General Thoughts democracy
Political corruption is a cancer that eats away at the foundations of democracy. It manifests in many forms, including lobbying abuses, bribery, extortion, nepotism, cronyism, patronage, parochialism, graft, embezzlement, and influence peddling. Each of these practices undermines public trust and distorts the democratic process, shifting power away from the people and into the hands of the privileged few.
The rise of money in politics can be traced back to the 1976 Buckley v. Valeo decision, where the Supreme Court ruled that government could not limit corporate political spending without violating free speech rights. This landmark case opened the door for unprecedented financial influence in elections. In 2010, the Citizens United decision expanded this ruling, allowing unlimited political spending by nonprofits, for-profits, unions, and corporations. The result was a dramatic increase in untraceable money influencing elections, weakening the Federal Election Commission's (FEC) ability to enforce spending limits.
Corporate communism
Corporate communism: as a system of governance where wealth redistribution and state intervention are employed to significantly increase corporate power; often using communist style tactics, such as government wealth funds to perches business entities. wildly exacerbating wealth inequality in society.
illiberal forces
"A Republic, If You Can Keep It" The words of Benjamin Franklin resonate more strongly today than ever before. Democracy is not self-sustaining—it requires vigilance, courage, and a commitment to defending it, no matter the source of the threat. Regardless of where a threat to democracy originates, it is our duty to counter it and call it out for what it is.
Transparency and Classification
Another significant issue eroding trust in government is the over-classification of information. While it is reasonable to classify information to protect sources and methods, there are instances where information has been classified for less justifiable reasons—such as to avoid public embarrassment or shield agencies from accountability. This practice undermines trust and hinders informed public discourse.
Review and Reform the Classification Process: We must take a closer look at the overall classification system to ensure that information is classified only when necessary. This includes regular reviews of classified materials to determine if continued classification is warranted.
Improving communication with the Lawmakers
I propose the development and implementation of a government communication application that would be available on mobile devices. This platform would allow direct, secure communication between citizens and their representatives, functioning similarly to social media platforms but dedicated solely to civic engagement.
Money in Politics
The influence of big money in politics undermines our democracy. When politicians accept large donations to influence policy, the public loses trust in our institutions. We must end this cycle of corruption.
I believe we should transition toward a publicly funded campaign system to ensure that elections are fair and not driven by private interests. Private money in government erodes democracy, infecting our systems and destroying public trust. To avoid this, we must act decisively.
Supreme Court reform
In light of recent corruption scandals and several controversial Supreme Court decisions, I have been a strong advocate for Supreme Court reforms since 2020. Today, those concerns have expanded to include broader issues, such as accountability, ethics, and judicial overreach.
To address these challenges, I propose the following three reforms:
Ethics Code Enforcement: I support the enforcement of a robust judicial ethics code by an independent, third-party body. This body would be tasked with ensuring transparency and holding Supreme Court justices accountable for unethical behavior. Additionally, we must redefine legal standards for bribery, extortion, influence peddling, and other corrupt actions to close loopholes and strengthen deterrents.
Congressional Term Limits
I believe term limits should be in place and enforced for our congressional leadership. Specifically, I propose a limit of 8 years in the House of Representatives and 8 years in the Senate, for a total of 16 years in Congress. This time frame strikes a balance between fostering experience and ensuring regular turnover that brings fresh perspectives to our nation’s challenges.
Minimum Wage Reform: A Localized Approach
At first glance, abolishing the federal minimum wage may seem like a harmful idea. However, in practice, the federal standard is often used by employers as a justification to pay workers below a true living wage. A "one-size-fits-all" approach does not reflect the economic realities of different regions—what may be livable in one state may be completely inadequate in another.
Targeted Wage Increases: Local and state officials can set wages based on the actual cost of living in their communities, ensuring workers earn enough to support themselves and their families.
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