Month: March 2016

Utopia – The Pro American Party?

utopia

Utopia –  An ideally perfect place, especially in its social, political, and moral aspects.
Recently one of our readers suggested that we were trying to create a Utopia with the Pro American Party and its platform.   Flattering, but not really.
The PAP has simply designed a platform that looks at structural problems within our society and addresses them.
As mentioned in a previous post, the platform of the PAP creates a floor, not a ceiling.  The PAP attempts to recognize human needs that ALL of us have and design a political structure that addresses the most basic of these needs.   To be sure, the rich and super-rich will largely not like our platform.   Our platform requires more of them.   Our platform requires more from U.S. corporations.   This lies is stark contrast to an ideology of self-interest.

In his 1943 paper, “A Theory of Human Motivation,” Abraham Maslow outlined a hierarchy of human needs.  According to Maslow a person needs to fulfill his/her most basic needs before s/he can fulfill higher level needs.Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs

When you look at the platform of the PAP you can see we only address the bottom two levels of human needs.   So Utopia – no.   But it is a start and gives people a chance to become the people they want to be.

Guest Column – Dr. Steve Rose

The article connects the politics of racism with the social issue of Veterans in transition by looking at how “social justice” can serve as a perverted virtue to justify racist ideology as well as provide sense of purpose and belonging.

Steve Rose is a PhD graduate of the Department of Sociology at Queens University. His doctoral research focused on the social barriers facing Canadian Veterans in transition to civilian life, as related to suicidal ideation. He has also worked with the office of the Veterans ombudsman on research aimed at defining a “successful transition” for medically released Veterans, and is currently a lecturer in the sociology department at Eastern Michigan University.

The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) might sound like a cultural relic, hardly taken seriously in the 21st century, but it is actively recruiting American Veterans. A recent VICE documentary takes an inside journey into this divisive hate group, uncovering why Veterans are joining their ranks.

Founded shortly after the civil war, the KKK originally served as a support-group for disenfranchised and disgruntled confederate Veterans. Their mandate read:

“To protect the weak, innocent and defenseless from the indignities, wrongs, and outrage of the lawless, the violent, and the brutal; to relieve the injured and oppressed especially the widows and orphans of ex-Confederate soldiers”

Taking out the last line, one might mistake this for a contemporary social justice initiative or a counter-terrorist mandate. How could this be the mandate of one of the most infamous hate groups? The answer to this question gives us insight into why Veterans have joined the KKK.

What do Veterans, the KKK, and the rest of us have in common? The need for a sense of justice and belonging. The most extreme acts of violence are often committed due to one’s sense that it is for a just cause. Even murder-suicides are shown to result from a perversion of virtue, as argued by psychologist Thomas Joiner.

The KKK always had close recruitment ties to periods with a large influx of Veterans in transition. This occurred after each of the world wars, continuing to the most recent influx of Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Veterans are a prime target for the KKK because of their training as well as their vulnerability during transition. In addition to dealing with anger and psychological traumas, Veterans in transition are often seeking a sense of belonging. Regarding the Klan, as a well-decorated Purple Heart Veteran in the documentary states at 4:15:

“…you get to know these guys and it’s like a sense of belonging. It’s like you found brothers and sisters you never knew you had.”

Upon hearing that line, it sounded strangely familiar. In my own research a Veteran expressed a similar sentiment when discussing the sense of belonging he found at Treble Victor – an entrepreneurial support-group for Canadian Veterans. He stated: “it’s like meeting family you never met.”

When struggling with transition, Veterans need a group to come home to. Although biological and conjugal families often assist, they are not enough. Veterans require meaningful occupational groups that can guide their new mission in a search for justice. This way, we can combat the influence of predatory hate-groups like the KKK and their perverted sense of virtue, while also utilizing the elite skills and training of our nation’s Veterans.

Our thanks to Dr. Rose.   We will have additional discussions about the needs of veterans in the future.

How the PAP Reduces Crime

There are many factors that contribute to criminal activity.    Major influences are a lack of opportunity and a lack of resources.    A more complicated issue is environmental/cultural.  Yet another issue concerns Americans with criminal records.   The PAP addresses all of these issues.

