Several of the tenets of the Pro American Party are aimed at leveling the playing field for all Americans, especially the poor. In this respect, those with great wealth have been asked to contribute more so that we can change the basic structure of our society. This change is necessary to allow us, as a country, to create a ‘floor’ below which no Americans can fall. It is our belief that this change of structure will do more than just help the poor. It will also help the rich, especially those with long-term views of the needs of society.
The current economic structure is, and has been, increasing the wealth of the 1% at the expense of the rest of us. As this gap continues to grow it will undoubtedly cause an increase in tensions between the haves and have nots. Sooner or later, if history can serve as a guide, this will cause a call to arms.
However, this need not be so.
It is our belief that the huge majority of Americans are, and would be content, living a life without wealth. Once basic needs are met most of us turn to other concerns. The constant pursuit of wealth is not a goal for the great majority of us. Likewise, having to worry about the motives of everyone we meet is a strain and drain on our quality of life that most of us are happy we can avoid. Many of us are content to allow the rich to continue their endless pursuit of more wealth, while we pursue a higher quality of life that is not dependent on wealth.
Still, there is a way for the rich to help the country. Although there are many avenues that could be pursued in this regard, in this article we will focus on non-profits.
One of the biggest disgraces of many non-profits is that the CEOs enrich themselves at the expense of those they are supposed to be serving. Perhaps many of these CEOs are simply at that point in their lives in which making money for themselves is more important than the cause they are supposedly leading. In any case, this is an area in which those who have already made their millions or billions can make a positive impact on the lives of ordinary Americans. And at the same time find a way to give back to their country in a meaningful way, one that establishes for them a reputation for caring…a way to leave a lasting legacy.
Our suggestion is that those who want to leave a positive impact and lasting legacy lead the non-profit of their choice without compensation. This would be a selfless act that would allow more of the monies raised by the non-profit to go towards the use for which it was originally intended. Please do not read into this suggestion as meaning that only the rich can show leadership…no such claim is being made. Instead the status of being ‘rich’ simply allows a person to work without compensation if they so choose. Those who choose to take such a path might find new meaning and purpose in their own lives, one that is not measured by the size of its paycheck.
Perhaps it is pie in the sky, but over the long term our hope is that such a change would cause all Americans of means to choose to find a way to make a difference that improves life for all.
I’m watching Rep Lou Barletta (R) PA lie to the American public. He is on CNN trying to drum up support for building a wall. Barletta is a Trump supporter and he is explaining to Wolf Blitzer that illegal immigration is the cause for low wages in America. The annoying thing is that many will believe him, and with that belief they will feel justified to hate immigrants in general and Mexicans in particular. It is sad, but important to acknowledge that this is a continuing theme of the Republican party…and it only leads to false information and increased prejudice.
So now there are two issues to address. The first is to really examine the effect of Mexican labor in the U.S., whether legal or not, and the second is to critically examine why wages are depressed.
In the big picture it is important to know that illegal immigrants take an estimated 2 to 3 percent of all U.S. jobs and if we limit our search to only the construction and manufacturing trades that estimate is less than 1 percent. Certainly not worth all the hoopla if we take prejudice out of the equation.
It is interesting to note that while candidate Trump rails against the practice of outsourcing jobs, businessman Trump does it all the time. It was recently revealed that his signature clothing line uses workers in the poorest countries on earth…paying worker 30 cents an hour in Bangladesh. This is the nature of the problem; even the filthy rich are willing to screw the average Joe…why settle for 10 billion when you can go for 11 billion?
Recently I listened to Lindsey Graham, the senator from South Carolina, express concern that Democrats will split their party between moderates and progressives. His concern is that this would result in total gridlock in the Congress. Not that we don’t have gridlock now, but the problem Graham discusses will not happen.
Graham was referencing the splintering of the Republican Party with the advent of the Tea Party. The primary difference is that Tea Party members are likely to believe in a very limited role for government. That is why they are willing to shut the government down…it suits their agenda.
Donald Trump is a hero to all of us middle-aged white men. We have had tough lives and didn’t get the fair shake we deserved. The Donald is expressing my rage and disgust with the way things are going in our country. He isn’t afraid to speak out. Here are some examples:
On Obama and Baltimore: “Our great African American President hasn’t exactly had a positive impact on the thugs who are so happily and openly destroying Baltimore!” I really like the fact that he included the race of our president…otherwise people wouldn’t know.
“I’ve said if Ivanka weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her.” Have you seen her, don’t let the father/daughter thing get in the way!
On his party affiliation
“That wasn’t me. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” So now we have those pesky forensic recording experts lying to us. Figures.
The sword of Damocles is hanging over every American household, suspended by a hair, and is ready to fall.
Few Americans like extremes of the left or the right. They prefer a government which represents the happy middle. At least that’s what they say. Because they don’t practice what they preach, not many presidents have been able to unite the country, except in cases of national emergency. As a result most Americans are divided by political partisanship, class egoism, and other evils that keep them constantly frustrated.
Since democracy is based on majority rule, and capitalism is not, the U.S. has two antagonistic governments and cannot please them both. The elected members of congress constitute the legal de jure government, by right and title, and wealthy capitalists the de facto government, by the use of bribe money. As already pointed out, this competition has already been won by rich capitalists, the poor be damned.
