I realize, with great sadness, there are many talking heads and political figures that have put forth suggestions, measures, and the like for our country on all sides of the political fence. The biggest problem with all the ideas touted about in the mainstream is they are all poor, sorry excuses for strategy and often either only focus on one small concern of the citizenry or are inconsistent with our freedoms or beliefs.
Now before you pigeonhole or judge me in any way, I want to let you know I am a firm believer and supporter of Abraham Lincoln and his notion of a Republic which is completely unlike either the Republican or Democratic Parties in American today. The history lessons I give are necessary for the foundation of the New and Improved America I propose. Under Lincoln, the Republican Party believed in a STRONG CENTRAL government and weak state governments. It was the Confederacy that wanted those roles reversed. History has shown how well that worked. Now a strong government doesn’t necessarily mean large, in fact, I would argue at length for just the opposite. Break things down to just the family unit. Does having one final decision maker make things simpler and more effective or less so? There may be a few contrarians who would try to argue that two decision makers are better. Now the head of the household seeking input and advice is wise but still one person must make a final decision. In our case with the government, having 50 different or contradictory decisions is harmful to the overall union just as it was in Lincoln’s day. The original Republican Party believed as I do and the Democratic Party originally believed otherwise. Shortly after the Civil War, the party roles reversed and the defeated Democratic Party enventually overwhelming embraced the people they originally supported enslaving and saw this as an opportunity to rebuild the power base they once had. The Republican Party missed the boat big time on this. The Republican Party should have be the natural adopters of these newborn political babes.
Now work with me because my proposal is relatively clear-cut and simple but it encompasses not just our government function and make-up but our whole society. America is not just the government and its rules and structure. America is just not the people and our ways and culture. We are not just the past or the present but the future. The biggest problem I have seen with our society and our political figures is no overall schematic or philosophy on what or how our society should evolve and thrive. What usually happens is a candidate is considered liberal or conservative on the whole and then asked separately about his views on Iran, Iraq, abortion, immigration, etc. Our candidates only discuss these matters in a case by case basis, oftentimes, not even having an opinion until in the midst of a political campaign. I can cite numerous examples just from the recent Obama-McCain throwdown where neither candidate had any real strategy or opinion on the economic challenges and well as many, many other issues. They would do some polling and consultations and then throw out some vague plan or soundbite to give some glossing over of the issue to feign some degree of intelligence on the subject. We all are still living through the result of this ineptitude on the part of our politicians. Both parties have fumbled big time and in their own endzone! A true schematic for a new America would be a vision that works not just as a knee-jerk reaction or quick fix but one that works in ALL times and keeps America prosperous and moving forward. There will always be ebbs and flows in any culture but it should never stagnate. Our country’s mentor Rome should well be a reminder of that point.
The way our politicians have operated throughout modern history is wait until a problem becomes so severe or the public outcry so deafening that it can’t be swept aside and then some talk, commiteework, occasionally even a bill or measure if passed, as if to serve as a political Fix-a-Flat in the leaking tire that is the problem du jour. When I am faced with a problem, on any level, I look at what the problem is, what caused it, the pros and cons of restoring the status quo or whether a new course altogether is more effective. Let’s consider our government as an old, dilapidated house. Now, let’s say you could spend a small fortune and restore the house, update the wiring, redecorate, etc. but the house is still way too small. With all the work and effort needed, it would be more logical to rebuild from scratch on the same location and just salvage the few fixtures you really liked about the original. That is where we are at with our government and our society. After 200 plus years, we need an extreme makeover!
Now with a makeover, you still have a basic foundation you are improving upon. We have a Constitution, a lovely document when treated with the reverance and respect it so deserves. This is a brief summary of the changes I propose and I realize some would take greater effort and persuasion than others but that’s what leadership is about. Let’s tackle the purpose of government. I recognize some people would like government to powder everyone’s bottom and put an adult diaper on them but I feel the less government the better for all including government. A stream-lined government performs best and can react to any problem more quickly if all its citizen aren’t riding it like a Shetland pony. Government’s basic purpose should be to protect it citizen’s from all enemies both foreign and domestic, maintaining a system of roads and thoroughfares, maintaining a system of currency, negotiating all matters of public interest with foreign entitities, ensuring the education of its citizenry, ensuring there is a system in place to address all grievances and to deal with individuals who harm society or the country in any manner, and, other than funding all of the above is a well-thought out manner that’s really it. I know this is a vast change from many duties currently performed but most other matters and even some of these can be handled in our modern-age from private enterprise with modest oversight from the government.
In anticipation of all the “what about thises”, regarding the post office, there is UPS and Federal Express which are delivering packages quite profitably. A shared arrangement where the current postal duties are shared between the two would not be infeasible. There are alos local courier services, etc. The infrastructure of the postal system is in place and could be parted out for a reasonable price. With emails and faxes, the regular letter is becoming rare if not altogether obsolete. Bill paying is being done electronically more and more. Package delivery is already handled by the Big Two. The post office is considering asking Congress for more money, cutting out mail boxes and possible delivery days. The time for major change has come.
I realize the Food and Drug Administration handles a lot of oversight and approvals for a variety of companies. Even with this entity, there have been widespread issues with medications, lead-based paint, tainted dog food, samonella-infected peanuts. The laws for abuses are there but these duties can be transferred to our current civil authority, the law enforcement officers. A special officer or two can investigate and approve all facilities and imported goods. There would be a much greater refining of this process but it can work. I first would want the duties of our police radically changed anyhow. America has more people in its jails than China. With 1/3 the population and being a democracy that is ridiculous. Jailing our cititizens for drug use/sales, non-payment of child support and other non-violent or non-theft crimes is wrong, costly, and a poor use of our resources. I think individuals should not do drugs and should take care of their children but there are other ways to address that issue. Child support is a debt; granted one with a higher moral obligation than most, but still a debt and our society was founded with the idea there would not be indentured servants or debtor’s prison. Freedom to live and even make mistakes was good enough for our Creator who granted us free will and it should be good enough for our government. Rather than officers pursuing speeders and making seat-belt checks, they can do community policing where there patrol a neighborhood and get to know everybody who lives there, and can investigate in greater length more serios crimes. It has been proven in many countries, that when the police are more visible and involved, crime goes down. If our police are inspecting businesses, then the owners will be more cautious, if the ones who inspect them are the ones who can arrest them. Obviously, there are many finer points to discuss and there will always, in any governement, be the potential for corruption but a stream-lined government is easier to monitor as well.
Part 2 will follow shortly
