How wise were our Founding Fathers?
John Kennedy once said to a assembled group of scholars in the White House "I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered at the White House -- with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.."
These Thomas Jefferson quotes prove his point:
" When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe."
"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."
"It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world."
"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."
"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government."
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. "
"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. "
Very Interesting quote In light of the present financial crisis ... read what Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:
"Banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."
How can any reasonable person argue that this is NOT what is happening in America today?
I am a lifelong fan of TJ ... I draw inspiration from him yet, as do freedom loving Americans who know ANYTHING about their history.
The ne'er do wells and power-hungry types will always be nipping at the heels of the productive INDIVIDUALS who make an economy work in a free society. When they succeed as appears to be happening before our eyes, individual rights and liberties will be lessened once more. Sooner that not, our children will live in an old-world socialist society.
Anyway, the thought passed through my mind that China, Korea, Japan and that area of the world has found a way to compete globally to our detriment. There are extremely wealthy Asians and Russian billionaires now .... seems they found a way to use some form of capitalism to their benefit despite the political systems in which they exist. Corruption in those societies is apparent, but their populations seem to be enjoying the fruits of their labors as well.
In our efforts to seek CHANGE, maybe we are going down the road as they pass us on the way up our own road (Capitalism)? Just a thought!
Want change we can believe in?
Here are some of my personal thoughts & Ideas to consider & debate:
What business are you in?
Peter Drucker is credited with asking that poignant question. My first recollection of that thought came in the 1950's when I was first alerted to the reasons for the failure of railroads. As I began to advocate for free enterprise. I would ask, "Have you been to the airport lately and did you see any Penn Central airliners?" Invariably the response would be that Penn Central was in the railroad business. My reply was, aha, they thought so too and that is why they failed to take advantage of new technologies that came to be in the industry that they WERE in ... transportation. They completely missed the early days of aviation.
 Once again, the obvious lessons of history are being repeated before our very eyes and largely ignored by newspapers (and even television). They think they are in the "newspaper business" but in reality they are in the business of providing information. So engrossed in the rush to meet deadlines and publish written communication, they fail to see technology taking over and replacing their domain.
News people are rooted in protection of the status quo when they should be embracing the latest methods of communication. They bemoan their inability to compete and attack the credibility of the Internet as a news purveyor. Much like a frog coming to its demise while sitting in a slowly coming to a boil pot of water, newspapers are going the way of the railroads ... they just didn't see it coming soon enough.
Abolish the 16th Amendment which provides for an Income Tax
The prevailing mentality in 1913 also punished America when harassment of citizens was legalized. The Founding Fathers excluded income taxation because it would permit the government to intrude on the personal records and affairs of its citizens. Now, a new tax system is needed. A flat tax and/or national sales tax would eliminate the unwieldy federal tax code and replace it with a simpler method of tax collection handled by the various states, nearly all of which have sales tax collection systems in place.
Assume one is in the 50% tax bracket, according to one essay that makes that person a 50% slave to the government. To paraphrase that essayist: "You don't need to own the slave, just the income he needs to live on."
Abolish the 17th Amendment which provides for the direct election of Senators
In 2008 & 2009, Illinois and New York illustrated exactly why the Founding Fathers did NOT provide for the direct election of Senators by popular vote. Exposure to corruption of the election processes is inevitable when one person (Such as a governor) has too much control. Let the various legislatures select the best qualified statesman-like people as was the case before 1913. The founder's attention to the details is obvious from their intentions to what could occur.
Guarantee HONEST elections
In 2009, massive voter fraud in many states became apparent. This MUST be addressed to assure the one person, one vote American tradition.
The people who cast the votes don't decide an election, the people who count the votes do ... Joseph Stalin
Management in Government
Governments take the paths of least resistance which, to me, means resistance to change and new ideas. This mentality assures those running government are sure to fail. In the case of a new tax system, Internal Revenue Service personnel could be hired into other government agencies (or eliminated) as opposed to adding new employees in expanding federal and state governments.
Instead of managing government for efficiency, the prevailing mentality is to add personnel rather than 're-arranging' their duties. Changing the status quo for efficiency and economy works for businesses and should be actively promoted within government(s).
Having dealt with government, September 30 was a magic day ... the day in which monies have to be 'spent' to assure replacement in the next annual budget. If you don't spend it you lose it, they claim. As a non-insider with government, maybe there are rewards systems in place. My impression is that pins and plaques are nice, but financial rewards put everyone on some form of commission. In business, proven hard dollar savings is the objective ... in government identifying the equivalent hard dollars saved to the taxpayers should be rewarded for the person(s) suggesting the improvement. Ten Percent seems fair and extra income is usually the motivation people need to THINK!
