Robert Reich - I enjoy your discussions and agree with you on the issues, but am disappointed that you aren't digging deeper and getting to the HEART of the problem.
Because we have much bigger issues than Red vs Blue to deal with.
If 45's Presidency has taught us anything, it's taught us that our entire election and political system needs an overhaul. Our democracy is broken and has been for some time. This first become evident after 9/11 when many of our personal freedoms were stripped away as an overreaction to the terrorist threat. Then during Obama's presidency when most of his tenure was spent fighting obstructionists who had no problem putting PARTY over COUNTRY.
Unfortunately, our society has become obsessed with celebrities and money. As a result, we voted for a three-time married, serial adulterer and confessed sexual predator. A man whose election, business dealings, and relationships are riddled with controversy and malfeasance. These individuals are perfectly fine being represented by a bullying, obnoxious, genitalia-grabbing, Tweet-ranting, Prime Minister-shoving charlatan who's managed to offend all our allies in a few short months. And after all that, these individuals are ok with him putting on religious faith like a rented, dusty, ill-fitting tuxedo and immediately tossing it in the garbage when he's finished with it.
And we did this for no other reason except that he's a while male billionaire who was a television celebrity.
It is absolute lunacy to have a person with low experience and low morals like that in the White House. And our current Constitution is entirely to blame. The current requirements to run for POTUS are:
- US Born Citizen
- 35 Years Of Age
- Living in the US at least 14 years.
That's it. Just those 3 things makes you eligible to be President of a world super power.
In 2017, does this actually make sense to anyone?
Let's consider corporate structure for a moment. Not just any person can walk in off the street and be CEO of a company. They must have QUALIFICATIONS like:
- High level of college education
- Many years of experience in their sector
- Trust of the people they will be leading
- Proved their worth by working their way up the chain
- No skeletons in their closet (high moral worth)
The job of being President is like being CEO of the largest company in the country. It needs to have more stringent requirements so that we have better quality candidates. Requirements like:
- Highest level of attainable education (ph.D)
- Served in our military. (Can't lead if you never followed)
- Can't run for office until all conflicts of interest are settled.
- Must be thoroughly vetted as someone with a TS/SCI clearance would be (background checks, polygraph tests, etc.)
- Served a lower public office.
- Must pass an exam that shows superior knowledge of our constitution and how our government works
Our current requirements to run for POTUS (and other public offices) are woefully inadequate, which leads to uneducated people passing uneducated laws in our country. Only the best of the best should be offered the privilege of serving.
Our current constitution served us well for two centuries, but is insufficient for life in 2017. Why else do you think SCOTUS is so busy these days? They are trying to interpret the Constitution in ways that are impossible because of the time it was written.
Therefore, we need to write a new Constitution for the 21st century.
One that demands equality between the ethnicities and the sexes, regardless of personal beliefs.
One that makes it a capital crime to accept any money under any circumstance if you are in public office. No more campaign contributions. No more lobbyists. No more super-pacs. No more citizens united. No more Koch brothers or big oil. No more money in politics under any circumstances under penalty of treason and deportment.
One that defines a governments responsibility to its people and what our responsibilities are to our government.
One that defines healthcare as a benefit to those who participate in our system by paying taxes and voting (both which are requirements, not just rights.). This means getting help for the millions of mentally ill people that continue to support 45 despite overwhelming evidence to him being ill-equipped and a traitor.
One that demands an impenetrable wall not between church and state, but church and government. All government. Federal, State, and Local. The word god should not appear on our money, our statues, our anthems, or in any other capacity. Jesus instructed his followers to pray in private and as a country we should support and enforce that notion.
One that demands tax equality. The cost of Government must be shared EQUALLY, by all. Not in proportion to income, race, gender, age, religion, wealth, etc. Per capita, plain and simple. Anything else is theft by one group against another. We are either equal under the law or we are not. Exemptions from paying tax cause distortions, which reduce equality. We must discontinue the free ride if we are to be free.
One that demands legal equality. Why do capital crimes receive the death penalty in some states and life imprisonment in others? Equal crimes deserve equal punishments under a fair and just law. We are the UNITED States Of America. Geography should be irrelevant when it comes to our laws.
One that forbids its government to imprison its citizens. Jails are expensive and don't work. There are cheaper and more effective ways to punish. Small crimes can result in house arrest. Larger crimes can result in loss of citizenship and deportation.
One that strives to promotes education and science and rewards its citizens for exceling in those areas.
Another part of the problem is the two party system. We need to get rid of the two party system, as most other democracies have done.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiEt6703L10
We have reached a major crossroad in our development as a country. We really need to start focusing on what's important or else we risk turning into an irrelevant third world country with unhappy and unproductive citizens.