The Powerful Center


Politics in America is dominated by the center, where the center goes, so goes the nation. It is time for that center to create an agenda, clear, concise and with real consequences for those will to accept the challenge of governing the nation. We have two political parties, and that is plenty. They serve their organizational and ideological purposes, but what is needed is an agenda from the middle.

Our founding fathers bequeathed us an immense privilege to be able to replace the entire House of Representatives every two years. If the center, regardless of political affiliation, supported a Five Point Agenda for the next Congress, and electronically signed a political referendum that stated they wanted these five pieces of legislation passed or they would vote out the entire House of Representatives and all Senators up for re-election a new force would be created on the political scene.


This force does not have to claim a majority of voters; it simply has to claim a large majority of the center. If one assumes that swing voters are the ones that decide who is elected, than they really “control” the nation. If they are capable of creating their own identity and political agenda, they can effectively make very important policy demands. If the swing voters make up 25% of all voters and 80% of them is enough to make “block”, then a group of voters making up only 20% of all voters could play the lead role in our political drama.

It is time that We the People started to put the screws to the powers that be, through Our government. Our government and constitution are our wealth, our fortune, our way to control and protect ourselves from financial elites that have taken over this country and put the masses to sleep with a sloppy and silly mass culture. It is time that this 20% take over the reigns of government away from super rich elites and over represented special interest groups.

The Five Points. Each point must be accomplished through a piece of legislation that clearly outlines the plan to accomplish the objectives, the funding, and the way it is to be measured. All projects must be completely funded, no deficit spending. If all Five Points are not accomplished, the 20% promises to vote against all federal incumbents, regardless of party, no exceptions.

1. Health Care

If a health care reform plan is passed in this congress, it will be evaluated to see if it meets the basic criteria for this point. If it does, than this is a gimme, if it does not, than a new piece of legislation must be passed. We want simple, clear and effective health insurance for all people in America. All who work and make above a certain threshold pay in, all who employ above a minimum number of employees pay in per employee. All those who are self employed or independently wealthy pay-in. Everyone in the country has health insurance. It is that simple. See this previous post for a complete discussion The Elusive Single-Payer Plan

2. Education

A Standardized National Test for high school seniors must be implemented as a federally administered national exam that covers ten major areas of study and would be given to all graduating high school seniors. The exam would establish national standards for the major areas of study: math, science, history, art etc. The exam would create a new national “test”, and minimum tests scores would be demanded for certain government jobs and to qualify for national scholarships. This exam would give us national standards for education without interfering in the local administration of education. It will be funded with a tax on advertising. See this previous post for a complete discussion We Need a Standardized Exam to Test all US Graduating High School Students


3. Energy

The United States needs a progressive, innovative energy policy that taxes carbon emitting forms of transportation and energy production while promoting new, clean, renewable and sustainable forms of energy. The Federal Government must take advantage of its control over GM to foment new technologies around the automobile and push this country toward leadership in that sector once again. A new type of automobile must be created with a non-combustion engine. Federally owned VC firms need to be created to fund long-term projects with seed money. Wind and solar farms need to be created, new sources explored. This will keep us competitive and help grow the economy in new sectors. This will be funded with a national gas tax as well as a tax on combustion car cylinders. See this previous post for a complete discussion Time to Send GM West


4. Foreign Policy

The foreign policy of the United States has been dominated by a blind support for the State of Israel. American foreign policy has been hijacked by a small, insignificant state and it is time that we take it back. No longer will the US have a “special relationship” with Israel. For the United States, a Palestinian man in Gaza is as much of a man, with the same potential and rights to a dignified life as an Israeli man in Tel Aviv. The United States must make a major policy shift, stating that the days of the “special relationship” are over. Our politicians must stop pandering to Israel and once again focus on the truly important players in the world, ie, China, Europe, Russia, Japan, Brazil, Mexico etc. We must stop fighting proxy wars for Israel and devoting enormous portions of our foreign aid and diplomatic efforts to a country that offers us nothing in return. Our foreign policy must begin to promote the same values overseas that we value at home. See this previous post for a complete discussion Israel, the Jews and American Foreign Policy

5. Drug Policy

The time has come for us to stop waging war on our own citizens. We need to immediately stop sending people to prison for non-violent drug crimes. The hypocrisy of allowing people to self medicate with “legal” drugs and allow their producers not only to prosper from it, but to advertise their usage, must end. We need to legalize the sale and usage of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and designer drugs. Their prices must be made at levels that will make the black market sale of them unprofitable. This will end the terrible drug wars in Latin America, stop the incarceration of non-violent drug users in America, and make us a more just, democratic and tolerant nation. Tax revenue from the sale of these drugs will go directly toward rehabilitation for all people with drug problems (alcohol, “legal” pills included) and also to large campaigns to promote healthy lifestyles. See this previous post for a complete discussion One War We Don't Need

These five pieces of legislation will change the lives of many Americans. The over forty million Americans without healthcare will have it, young men and women will stop going to jail for buying, selling or taking recreational drugs, our country will finally put its ingenuity and creativity toward creating new renewable forms of energy, our children will begin to receive a world class, challenging education and our foreign policy will finally reflect the same values we cherish at home.

This is not a smoke and mirrors agenda that is secretly promoting the interests of the 1% who control the 50%, as has happened so many times in the past. These are five things that will really change our lives and our children’s lives dramatically, while maintaining intact our sacred democratic institutions. It is time we took our country back from the super wealthy elites and very small special interests groups and give it back to the center where it belongs.

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