TAKING BACK AMERICA

I do not believe America is yet to far gone to recapture. However it would take several measures to even begin the process. Many of these measures the politicians, corporations and others would fight against. Then of course the large percentage of the US population that blindly follows whatever their chosen political figure says without thought or cares of whether it is true, factual or right, would also fight against the necessary steps.

Some of the steps that would be required to begin the clean up of the political corruption and corporate deception that exists today start with:

One term limits for any office by anyone person period. These terms could be increased to five years or more. Or terms could be reduced to three years. However it would be best if all offices were for the same length with staggered terms so an election would be held every year. As an example, for 5 year terms, 20% of all offices would be elected each year in a single election day for federal, state and local elections.

Ban lobbying and lobbyists, remember our representatives are supposed to answer to us, not the lobby, not the corporation nor any special interest group.

Set all salaries for all political offices to be equal to the national average income for any given year. When does it help for those who live beyond the average Americans means to decide how everyone else is to live? When did we become an elitist society where the rich rule the poor? Let them earn the same and live the same as the average American and then they will fight for what is right.

Ban any and all campaign contributions from any source other than private citizens, and limit those to a reasonable amount. I can not tell you what a reasonable amount is in this instance but it can be worked out.

Ban any and all other types of campaigning and political advertising from any source other than the candidate’s actual campaign staff. This will prevent corporations, special interests and others from being able to counteract the influence of private citizens by contributing through the back door and controlling candidates financially.

Demand full transparency in all financial records for any politician in any office, to be overseen and audited annually by an autonomous department of the government whose director is elected in a national election, not appointed. Appointing any federal level department head, judge or other office should be done away with and turned over to the people to elect a person to fill the position.

If we are going to have national health care or national health insurance, then make all politicians get and receive the same care as the lowest wage earning Americans get. This will guarantee that the politicians will make sure all Americans get decent and adequate health care, because they will get exactly the same health care. Access to health care regardless of financial situation should be an inalienable right and should be guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States of America.

Demand truth and a full accounting for any and all advertising in America. Stop allowing companies, corporations and others to say anything they want or show misleading images and make misleading, deceptive and even false statements provided they add a disclaimer. Lets get real, when did it become legal for all these people and companies to outright lie to us, mislead us and misinform us as long as they have fine print saying oh we just said that to add dramatization, or this is just a sample but not what you will really get.

Demand truth and facts from all news outlets; relegate political and personal commentary, editorials and opinions to shows for that purpose. Let them entertain you all they want but do not allow them to call that news or try to pass it off as fact. The rhetoric, the misinformation, the spinning of things is a serious problem due to it being presented as news and fact when in reality it is opinion or an attempt to manipulate Americans into believing it is fact. It is just what they want you to believe so you will not see the truth hidden behind all the snake oil.

Demand healthy food, free from harmful additives and processed in a safe environment. Demand truth in labeling, truth in food claims and that food companies, corporations, restaurants and chain stores take responsibility for damage they have or will cause to American health due to the lack of these things in the past or future.

Demand safe products and full disclosure of all defects, issues and problems reported with a product in real time. Stop allowing corporations to buy time to kill or maim more of our families by settling cases with non disclosure agreements. Require that every complaint, lawsuit and report of possible defects be made public immediately.

When did it become okay for the huge corporations to allow a product to stay on the market knowing it is killing us? When did a certain number of deaths become acceptable in corporate strategies? When did the FDA decide it was okay to allow drugs that no one needs on the market knowing they kill Americans or shorten their lives by damaging organs or giving them diabetes? When did the FDA decide XX number of deaths is outweighed by pharmaceutical corporation’s greed and bottom line?

Tobacco companies paid billions and had to help get people to quit smoking. Why shouldn't food, drink, restaurant and other companies pay damages and help pay for Americans to return to proper diet, weight and health?

Make the penalties for violating the public trust severe, make the crime of violating the public trust one no company, corporation or politician wants to ever be found guilty of.

While you can imprison people for violating the law, you cannot imprison a company; therefore we must make the penalties for the companies severe as well. We must make sure any company found guilty of violating the public trust willfully and or maliciously will have all its assets in United States confiscated. Will be banned from ever operating in the United States again and will be banned from ever holding a stake or investing in any property, company or venture in the United States ever again. Due to the nature of corporations once they are banned from the US then we would also have to ban the ownership of any stock in that company by any United States citizen, company, corporation or entity.

These are just the initial steps that would be required to Take Back America from the corporations, lobbyists and special interest groups. There are other steps that could be taken, but I believe these would make the primary difference. Also we must be careful of going to far or we would become like them in our own way. As you can see they would be highly controversial to say the very least. Mainly because those who profit from things the way they are would convince those Americans who refuse to think for themselves that this would be a bad idea.

I think that the greatest tragedy in America is that so many good Americans, so often fail to consider the logic or truth of what their 'leaders' tell them. They believe it and repeat it no matter the accuracy, truthfulness or logic of it just because that is what they were told to believe. Look at any political debate between average Americans, both sides spout nonsense, lies and misinformation simply because someone told them that was they way it is. So many of them never look up the facts or hunt down the truth for themselves. So they are deluded by the politicians and special interest groups, but, deluded by their own choice.

So while these steps would put us on the road to retaking America, they will be virtually impossible to implement in today’s atmosphere of Americans refusal to think for their own self. When did we forget to look into things for ourselves? When did we stop making decisions for ourselves? When did we become so lazy that we prefer someone else to tell us what to do and what to believe? When did we lose America and our true Freedoms?

Douglas Wolfe © 2004