federalist papers - theproudmajority.com

FEDERALIST

PAPERS FOR THE 21st CENTURY

WRITTEN IN SUPPORT OF THE

CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES

THE PROUD MAJORITY

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Copyright©2021 by THE PROUD MAJORITY A Florida 501c3 non-profit organization

Published by

Middle Room Publishing 6924 Chester Trail

Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202

Library of Congress Application on file

FEDERALIST PAPERS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

THE PROUD MAJORITY

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CONTRIBUTORS

Ann Edwards Rich Hissrich

Steve Horvath Larry Hunn

THE PROUD MAJORITY

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WRITTEN IN SUPPORT OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES

FOREWARD - Why the Constitution Matters. . . . . . . . 5

Introduction - How Do We Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 7

Liberty and Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Justice and Social Justice... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Democracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Equality . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 (Opportunity vs. Outcome)

America’s Racial Conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Is not a “Black vs. White” Issue

Economic Theories and Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

History of Political Parties and Ideologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Appendix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 A - Learning Circles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

B - Political Ideologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71

C - Political Parties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

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FOREWARD:

Why The Constitution Matters

The collection of papers included in this work follow the model of the original Federalist papers, written in New York in late 1787 and early 1788, and later published under the title, The Federalist. That work was addressed “To the People of the State of New York” and written to persuade and convince them to ratify the Constitution produced by a convention of the states in Philadelphia. Like the original Federalist, the following collection is intended to explain and defend the American Constitution, now two hundred and thirty-four years of age, and including twenty-seven amendments to the original document. That explanation and defense is addressed to more than one audience, but one in particular should be identified in this introduction. It should be recognized beforehand that there are skeptics, hardly small in number nor feeble in their skepticism, who would gainsay the relevance of a founding document of such age, or at the least propose that ongoing interpretation of it (the 'living' Constitution) must supersede any perception of the 'original intent' of its authors. In identifying these skeptics at the outset, we want to recognize explicitly that the reasoning contained in these new Federalist papers must address their arguments and doubts if this is to be more than an exercise in preaching to the choir. Essentially, the question to be addressed is, does the original Constitution (plus, of course, its amendments) still matter in the 21st century? The original Federalist was a long argument that it did indeed matter for the late 18th century and for the survival of the new form of government going forward. Among other objectives, the present work will show that the Constitution matters at least as much now as it did at the outset in 1788. What makes it so? What are the attributes of this document that underlie its veneration (by some, but not all)? The following is a brief list, in no particular order. 1 - The Constitution is, and was intended to be, the essential political contract of the nation. The parties to this contract were the People who “ordained and established” it and the Government it instituted. It provided a framework for governing and a common reference for all, a unifying charter along the lines of the ancient Magna Carta and the subsequent Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789 in France.

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2 - It established the four pillars of the American system: a) a federation of states (formerly colonial governments); b) a republic, with democratic characteristics; c) a structure based on the separation of powers among the three branches - legislative, executive, and judiciary; and d) a limited government, with certain powers reserved to the states and others to the People. 3 - It is the ultimate protection of the enumerated rights of the citizen, particularly in the first ten amendments (Bill of Rights). 4 - It defines a government of laws, rather than of men. At its inception, this was a novel concept, in practice if not in theory. The need for its defense has not waned ever since. 5 - Perhaps of most importance in the context of the present day, the Constitution is a bulwark against the arbitrary exercise of government power, against the temporary passions of the citizenry or its representatives, and against reducing the law to a process of making it up as you go along. All these invaluable gifts were contained within a mere four pages of parchment. Over more than two centuries, it has been defended at the cost of the blood of patriots. It has been amended; its few shortcomings have been corrected, by mutual consent. It even provides for (via a new convention) its own replacement if that is the will of the People. No other attempt by another entity (the U.S.S.R., the United Nations, the multiple French Republics, etc.) to improve upon it has approached its wisdom or longevity. In the end, it matters because without it, there is no United States of America as we know it. While there are some who would see that disappearance as a good thing, we offer the following essays as ammunition in the ongoing battle to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, to help to ensure that will never happen.

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Introduction: How Do We Begin?



