Let us turn
back to the last post on this Blog, titled: “Resistance, Insistence,
Persistence = New Day Is Dawning!” to
recover what may have been left hanging. We discover there that the challenge
and the call at the end of that post is all about turning some unfortunate
legislation, attitudes, judicial decisions, and resultant policies on their respective heads, so to speak, and
perhaps to straighten-out other fundamentals of our system.
“It is
past time to re-claim our values and our foundational principles. It
will take another Declaration, not of Independence, but of Common Purpose. And
it will take a bolder spirit of reform and change than we have mustered to this
point. We must become the Vanguard of Truth, of Justice for all, of
Equality and Opportunity - the front line, not just of resistance, but of
INSISTENCE that our system has become encrusted with false values and with
structures and institutions that are not in sync with a future that is
impinging upon us at this moment.
We have not been bold
enough to make the changes that must be made to release our democratic values
from the cage in which they have been constrained, separated from
their parental principles. We must put People first, for that is
what makes this country great. We must resurrect our basic
principles in new forms and structures that put people before profit.”
Along those
lines, it is instructive to begin to look at some of our foundation principles, first in the Preamble to our Constitution and then within that
document’s Articles and Amendments. I
will suggest some concepts and actions that might turn present belief and practice on its head and actually
reverse the damage done to our guiding principles by a right-wing cabal of the
SCOTUS and by the radical de-constructionists of the legislature. Let me be clear that my proposals are meant
to provoke reaction and discussion, which might lead to a better end product. I
don’t believe like Trump that only I know the answers, solutions or processes
for reform or change. I do believe we
all have something to contribute to the processes of reform and
governance. So, here are some of my
(admittedly inadequate) prescriptions for the rejuvenation of a rapidly
deteriorating system of governance.
Let me add
that the system we have fallen into (by both design and neglect) is not
representative, is not justice-oriented, is not contractual, and is not based
on the authority or the unity of its people. Most recently, it has become autocratic,
racist, unequal and unjust, pitting
people, groups and organizations against one another rather than supporting a
system working together toward common purposes and goals that benefit the
greatest number of people. In reality, it appears that many of those purposes
and goals have been undermined, even extinguished, not only by partisan
politics, but by a set of principles that are neither democratic nor unifying;
the so-called “principles” and ideology of Capitalism (see my broader
discussion of this in the 4/15 /2017).
The Mission of this government is not the
welfare of the People, but the welfare (and control) by a very few people whose
money and power have made us into an arm of business and a tool for protecting
profit, prestige, power and privilege (see post for 6/3/2017).
The operation of this government is controlled by the special interests of
oligarchs and plutocrats, not by the People.
I know as I
write, that there are those who believe
such talk to be socialistic, or at most communistic, when it is far more
democratic, reflecting not the autocratic socialism or communism of misguided
leaders and countries like Russia and China where democratic principles were
distorted to enable dictatorial control of all aspects of life. The
“brainwashing” of the citizens of this Republic over the last century has been
so successful that now too many of our population cannot recognize democratic
values. They have been “taught” that
emphasis on people’s rights, liberties and well-being are socialist and
communist ideals. They think that any
good far-reaching program of government, like Head Start or Medicaid or even
Social Security, are socialist or communist or at least government
give-away-programs.
And just
where are they getting those ideas? From the very people who want to use
government to their own ends; who want to control your thoughts and your
desires and your shopping lists; who now have access to your interests through
the internet, so they can stream just the ‘right’ recommendations of purchases
into your consciousness. And it’s so subtle, you don’t even recognize that this
is an autocratic use of mind-control. By
subtle and overt mind control techniques, many citizens are convinced that healthcare
provided by government as a right, not a privilege, is a socialist plot. And, all this time, the real perverters of
democratic principles and values have been manipulating our brains to support
their profit motives, thereby giving up democratic values to support the
distorted principle of privilege for the few rather than insured well-being for
the many.
The Preamble
to the Constitution puts forth what might be termed ‘motivations’ for the
production of the document, or what we might refer to these days as the
underlying purposes of the Constitution: to establish Justice, ensure Domestic
Tranquility, to provide for the Common Defense, promote the General Welfare and
secure the blessings of Liberty to ourselves and to our prosperity. We have seen under the Trump regime a much
different approach to the purposes of our form of government and its
principles.
We have seen
the institution of authoritarian principles and behaviors that have contributed
to the undermining of our democratic and representative government. We should refer briefly to a few examples of
late that relate to what most would-be tyrants usually practice.
1) incessant propaganda is a necessity for focusing on the leader, and for keeping a base of people
uninformed and loyal. The Big Lie
technique is a must for this to be effective.