There are three major social theories are address crime and are closely related to each other.   The first comes from social structure theory.   This theory recognizes that pathological conditions exist when people live within a socially disorganized community, and/or suffer from strain, usually financial in nature.  There is also a facet of this theory that addresses cultural conflict.   It maintains that some crime occurs because of a clash of values between cultures about what is acceptable.  Another facet is differential opportunity, which looks at the lack of opportunities available to certain segments of society.

The second of these major social theories has to do with social process theories.   These theories discuss how being surrounded by criminal activities and criminals, especially when young, influences our behavior.

A third social theory has to do with social conflict.  These are theories that discuss how wealth and power control law and policy and allow those with power to control those who do not have it.

When it comes to Americans with criminal records the data is clear.   Once someone has a criminal record, trying to lead a law-abiding life becomes even more difficult because getting a decent job is incredibly difficult.   As you might suspect, when you have mouths to feed and legitimate opportunity is not available, it is easy to turn to crime.

As stated in Tenet #2, the Pro American Party endorses the idea that having a working population is in the best interests of our country.   This tenet provides jobs for those who cannot find jobs in the private sector.   This means that we will no longer have any segments of our society that suffer from no opportunity.   It also means that over time, subcultures will naturally move towards the majority culture.   This tenet does not provide a ceiling, but it does provide a floor.  No American will have to go to a government agency and ask or beg for money or resources, because each person will be able to support themselves.   This is also true for Americans with criminal records.   They too will have a job, allowing them to become productive members of our society.    Felons that represent some type of threat will also have jobs, but depending on the type of threat they represent some jobs may not be available to them.

Tenet #2 supports equal opportunity, the development of positive social bonds and minimizes the effects of negative social labels.  It also supports gender equality and works to minimize tensions between the haves and the have nots.

All of these efforts will serve to reduce crime.    If I Had The Power believes this tenet will allow us to close many prisons and get rid of the vast majority of welfare programs currently active.  Perhaps most importantly, it will change the feeling of hopelessness that so many of our citizens feel.

A future post will deal with teenage crime and solutions for that problem.

Tenet#6

The Pro American Party believes our military needs to be the best in the world. In a world that does not respect anything but power,  we cannot afford to have anything less. However our foreign policy should be weighted in favor of providing non-military assistance as a primary component of our policy. The use of our military should be a last resort and only for clear and limited purpose that is the best interests of the vast majority of citizens and not of the elite or special interests. Educational and cultural exchange opportunities should be encouraged for citizens and at all levels of government. The Pro American Party believes that cartons of food that say “USA” show more good will than military options and should be pursued when advantageous. When American goods are sent to a foreign country it is incumbent upon the State Department to devise a method for ensuring those goods are actually delivered to the people of the country and not simply to those in power.

Should it be necessary for the military to engage in war the Congress is authorized to collect an additional tax to pay for this expense.  The immediate negative view of an extra tax will, by itself, ensure that all Americans are involved in the decision to go to war.   Politicians will have to be able to explain why a war is in our best interests.

If I Had The Power is comprised largely of veterans who have great respect for our military.  We want our military reserved as a last resort, not a first option.    Future tenets will further enhance the status of our veterans, to create a better path for them once they return home from their military duty.

Tenet #5

The budget of the United States shall be established in five year increments. The budget of the United States shall be balanced. Persons making less than $25,000 per year shall not be subject to federal income tax. (Note:  the same Social Security formula  mentioned in previous tenets will be used to determine the total amount a citizen will be allowed to make before paying taxes.   In essence, as the cost of living goes up, the more money that can be made before taxes kick in.)  Taxes for citizens making more than $25,000 a year shall be taxed at a progressively higher rate as their income rises. Tax rates will rise in taxable increments of $25,000.   Congress will set the tax rate based on their five year budget and the rate will include a 7% emergency fund over the agreed upon budget. If, at the end of five years, the fund goes unused, 20 % of the surplus will be returned to the citizenry each year that the fund goes unused in the same percentage as they were taxed.