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America was founded as a democratic republic with the signing of the U.S. Constitution in 1787. More than 230 year later, our great nation has become overly complex, ineffective, extremely contentious and litigious. Our debt and deficit are out of control and yet more and more people are living on the streets. With all of the advances in technology and comforts of life, our youth are rioting in the streets and tormenting others for political incorrectness. Our politicians claim to be our saviors who will restore unity, but instead promote policies that cater to special interests. As we allocate a growing portion of our federal budget to social welfare, we also drift dangerously toward a socialistic form of government.

America is at a crossroad and “We the People” must wake up and begin making better choices about the future we want for our children and grandchildren. In front of us are two very different futures: 1) in which America returns to being the shining city on the hill and the moral leader of the world, 2) the other in which America slides into an authoritarian country where greedy and corrupt politicians prioritize their own luxury over the health of the country.

The U.S. Constitution is the contract between us (the people) and our government and it is different than any previous country. It was designed to ensure that government is held accountable to the citizens of America. But over time, the government has found ways to manipulate the will of the people and tighten their grip on the levers of power. If we want to move our country in a better direction, it begins with the citizens of America.

The challenge is that we are divided and idealize vastly different views of the world. We think we support the same values and principles, but we don’t. Our education system, news media, and entertainment industry have indoctrinated us on what they believe is deplorable and admirable. These resources tell us we should be ashamed of America’s history, and no longer be proud to be an American. How can we reverse this situation and place authority back in the hands of the people?

The only way to return power to the people, is for the people to unite and demand it. But first, we must come to common understanding of truth and common values. We can no longer rely on what other people tell us is true. We must learn for ourselves what is the truth and what is distorted.

The search for truth is extremely rewarding and begins by having an open mind and looking in the right places. Don’t rely on modern resources, such as news, entertainment, and group think. Turn instead to classic books, accurate movies, internet research and quality organizations. Asking the right questions will lead you to the books, articles, and groups that will support your journey and lead you to the truth.

INTRODUCTION - How Do We Begin?

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Beginning our Journey Each of us are unique individuals and in order to experience a rewarding life, must find our own path and meaning of life. We value our freedom and autonomy, and need a country that is aligned with human nature and supports us as individuals. The foundational philosophic questions at the heart of forming communities, were defined in Isaiah Berlin’s book “Freedom and Its Betrayal”. They are:

• Why should an individual obey other individuals (groups or bodies of individuals)?

• Under what circumstances do people obey?

• When do they cease to obey?

While humans strive to enhance their lives with more comforts and adventures, the things they cherish most cannot be purchased or given to them. In addition to freedom and autonomy, they include:

• Peace and tranquility

• Prosperity and quality of life

• Friends and family

• Safety and security

• Fairness and justice

• To be understood and heard

• To be recognized and respected

That America has been as successful as it has is because it was designed around the concept of individu-al freedom through “Natural Law”. Natural law is a system of law based on a close observation of human nature, and based on values intrinsic to human nature that can be deduced and applied independent of positive law. According to natural law theory, all people have inherent rights, conferred not by act of legislation but by "God, nature, or reason". Natural rights, according to John Locke, were those rights that sprang from the exercise of natural law:

• a right to property, since we have a corresponding duty not to steal

• a right to life, since we have a duty not to kill

• a right to liberty, since we have a duty not to oppress).

Armed with this rudimentary understanding of human nature, we will shift our focus to the next level of concepts involved with individuals living together in communities. For this discussion, we will turn to Adam Swift’s book “Political Philosophy”

Adam Swift analyzes the five concepts causing the greatest confusion and disagreements within society. They are: Equality, Liberty, Justice, Community, and Democracy. While Americans agree these concepts are fundamental for a fair and prosperous society, they have vastly different conceptions of what these concepts are and how they should be implemented.

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Each of these five concepts must be analyzed and discussed as dichotomies. A dichotomy is an idea or concept that has contrasting or opposing phases (ebb and flow) such as war and peace, love and hate, winter and summer, or day and night. In some cases, these contrasting phases are natural and critical to the health of the system or concept. In most cases, it is important to understand the best aspects of each phase in order to find the ideal balance and approach.

While this document covers human nature and the characteristics of dichotomies, other white papers will be analyzing Adam’s five political philosophy concepts and discussing their implementation. As we do, however, we must consider that these concepts are very closely interactive and interdependent. As modifications are made to one of these concepts (e.g. Equality), it can have significantly negative impacts on other concepts (e.g. Liberty and Justice) Below is how these topics will be addressed.