The Trump administration is now beyond expert at this technique.
2) establish a full stable of scapegoats early on; and the Trump
regime has done so quite successfully: Islamists, Mexicans, the poor and unhealthy
or disabled, along with intelligence
and FBI agents, and the “fake news”
purveyors -- the press; all of whom are somehow weak, inadequate, dangerous or
criminals.
3) continually castigate the opposition; perhaps attacks on former President Obama
are the most disturbing example among many
4) destroy trust in government and its leaders: this
ranges from imbecilic appointees to naming people to departments they despise,
to de-regulation; to destruction of consumer advocacy boards to the destruction
of government experts and knowledgeable civil servants who have served
honorably and well for years; attacks on government worker unions; delay in
filling key positions, and on and on.
5) projecting an image of fervent patriotism (NFL taking a knee – Trump still making
big fuss) and avid militarism – nothing like a President who bows down to a
Russian dictator/killer but who tells North Korea’s leader and the dictator of
Iran that they face exceedingly violent events.
6) using and abusing the electoral process to gain complete control of
government machinery and thus the ability to block opposition from successful
vote-getting: restrictive IDs, closing Election Bureau offices, changing poll
locations, voter rolls purged; plus, gerrymandering of districts are but the tip
of the iceberg as Trump regime wars against the vote for “undesirables”
7) using every aspect (institution) of society
one can to cement an authoritarian advantage: religion, the courts,
budgets, hate groups, children (at southern border).
Having
explored what may only be the tip of the iceberg, let us turn to what needs to
be turned upside-down to rebuild our democracy that has begun to be
de-constructed by this destructive regime.
PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST
As so many
of you know, several of the problems facing us are the result of political ideology, and party politics that tend to put
everything into an ethos of control and power. In the process of setting policy and operational mechanisms,
that ethos comes to the fore and makes us aware that false ideology translates
to:
· politicians who ignore the opinion of
the voters on many major issues such as comprehensive background checks on gun
sales
· representation often interpreted by
office-holders as loyalty to their big donors, their lobbyists and lawyers; or
to those who are the richest -1% among us
· believing that winning election and
re-election is more important than standing up for what is right for the other
99% of the people
· supporting (and being captured by) a
president who believes his way is the only way, and his status is all that
matters
· being willing to pass legislation
without any great outcome for the People, but that actually brings harm to children,
seniors and those challenged by disabilities
· the undermining of the great truths
and fundamentals that support and energize our form of government
And so, a
few thoughts on ways to return us to some of our most important basic values in
order to place the People in the midst of the action, rather than on the
periphery where politicians and aristocrats (Plutocrats) seeking power, status
and privilege most like to see us! In
other words, here are some ways to set
the up-set governance system on its feet ready to confront the falsity and
harmfulness of our current de-constructed system.
1. We must take seriously the 9th
and 10th Amendments that refer to rights ‘retained’, and powers
‘reserved’ to the People. Problem is,
politicians have basically ignored the enumeration of such rights and
powers. Why? Because the more powers reserved to the
People, the fewer they will retain as politicians. Yet, this is exactly the correction, the
balance, the check that we need right now – the meaningful involvement of the
People in their own government’s programs and structures. Let me be bold enough
to suggest a few radical changes (‘powers’) not delegated to the United States
or to the states”:
a. Ordinary people need to be on the
inside of government structures giving advice and input on a continuous basis,
primarily because our ‘representative’ democracy was formulated at a time when
education was neither mandatory nor publicly funded. Most young people were needed more as
wage-earners than as students. “Even as
late as 1860, there were only 300 public schools, as compared to 6,000 private
academies.” (Richard C. Wade, et. al., A History of the United States with Selected
Readings, Vol. I p. 398). In stark contrast, today, a large portion of
the population have graduated from high school and college. Many graduates are
likely to know more about some subjects, including governance, than the
representatives they vote into office.
This concept might be implemented in the form of advisory councils, commissions, or committees, etc. Since there is nothing in the Constitution to
prevent this, nor anything beyond advice and consent granted the Congress in
specific circumstances, the ability to provide advice on a broader scale should
not be precluded. Thus, I propose that Congress pass legislation requiring all major offices and office-holders to have
an advisory component, made up of both elected and appointed ordinary citizens from
diverse backgrounds. They must be
provided the regular opportunity to propose legislation, regulations, social
policy and organizational structures.