There are three fundamental differences between this budget method and the current budget method.  First, the budget must be balanced.  Second, although the tax rate will increase as income increases, it will be the same, incrementally,  for everyone as they go through the various tax brackets.  It follows below:

0 – $25K  =  no tax

25K – 50K =  15 percent – but only on the amount over 25K (the first 25K is not taxed)

50K – 75K = mixed – no tax on first 25K, 15 percent for 2nd increment, 17 percent for 3rd increment

In essence the tax rate will rise 2 percent every 25K until it reaches a maximum rate of 50 percent.

This is different from the current method because currently the brackets are designed completely differently and once you are in a particular bracket you pay a tax based on the entire amount you make,  not the incremental approach taken here.

Third, because the budget must be balanced the tax rate will be flexible.  When the 5 year budget is determined, the tax rate for those 5 years will be based on that budget.   This will certainly put pressure on lawmakers to limit the size of the budget, but requirements from other tenets will prevent lawmakers from harming the poor in order to save the rich money.

If unexpected emergencies require expenditures beyond the ability of the emergency fund,  a temporary surplus tax will be necessary to again balance the budget.

One of the other expectations of this style of budget is that it will greatly limit the number of wars we engage in because we will all pay for it in real time.   The current method of ‘borrowing’ money for wars allow us to ignore the reality that sooner or later the bill comes due.

 

 

Supreme Court Hypocricy by Congress

President Obama has just nominated Chief Judge Merrick Garland to fill the vacancy of Antonin Scalia who died a little over a month ago.

Unfortunately for Garland, unless the Scalia family themselves were to interject themselves into the process and ask that Garland get a vote, it is almost certain that a vote will not occur.

Once again this shows how both Republicans and Democrats ignore their duty in the face of political ends.   We, the American citizenry, and our constitution are the ones that pay the price.

In this instance the Republicans are the bad guys.   However, they are simply following actions that the Democrats have made in years past.   If interested, please look at the following links.   These links show that both sides are hypocrites and have no values that can’t be thrown away for temporary political advantage.

Of note, it was the “Thurmond” rule in 2008 and now it is the “Biden” rule in 2016.

Here is yet another, more in depth explanation of the issues.

Here are the Democrats doing the same thing.

Tenet #4

The Pro American Party believes it is in our national interest to be able to produce, in-country, all goods currently imported into the United States. Any product sold in the U.S. for which over 50% of the product component is imported is eligible to be designated as a product of national importance. Once such a designation is made, low cost loans shall be made available by the government to certified businesses and entrepreneurs to produce the designated product in the United States so that U.S. production capability is increased to a minimum of 50% of total sales. Certification in particular areas would be granted by meeting required qualification standards for the industry in question. In certain circumstances this may be impossible. In such instances the Congress is authorized to make exceptions as necessary.
Tariffs, if necessary, shall be imposed by the Congress on all imported goods to ensure American made products are competitive. When determining the amount of the tariff the Congress should review the work standards and wages of the country of origin as part of the tariff determination process.

It is our hope and belief that this tenet will open the door to bringing manufacturing back to the United States.   In the past manufacturing jobs were responsible for creating much of the middle class.   The last several trade agreements have not been in the best interests of Americans, and as a result we lost millions of manufacturing jobs.  We intend to bring them back!

Tenet #3

While recognizing that there is room for legitimate debate among subject matter experts, this party believes in the scientific method as the most appropriate way to determine the facts in any area of dispute.

The scientific method is a process for experimentation that is used to explore observations and answer questions. Scientists use the scientific method to search for cause and effect relationships in nature. In other words, they design an experiment so that changes to one item cause something else to vary in a predictable way.

The following comes from Science Buddies dot org:

 

  • The scientific method is a way to ask and answer scientific questions by making observations and doing experiments.
  • The steps of the scientific method are to:
    • Ask a Question
    • Do Background Research
    • Construct a Hypothesis
    • Test Your Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment
    • Analyze Your Data and Draw a Conclusion
    • Communicate Your Results

It is important for your experiment to be a fair test. A “fair test” occurs when you change only one factor (variable) and keep all other conditions the same.

