Our Political Platform
a draft.
The following is a draft project of 21st Century Restoration. It will be on-going. Your suggestions are not only welcome, they are solicited. REMEMBER, comments and subscription here are FREE and welcomed from all readers.
Some of you have asked about the title of the blog. The “restoration” referred to is a restoration of the revolutionary ideals of 1776 and, with sincere respect to our French brothers and sisters, 1789. In other words, the restoration of democratic republicanism: a representative system in which sovereignty resides in the collective citizenry.
For those who just fell off the American cabbage truck, this is the moment to bear in mind that you live in a plutocracy, not a republic.
The short version of the “restoration” alluded to here would be "Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité" in the French language or in English “Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity.” The American version is “Liberty and Justice for All,” the phrase at the end of the never-realized indoctrination … errrr … Pledge of Allegiance drilled into every child and citizen (perhaps more on this at another time).
Everyone seems aware that the country needs a new political party and a new political movement. Yet few seem to know what that might be. So here are some proposals for your consideration. Again, this is a draft platform. Readers are welcome to offer criticisms or suggestions.
DRAFT POLITICAL PLATFORM OF 21ST CENTURY RESTORATION:
Universal compulsory public service with non-military and military options; three years to be served after graduation from secondary education. Full room, board, and nominal salary provided.
Universal, compulsory, secular public education: grades 1-12.
Public banking.
Progressive taxation at a scale much higher than at present on the upper end, elimination of shelters, loopholes, and a ban on evasion by offshore holding.
No overseas wars whatsoever - defensive militarism only. Rescind all NSC orders to the contrary including the Monroe and Carter Doctrines.
Bill of Rights. Adherence to the existing 10 and subsequent amendments.
No executive orders without legislative review. At most a SHORT time-leash.
Adherence to the Geneva Conventions.
Term limits and rotation to the Supreme Court and abolition of judicial review on constitutional issues. No such power is enumerated in the Constitution of the United States. This power was appropriated by the SCOTUS.
Restore nuclear disarmament and missile treaties.
Permanently rescind AUMF.
Absolute demilitarization of space as a prelude to demilitarization on earth. “On earth as it is in heaven.”
Sharply weaken the unitary executive.
Single payer health system.
100% free public education through grade 12 and through graduate level for all who qualify.
Recission of “corporate personhood,” reinstatement of the inheritance tax at a confiscatory level (95%?) over a million dollars adjusted annually for inflation, and a minimum 15% tax on all corporate profits above $500,000.00 US per annum.
I will soon be delivering a series of 11 lectures on the evolving struggle by those on the left, the right, and the middle to control interpretation of the constitution. There will be ample time for discussion each week. So, consider registering. The lectures begin Monday evening at 6:30 p.m. September 9 on Zoom, hosted by the Henry George School of Social Science. The lecture series is free of charge but you do need to register to get the Zoom link. All are welcome. I hope for vigorous discussion on many important issues.
Good morning Ken,
I insert my comments below for each of your proposed systemic reforms:
(1) Universal compulsory public service with non-military and military options; three years to be served after graduation from secondary education. Full room, board, and nominal salary provided. ED: Three years seems like much to long to delay a young person's entry into college or other training or the workforce. What about a part-time option?
Universal, compulsory, secular public education: grades 1-12. ED: Are you saying that parents should not have the option to send their children to a private or parochial school? I would rather provide an income-determined voucher system so parents could have choices of where their children are schooled.
Public banking. ED: Yes. There should be a public bank system in every state and in large cities as well.
Progressive taxation at a scale much higher than at present on the upper end, elimination of shelters, loopholes, and a ban on evasion by offshore holding. ED: Progressive, yes, but progressive in that income DERIVED from privilege under law is publicly captured and income EARNED producing things and providing services is largely untaxed. My design: Exempt all individual incomes up to the national median. Eliminate all other exemptions and deductions. Above the exempt level, impose an increasing rate of taxation on higher ranges of income.
No overseas wars whatsoever - defensive militarism only. Rescind all NSC orders to the contrary including the Monroe and Carter Doctrines. ED: To be sure U.S. military interventions have often been to protect regimes that deserved to fall, but scaling back on our overseas presence needs to be done carefully, with agreements on the reduction in arms production and the size of each country's military.
Bill of Rights. Adherence to the existing 10 and subsequent amendments. ED: There is a need for additional amendments to the Constitution, such as elimination of the electoral college and proportional representation.
No executive orders without legislative review. At most a SHORT time-leash. ED: Sounds good.
Adherence to the Geneva Conventions. ED: Of course.
Term limits and rotation to the Supreme Court and abolition of judicial review on constitutional issues. No such power is enumerated in the Constitution of the United States. This power was appropriated by the SCOTUS. ED: Agreed.
Restore nuclear disarmament and missile treaties. ED: Agreed.
Permanently rescind AUMF. ED: Explain.
Absolute demilitarization of space as a prelude to demilitarization on earth. “On earth as it is in heaven.” ED: Yes.
Sharply weaken the unitary executive. ED: Explain.
Single payer health system. ED: Yes
100% free public education through grade 12 and through graduate level for all who qualify. ED: With tax reform, this idea is fine. There is today the argument that young persons who do not qualify academically and enter the work force as blue collar workers, etc. are subsidizing the formal education of those who do qualify.
Recission of “corporate personhood,” ED: Agreed.
reinstatement of the inheritance tax at a confiscatory level (95%?) over a million dollars adjusted annually for inflation, and a minimum 15% tax on all corporate profits above $500,000.00 US per annum. ED: With the median price of a residential property now well over $300,000, a million dollar inheritance is not life-changing. I would prefer a graduated tax with an initial exemption of, say, $3 million. The corporate profits tax should be replaced by a graduated tax on gross revenue (which several states now impose).