For this reason, most corporate leaders with a scintilla of intelligence think it is easier to deal with greedy, pliable politicians who lust for money, power, or influence. Although few modern politicians will admit to you that they are, as some Robber Barons used to call them. “Mere field agents entrusted with the handling of Congress for the benefit of business interests,” their nineteenth century counterparts were more honest. In 1896, Republican Senator Boies Penrose of Pennsylvania publicly admitted it. “I believe in the division of labor,” said he. “You send us to Congress: we pass laws which make you money… and out of your profits, you further contribute to our campaign funds to send us back to pass more laws to enable you to make more money.”
Capitalism is an economic, social and political system where private individuals control a country’s trade and business. Capitalism flourishes because it celebrates the worst of the human condition: greed, self-interest and ego. It also recognizes the advantages of competition and market forces. This leads to a great tension between what is good for the capitalist and what is good for everyone else and the country.
Of late, when workers try to organize or ask for a wage increase, the capitalist threatens to move their operations to another country. In fact, hundreds of U.S. companies have moved, simply to maximize profit for themselves, all the while putting Americans out of work. Clearly, what is good for the capitalist is not good for the country or its workforce.
Tenet #1 – Requires businesses who sell their products or services to Americans to employ Americans. It also provides for a very low tax rate for those companies that comply, while punishing companies that do not.
Tenet #5 – Establishes a requirement for a balanced budget and revises the tax system. Changes the way budgets are established.
Tenet #7 – Creates a requirement for all Americans to give 2 years of service to their country after graduating high school or reaching the age of 18. There are many ways to complete this service requirement. Once this service requirement is complete the recipient will be eligible for up to 2 years of free college or trade school education. Those who complete their 2 years of education with at least a C average are then eligible for an additional two years of college without cost.
Tenet #11 – Protects our military veterans and their physical and emotional health. Provides a higher hourly wage for all veterans…for the rest of their lives. Provides additional death payments for the spouses/families of veterans who die in the line of duty.
Have you voted? Millions have….but no matter who gets elected it will make no difference in what laws get passed. Don’t believe me? Read on.
There were plenty of cases in which policies supported by the wealthy or the big lobbies became law even though they were opposed by the popular majority (e.g. the North American Free Trade Agreement, the Bush tax cuts and the 1999 repeal of the Glass-Steagall law — which was widely blamed for facilitating the economic collapse of 2007-8 — that were adopted even though they were opposed by the majority of Americans.)
We would argue that we should fix ’em, especially our youth.
As a child grows their environment widens. They play with the kids in their neighborhood and also begin attending school. At this point the way they were raised in their home begins to be affected by peers and school influences. The best thing that can happen to the child raised in the home previously described is that they find supportive friends and love school. In such a case these would become protective factors from the negatives found in the home. Often though, the negative home environment causes the child to go to school with an attitude, a bad attitude. When this happens school is also a negative experience and the child only forms friendships with other disillusioned children…and the number of criminological factors begin to grow.
It is our belief that the first 4 years of school (K-3) are the most important for a child’s future development. If risk factors such as hyperactivity, aggression, antisocial behaviors and beliefs, dishonesty and others can be identified when the child is young there is an increased chance these behaviors can be modified. Of note, it may only be when a child goes to school that their parents’ lack of parenting skills becomes evident. If true changes are to be made with the child we must work closely with the parent(s) to provide them the education and support required so real changes can be made.
There are many successful programs already in existence that have proven themselves able to change the lives of both parents and children for the better. Some start before children even start school, others later. What they all have in common is that they help the parents, not just the children. Here is a link to some of those successful programs: 
These programs are not as wide-spread as they might otherwise be because they are cost money. This is why many of our citizens don’t support them, they don’t want to pay the cost. In our view this is short-sighted because we will absolutely pay the cost, either now or later. The problem is that later costs even more, both in money and ruined lives…and what does it say about us? You’re at the fork in the road, which path should we take?
The current state of criminological research allows us to predict those who are most likely to commit crime. We can not, however, specifically point to a single individual and say s/he will commit a crime…with real certainty. Prediction models are based on risk factors. Individual factors alone do not predict criminality, but when factors start adding up so does the risk of offending. Since these factors are now known, society can make policy choices as to how it chooses to deal with this problem. Some advocate for early intervention, while others advocate not spending money on potential criminal activity, but instead wait for real criminality and then throw the criminals in jail.
Risk factors are comprised of characteristics that have been identified with increased criminality. In contrast, protective factors are characteristics that serve to mitigate risk factors. In essence, a protective factor ‘protects’ a person from criminality when they might otherwise resort to crime. As mentioned earlier, risk factors have a multiplicative effect on the likelihood to commit a crime. A 10-year-old boy exposed to 6 or more risk factors is 10 times as likely to commit a violent crime by the age of 18 as one who has been exposed to only one factor.
The direction our policy takes should be informed by 3 dimensions of concern: the individual dimension, helping turn around that youth in danger of becoming a criminal; the moral dimension, the value we put on victims and the pain and suffering that will occur if we do not act; and the societal dimension, what our action or inaction says about us as a nation.
If I Had The Power 