Unclog the court system
The easiest way to do this is to make the loser pay ALL the legal fees. This will create an environment for settling cases out of court as well as eliminate frivolous suits ... intended to create financial harm usually to the party least able to defend.
Ban all political donations from unions and private interest groups or level the playing field
Corporations have a need to get their messages out to the legislative bodies of government.
Direct contributions compromise integrity of the system because there are those who take money in return for political favors. Representatives of citizens should not be so easily 'bought.'
Organizations have a need to communicate their concerns and should publish such information on the Internet for all to see. Politicians have a need to know and all positions on each issue could be analyzed via websites, HOWEVER, every organization should have access to the political system.
Eliminate corporate income taxes
Face it. Businesses don't pay taxes. They simply pass the cost along to their customers which in turn lowers their ability to compete in international markets thus costing American jobs. Along that line of thought, at every opportunity the temptation to hire more government employees should be resisted. Why? In a capitalist economy (the most successful system the world has ever seen), government is overhead ... an expense item if you will. Capitalism is profit. Why does it make sense for government to take taxes from prosperous companies for politicians to spend? Why not keep as much money as possible in the private sector to facilitate job-creating investments?
The truth is government produces virtually NOTHING and certainly not profits in the ordinary course of events.
Set spending amounts for campaigns
All too often the winner of a race is the one who spends the most money. Why not have mandatory spending limits for any elective office and mandate that when filing campaign expense reports, receipts amounts should be tied to the report
Add more responsibility to the presidential debate commission
The areas of expertise and complete personal information for each candidate for national office needs to be thoroughly scrutinized. A check list of requirements should be, at the very least, equivalent to what a human resources manager would require when hiring an executive. Detailed background check, all educational records including grades and so on should be available to voters along with valid birth certificate and other pertinent information.
A National Voter Registration System is needed
Why should inept or corrupt states be able to influence the outcome of a national election? A link to CODIS will cull out felons and other who may be ineligible to vote. (CODIS is a computer software program that operates local, State, and national databases of DNA profiles from convicted offenders, unsolved crime scene evidence, and missing persons.) Indelible fingerprint voting tied to CODIS could be included. Whatever it take to assure that only living, qualified, properly registered individuals are voting ... and only voting ONCE.
Eliminate AFFIRMATIVE ACTION programs
The 2008 presidential election proves that quota and special treatment is no longer needed. All persons should have the same opportunity for education. If not, Affirmative Action should be extended to include ALL businesses such as professional sports leagues ... NBA, MLB, NFL etc. The idea of rewarding achievement rather than politically inspired social engineering is a concept that may require bold initiatives to convey the idea that personal commitment is the way to strive and succeed.
Non-profit organizations should pay taxes like every other entity
They use fire, police and other public services. This includes churches and covered-up 'religions that are heavily involved in the political process. Besides, why should taxpayers subsidize religious beliefs to which they do not subscribe? In the case of churches and religious matters, is not the support from government a violation of the widely-held belief in the concept of church and state separation? Where is the ACLU on this one?
Eliminate sales tax exemptions and most other tax exemptions. Why is it right for taxpayers to fund police, fire and other public services to organizations that have not paid their fair share? Too, why should taxpayers help to fund organizations with causes not advocated by the taxpayer? Is that not a form of taxation without representation?
Schools should teach Evolution AND Creationism
Per The State of California, Science Framework Draft (September, 1989), 14-15. "Evolution is the central organizing theory of biology, and has fundamental importance in other sciences as well. It is no more controversial in scientific circles than gravity or electricity is. And, regardless of whether the changes in plants and animals are gradual or sporadic, the facts remain that plants and animals have evolved over time. There is no scientific dispute that evolution has occurred and continues to occur; this is why evolution is regarded as a scientific fact." To the extent that Creationism is of religious importance, its relevance in the world needs to include examination of all major religions. After all, what is the value of education that is not all-encompassing? If not all-encompassing, is that not 'brain-washing?'
Schools should teach political and economic systems
Capitalism and socialism are barely understood by most adults and their relationships to the realities of a political world is essential to informed voting decisions.
Require schools to teach Ethics
The impact of character traits such as honesty, tolerance, morality and so on are seldom understood by children. YES, they usually know right from wrong, yet they accept cheating, foul language, lying and other negative behavior as 'no big deal.' Can one expect them as adults to change?
Require schools to teach FIVE STAR CITIZENSHIP ... Honesty, integrity, duty, honor, country.
Require schools to teach conventional American and World History
That is why this site came into being. There is so much ignorance about the extremely important people and events that have led humanity to its present status We must reject revisionist history as it is polically motivated.