At If I Had The Power we reject the idea that the conclusions people make are equally valid regardless of how those conclusions were reached.  We don’t want those that yell the loudest to win the contest, we prefer facts and a way to validate those facts.

 

Tenet #2

The Pro American Party endorses the idea that having a working population is in the best interests of our country. We also support the idea of active citizenship and believe everyone needs to do their fair share.  (Active citizenship will be discussed in future posts.)

In our view it is not in the best interests of the country for one segment of society to support the other in the form of welfare.   Corporate welfare is therefore abolished immediately.   Support for corporations will come in the form of a reduced tax rate should they abide by the tenets of this platform.   In addition, American corporations may, if they choose, ask for specific help from the government as needed, provided that assistance shall directly benefit American workers in the form of greater employment and/or higher wages.

Welfare or other assistance for the needy shall be abolished for all but the most severely disabled and replaced with a government program that guarantees all adult persons not in school an opportunity to work full-time in their community. The wage for this work should be $12 an hour, with child care benefits and health care included at no cost. Yearly wage adjustments should be based on the same formula as social security increases/decreases. If a person is able to work, but chooses not to, he/she will not receive a wage or government benefits. Workers will pay into social security and receive social security benefits at retirement, but no other pension plan will be provided.  Of note,  the government shall provide suitable employment to the disabled, should their disability be able to be reasonably accommodated as specified in the ADA.  It is noted that all workers must perform their work according to accepted and approved standards or risk losing this benefit.

The intent of this program is to ensure that all Americans can find work immediately if they lose employment in the private sector; such employment would remain available to each person until a new private sector job can be secured. The type of work that recipients perform would depend on the needs of the local, state and federal governments, who will decide what services are needed in their respective jurisdictions.   The Department of Labor will coordinate this effort, and will assist state and local entities in developing work programs that meet federal requirements.  As a result of this program, all other assistance programs will be eliminated as there will be no need for them.

Local businesses are eligible to use persons in this program for temporary workers. They would reimburse the program $25 per hour for every person provided, but the individual would continue to receive their normal wage and program health/child care benefits from the DOL. The costs of this program would also rise/fall using the aforementioned formula.

Students who are at least age 18 and attending a college, junior college or technical school may work up to 20 hours week.  They will also be eligible for health and child care benefits.

This tenet is designed to ensure all Americans can find work should they choose.   In addition, this tenet will require corporations to pay a competitive wage, because they will not get workers if they do not meet or exceed the government program.   This tenet will also eliminate the ability of businesses to reduce wage/benefit/hours worked that harm American families.   It should also be noted that having full employment will reduce social friction, crime and discrimination.   There will no longer be one segment of society giving to another, as all persons will earn their wages with their labor.

The wage for a person working full-time would be $24,960 per year.   This means that a household supported by only one wage earner would not be subject to federal income tax.  Specific tax rates will be discussed in a future post.

Tenet #1

The following is the first tenet of the Pro American Party.

International corporations and businesses exist to make a profit and thus take whatever actions are necessary to ensure their self-interest, regardless of the negative impact on American workers, the economy or the environment.

The Pro American Party believes it is in the best interests of the country to ensure that businesses that make a profit from our citizens, employ Americans. The Pro American Party believes that all businesses should be required to employ a percentage of Americans in their work force that is equal to their percentage of American sales. So, if a business sells 100% of their product or service to Americans, 100% of their employees shall be Americans. If their percentage of global sales is 50% to Americans, 50% of their employees and total salary expense, at minimum, must go to Americans.

Businesses that follow this model shall pay a lower federal income tax rate of 10%  as long as they adhere to this and all other tenets; those that fail to follow this model shall be taxed at an increasingly punitive rate based on the degree of their misconduct.

It is our belief and the goal of this tenet is to bring jobs that Americans pay for back to the United States.  The lower tax rate is an incentive for companies to adhere to this tenet and the increased tax rates remain an option to punish companies that do not serve the best interests of our country.

Although not specifically stated in this tenet, future tenets will address the way corporations use natural resources and protect the environment.   The manner in which they safeguard our citizens and resources will determine if they are eligible for the 10% rate or subject to the punitive rates.