concern legitimate? Partially. Some companies might threaten to leave. But here’s what they won’t tell you: they need American consumers, American infrastructure, and American talent. Google isn’t moving to Bangladesh. Apple needs American engineers. They’ll adapt, just like they adapted to every other tax change in history.
2. Private Equity and Hedge Funds
These folks make billions by buying companies, loading them with debt, extracting fees, and often destroying jobs in the process. They’re financial engineers, not builders.
Their public argument: “This stifles financial innovation and efficient capital allocation!”
Their real reason: The system rewards actual investment in communities, not financial manipulation. They’d have to create real value, not just shuffle paper. Their whole business model depends on tax advantages that would disappear.
Is their concern legitimate? No. These are the same people who bought your local hospital, cut staff to boost profits, and left your community with worse healthcare. Their “financial innovation” is just finding new ways to extract wealth without creating it.
3. Tax Haven Enablers
The lawyers and accountants who’ve built careers helping corporations hide profits in Bermuda, Ireland, and the Cayman Islands.
Their public argument: “This violates international tax treaties and trade agreements!”
Their real reason: Their entire industry exists to help companies avoid paying taxes. This would kill their business model overnight.
Is their concern legitimate? Not even slightly. They’re parasites on the system, producing nothing while helping drain resources from communities that need them.
The Opponents That Might Surprise You
4. Some Labor Unions (Initially)
This might shock you, but some old-school unions might resist at first.
Their public argument: “Automation credits will accelerate job losses! We need to fight robots, not train people to work with them!”
Their real reason: Fear. Legitimate fear. They’ve watched automation destroy jobs for decades with no support for workers. They don’t trust promises of retraining because those promises have been broken before.
Is their concern legitimate? Absolutely. But here’s the difference: this plan funds retraining BEFORE jobs disappear, not after. It pays companies to keep workers and upgrade their skills. It’s the protection unions should be demanding. Smart union leaders will realize this and get on board. The dinosaurs will fight it and lose their members’ trust.
5. Small Government Conservatives
Some principled conservatives will oppose any new tax structure on philosophical grounds.
Their public argument: “This is big government picking winners and losers! The free market should decide!”
Their real reason: They genuinely believe government shouldn’t redirect private money, even if it helps their own constituents. It’s ideological, not greedy.
Is their concern legitimate? It’s sincere, but misguided. The current system already picks winners — it just does it through loopholes and lobbying. This plan is actually MORE free market: same rules for everyone, compete on who helps America most. But I respect that they’re arguing from principle, not profit.
6. State and Local Politicians (From Wealthy Areas)
Governors and mayors from rich areas that already attract investment might worry.
Their public argument: “This will redirect investment away from successful regions to failing ones!”
Their real reason: They want to keep their advantage. If companies get extra credits for investing in struggling Ohio towns, that’s less investment in Silicon Valley or Manhattan.
Is their concern legitimate? Partly. But America can’t succeed with a few rich cities and everywhere else falling apart. Rising tide, lifting boats, and all that. Plus, their areas will still get investment — just not ALL of it.
The Hidden Opposition
7. The Political Consultant Class
Both Republican and Democratic consultants who make millions keeping Americans divided.
Their public argument: They won’t make one publicly. They’ll work behind the scenes to kill it.
Their real reason: This plan could actually work and bring people together. That’s bad for business if your business is partisan warfare. They need you angry and divided. Unity doesn’t pay their bills.
Is their concern legitimate? Only for their bank accounts.
8. Economic Complexity Dealers
The think tanks, economists, and “experts” who’ve built careers on making economics incomprehensible to regular people.
Their public argument: “This is too simplistic! Economics requires sophisticated models and complex instruments!”
Their real reason: If regular Americans understand how the economy works, we don’t need high priests explaining it to us. Their relevance depends on your confusion.
Is their concern legitimate? Please. The current system is complex BY DESIGN to hide who benefits. Simplicity is a feature, not a bug.
How to Spot Real Concerns vs. Greed
Here’s your guide to cutting through the BS:
Signs of legitimate concern:
- They offer specific, fixable problems (“This credit formula needs adjustment”)
- They worry about unintended consequences for regular people
- They’re willing to negotiate improvements
- They have skin in the game as citizens, not just profits
Signs of greed dressed up as concern:
- Vague warnings about “competitiveness” or “innovation”
- They can’t explain how it hurts average Americans
- They immediately threaten to leave/divest/fire people
- They spend millions on ads with scary music and no facts
- They’ve been paying less than 10% tax rates while you pay 25%
What They’ll Try
Get ready for this playbook:
- Fear Campaign: Ads showing factories closing, even though the plan prevents exactly that
- Complexity Attack: “It’s too complicated!” (From the people who gave us derivatives and cryptocurrency)
- Division Strategy: Try to pit workers against each other, states against states
- Bribery Surge: Sudden promises to create jobs if we just keep the current system
- The Socialist Card: Calling it socialism, communism, whatever-ism to scare you
- Expert Overwhelm: Parade economists who’ve been wrong about everything to say this won’t work
The Truth They Don’t Want You to Know
Most opposition isn’t about economics — it’s about power. The current system lets a few thousand people and companies write the rules for 330 million Americans. This plan would flip that.
They’re not afraid it will fail. They’re afraid it will work.
Because if Americans realize we can redesign our economy to work for everyone — if we see that their “complexity” is just a smokescreen — then what else might we change?
The real question isn’t whether there will be opposition. It’s whether we’ll let the people who’ve been rigging the game for decades convince us that making it fair is somehow dangerous.
They’ll spend hundreds of millions fighting this. Ask yourself: if it wasn’t going to cost them billions, why would they bother?
Your move, America.
This piece represents a thought experiment in democratic imagination — what becomes possible when we stop accepting false choices and start demanding real solutions. The presidential speech was drafted by AI, but the vision is thoroughly human: an America where innovation and inclusion aren’t opposites, but partners.