Education Reform
A massive alteration to how education is delivered is called for and technology is the answer to most budget woes. Today, most students are acutely aware of and adaptable to all types of technology. The Internet has opened the doors to knowledge and efficiencies heretofore unheard of.
We propose acceleration in distance learning, i.e., education delivered via computer ... from anywhere. For quality control, once a course is completed on-line, the student could complete the course by an in person supervised test. Teachers unions whose self-interest is obvious will oppose such a plan, but taxpayers should demand it. Billions could be creatively re-allocated and more courses offered. Course development could come from the very best teachers ... it is simply a matter of migrating their course outlines to an automated format. Even with the best teachers, as time goes on their work product will be more thorough and the knowledge base expanded.
Troops in Afghanistan
In the history of the world, NO one has conquered Afghanistan. That is why is known as the graveyard of empires. No army has won there ... not Genghis Khan, not Alexander the Great, not the British, not Russia and so on. America MUST not yield to pleas for conventional warfare. Today, January 9, 2009, Americans are using technology to contain brutal warlords and religious zealots. THAT is the way to prevail militarily and, hopefully, will lead to winning the war of ideas. Containment is possible when total victory may not.
VA style health care for the masses
IF national health care is to come (And its growth is beyond the 'creeping up ' stage), my opinion, based on several years of VA access, is that the computing and software system at the VA needs to be available to all health care providers. Why? It is geared to handle large numbers of patients at a minimum cost per visit. It would be the most productive way to handle a large influx of new patients. Further, the economies of scale could be negotiated in a way to lower the costs to all hospitals and ultimately, lower the cost of Medicare and other entitlement programs.
Social Security
Social Security has gone far beyond its original purpose, i.e., to take of the aged, widows and children. Social programs for all kinds of situations are funded by Social Security. To pay for all this, whether right or wrong (As in the case of illegal immigrants, others who have not paid their fair share into the system etc.), why not apply, for example, a 10% flat rate on all earnings. Perhaps eliminate the organizations contribution and limit their responsibility to collection as part of their payroll system.
Wall Street
Simplify the process. The crookedness of the industry is rooted in their pursuit of 'financial instruments' (Including Options Trading) to sell to their clients. All to often, these instruments tend to enrich the sellers to the detriment of the buyers. Should short-selling be banned ... after all it is a negative mind-set that benefits, not to mention the blatant abuses of those in possession of insider knowledge. Perhaps, insider manipulation convictions should require mandatory sentences based on the amount of financial damage
Trust funds and other vehicles organized for protection assets of the rich
I am not privy to the internal workings of such entities (Not having maintained sufficient wealth over the years to justify legal asset protection and off-shore accounts) and fancy accounting. However, it seems to me there needs to be serious information gathering in this area. Why? If there is a wall between those assets and the ordinary citizen that disadvantages that citizen, possibly changes are in order. This thought is not meant to be another way to take from the rich to give to the poor, but rather meant to assure a level playing field for the rich and the poor. The poor are not advantage to cost justify the legal expense ... and they should not be adversely affected by those who can afford such asset protection.
Abortion
I have my personal view on abortion and feel that every person involved in thoughts of abortion should act accordingly. The assumption by me is akin to pre-marital counseling. Before abortion, I do believe that counseling is appropriate and should be required. Other than that, I think abortion does not belong in the political arena as just another issue wherby each viewpoint seeks more laws to enhance their ability to control. This is a powerful picture and with that, I leave each reader to decide on one's own how to proceed with their beliefs. Take a look!
Freedom of Religion
The First Amendment reads: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
"Shouting fire in a crowded theater" is a frequent paraphrasing of a quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.'s opinion in the United States Supreme Court case Schenck v. United States in 1919. The quote is used to express the limits on free speech under the terms of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. More accurately, FALSELY shouting fire when there is no fire while intending to incite panic is NOT protected as free speech.
Should America tolerate foreign religious doctrines that threaten Freedom of Religion?
Historically, largely Christian America has been tolerant of other religions. The question here is analogous to falsely shouting "fire" in a crowded theater. The dastardly deeds of Radical Islam have proven that Islam is NOT tolerant of other religions. They advocate murder of 'infidels' and they use terrorism in support of their beliefs. Should not the U.S. Congress act to ban all Islamic immigration and provide severe penalties to the radicals who disrupt the American way of life?
Insist on strict adherence to respect of the FIRST (Unless a 'religion' advocates destruction of other religions) AND SECOND AMENDMENTS to the Constitution.
Protect and defend the Second Amendment which guarantees the right to "keep and bear arms"
Why? "Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns, why should we let them have ideas" ... Joseph Stalin
"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have"
...Thomas Jefferson
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