They could also be called upon to advise in any area that affects the
general welfare of the People. [see July 21, 2014 post for more detail]
b. My second proposal revolves around citizen or
consumer advocacy: that ordinary citizens be appointed to Inspector General offices
to take part in evaluation and assessment of government offices in terms of
meeting goals, carrying out mandates, spending budgets effectively and
efficiently, and obeying regulations and laws as applied to consumer needs and
necessities [see post of 05/02/2018 for
discussion of attack on consumer advocacy, and above post for more detail on
concept.]
c. My third proposal revolves around two
extremely important amendments to the Constitution: the first, to allow for a
route of amendment by the people and not by the Congress; the second, to
overturn the incompetent decision in Citizens United that allowed political
bribery by corporations under the guise of the First Amendment right to free
speech. This is the prime example of a
Supreme Court captured by a right-wing ideology that invites and allows
corporations to control our most sacred democratic right to vote in elections
free from special interests, monetary influence and control. Until this is
overturned, we can not expect to have fair elections. The Amendment must include a statement to the
effect that “corporate entities are not individuals entitled to the rights
granted to individual persons by this Constitution. Further, it shall be unlawful for corporate
entities to attempt in any way to acquire
or to abrogate the rights allotted to any individual by this Constitution.” [please see March 26, 2014 post as well as
6/20/2010 for all proposed amendments]
d. My final proposal in this category
concerns the all-important freedom to vote as one’s conscience dictates, and to
have that vote counted directly for the individual chosen to receive that
vote. The existence of the Electoral
College is an abomination because it weights the votes of one state (or even a
few districts) against those of another and interferes with the direct election
of a person by the electorate, as in 2016.
The Electoral College was established
as a means of the ruling class being a check upon the underclass. The richer, more educated colonialists feared
uprisings of the poor (and others) as did their forbearers in England and
other European nations. They wanted
above all, to preserve their way of life, but also did not want to subject their
new Republic to an unruly mob that might destroy its uniqueness. Unfortunately, that tool of the rich
colonialists used to preserve their lives and the life of democracy (or so they
thought) has become a modern tool of the rich and powerful by which to destroy
the ideal of one man-one vote and a means by which to keep the power they have
accumulated and the profits they refuse to share.
That is
enough for now. But, we shall return to
this examination of our principles in the Constitution in light of a new
generation looking again at what they have inherited. [more detail and overview available at post
for March 23, 2014].
However, it
is necessary to close with one more thought that few seem to address these
days. It is this: the business of government is not Business,
nor the aggrandizement of millionaires and billionaires. Nor is it the business of government to
increase the profit-taking and tax-avoiding strategies of Business. Government, according to the Constitution’s
Preamble, should be concerned about business and people under the purposes of
establishing Justice, insuring Domestic Tranquility, providing for the Common
Defense, promoting the General Welfare and securing “the blessings of Liberty
to ourselves and our posterity.”
Nowhere in
the Preamble or in the Constitution itself are any direct references made to
“promoting the special interests of Trade, Commerce or Big Business” – it
doesn’t even mention small businesses!
What the Constitution does mention more than once is the regulation of Trade and Commerce
by government, as in Article I, sec. 8:
The Congress shall have power “to Regulate
Commerce with Foreign Nations, and among the several states, and with the
Indian Tribes…” and the power “To coin
money” and “regulate the value thereof…” No mention of promoting profit-making or of
colluding with wealthy businessmen to fix prices, wages or pensions; no mention
of “free trade’ or the ‘free market” or any other invented euphemism for
“unregulated”.
The only endeavor the Congress
is called to promote is one that the Trump administration has endeavored to
disenfranchise from public support, i.e.” the progress of Science and useful
Arts”.
I submit to
you this half-joking/ half serious thought: let’s give Business what they clamor
for --- let’s give them a free market, in which there are no regulations except
those needed to preserve life and liberty for the rest of us. Let them operate freely without tax breaks,
rebates or subsidies. Let them be at the
whim of the open market – no tariffs or taxes on foreign goods. Let them operate entirely independent of
government help in the Tax Code as well as all deregulation that can be granted
without harm to others. Let us see what
matters in that ‘free market’ that is entirely unreal.
On the
serious side: LET US BEGIN TO DIVEST
OURSELVES of the control of this democracy by business interests. We are
operating the government of, by and for the People as though the values of
Capitalism are democratic values worthy of promoting and protecting, instead of
regulating them.
We continue to consult
Business leaders rather than ordinary people;
we allow businesses to pay for expensive lobbyists to hog the
government’s time, its money and its attention.
It is past time to declare our independence from the control of these
corporate entities and to resurrect the people’s needs and opinions as our
primary concern in the public sector.
More to come….
