The Race From Niagara to Iguazu and the Journey to Rediscover the Americas

Early in the 21st century it is clear that American capitalism and democracy needs repair.  Large corporations, supported by poor energy, environmental, and foreign policy, have raped, pillaged, and plundered overseas markets for natural resources and cheap labor to support our addictive new religion, consumerism.  The results are in and continue to shock those willing to accept the new reality; that the air, water, and food supply of North America have been corrupted and polluted by burning fossil fuels that we have literally poisoned ourselves and indebted ourselves, our cities, our states, and our federal government in doing so.

Therefore, it is time to embark on a new journey, a new mission like our forefathers did with the race to the moon.  Only this time, instead of staring of into space dreaming of an untouchable universe, this time we must take out our maps and look to our neighbors.  Not for their untapped oil, water, gold, silver, or even cheap labor, but for their wisdom, their stories, their history, their breathtaking landscapes, and their cultural beauty.  This time we must journey, not to space, but to rediscover the Americas.  Literally from pole to pole, north to south, east to west.  But this time we must preserve the air, land, and water we cross.  The mission must be sustainable both economically and environmentally.  We must enter a new era of sustainable trade and energy fueled by the sun, the moon, and the wind.

Solar, wind, and wave power has come a long ways since its inception and by unleashing the creative passions of all the people of the Americas we can connect and energize our cultures, our economies, and our souls.

With this posting, with this letter, I am proposing the first of a series of races, not for speed, nor greed, nor territory, but for pride, for liberty, and for most of all, dignity.  A race from Niagara Falls on the border between the United States and Canada to Iguazu, on the border of Argentina and Brazil.  The race will be to build a net zero emissions high speed rail line supported by an ecosystem of small cities completely self sufficient in the food and energy needs.

The construction can be lead by companies such as the Jonathan Rose Companies, who have experience building ecosystems centered around mass transit.  The architecture can be lead by people like Jacques Fresco, a futurist and architectural engineer.  The financing will come from the private sector, primarily venture capitalists and microlenders for a small share of ownership.  Most importantly, the labor for the project to build the railroads, the trains, the stations, and the cities that surround them will come from the unemployed; those that have been displaced by the neoliberal economic model.  Their labor will not simply be paid by the hour but with shares of ownership in the new entity.

In order to qualify for participation, companies must be primarily locally owned, which means that they must be residents from within 100 miles.  No longer will offshore entities hold governments hostage for tax revenues by keeping their profits in foreign banks on modern day treasure islands.

The education and training to plan, design, and build the power plants, the railroads, the distribution centers, the train cars, etc. will be subsidized by the government and the teachers will also come from the unemployed.  To clarify, governments only role in this endeavor will be to provide education to its people.  Even security will be privately organized and they will be unarmed peace officers providing guidance and assistance to the millions of tourists that will fill the trains on their own personal Journey to Rediscover the Americas.