Enhanced Learning - Learning Circles

While reading is an effective way of learning, it can be greatly enhanced through group discussions commonly called Learning Circles. These sessions enable participants to communicate the questions and concerns and gain a better understanding from the wisdom of the group.

Summary As a country, we are too serious and have lost our sense of humor and the ability to laugh. Each of us is so firm in our own personal beliefs, that we have trouble seeing the forest from the trees. The world is extremely complex and is not one dimensional. Yet we enter every argument armed with our favorite dimension, expecting that to stop all dissension. Our politicians are inflicted with the same deficiencies. But they however, believe that they have the superior intellect and the authority to ignore the will of the people. This is very dangerous and unhealthy for our country. And there is no higher authority than “We the People” . America’s future needs everyone to become informed and join the people who are working to restore America. We must offset the people who are working to tear America down.

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Liberty and Rights



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LIBERTY AND RIGHTS

Liberty is the state of being free from control or oppressive restrictions imposed on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. In philosophy and religion, it is connected with free will and is the related concept of freedom. Freedom is having the ability to act without constraint. Freedom is a natural instinct in conscious living creatures. It can be observed in nature with a deer trapped in a fence or a fish fighting to break free from a fishing line. Individuals and animals are reluctant to give up aspects of freedom without trust.

Human rights are moral principles or norms that prescribe certain standards of human behavior and are regularly protected in national and international law. Many of these rights are considered fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being. Sounds simple, but is it?

What are the human rights that people have and under what authority are they granted? Are they universal or are they fundamentally a Western creation? Under what fields of study (for example: philosophy, law, political science, sociology, history, religion, economics) can people learn about them? How are they ensured and enforced? Why are they routinely violated with impunity today? The answers to these questions are far from settled.

The Conflict – Positive Rights vs Negative Rights

British political theorist Isaiah Berlin classified rights as “negative rights” and “positive rights”. Under his definition, humans are born with negative rights (life, liberty, property), which should not be violated by other humans. Positive rights are those rights that are granted by society to its members. Positive rights may include education, healthcare, food assistance, etc..

Negative and positive rights frequently conflict because carrying out the duties conferred by positive rights often entails infringing upon negative rights. For example, the positive right to social welfare confers a duty upon the government to provide services. Carrying out these duties entails increasing state expenditures, which would likely require raising taxes. Increasing taxes would infringe upon citizens’ negative right to ensure their money or property isn’t taken away from them.

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LIBERTY AND RIGHTS

Where We Started - Founding of America

America was founded based on the principles of Englishman John Locke (1632-1704). He was a political advisor for the English Throne. Locke wrote “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding” in which he expressed the belief that people have the following unalienable rights endowed by nature (negative rights):

a right to property, since we have a corresponding duty not to steal

a right to life, since we have a duty not to kill

a right to liberty, since we have a duty not to oppress

The English Declaration of Rights was a predecessor of the American Bill of Rights. It was produced by the English Parliament, following the 1688 Glorious Revolution and defined the wrongs committed by the exiled James II, the rights of English citizens, and the obligation of their monarch. On 13 February 1689, it was presented to James' daughter, Mary, and her husband, and, William of Orange, when they were jointly offered the throne. The Declaration itself was a tactical compromise between Whig and Tories; it established grievances, without agreeing their cause, or solution.

The Bill of Rights comprises the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. These were proposed following the often bitter 1787–88 debate over the ratification of the Constitution, and they were written to address the objections raised by Anti-Federalists. These amendments to the Constitution add specific guarantees of personal freedoms and rights, clear limitations on the government's power in judicial and other proceedings, and explicit declarations that all powers not specifically granted to the US Congress by the Constitution are reserved for the states or the people. The concepts codified in these amendments are built upon those found in earlier documents, especially the Virginia Declaration of Rights (1776), as well as the Northwest Ordinance (1787), the English Bill of Rights (1689) and the Magna Carta (1215). Thus, America was founded solely on negative rights.

A Major Shift in Direction

The 1948 UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights evidenced a major global shift in interpretation and understanding of the concept of human rights. The United Nations generated it with the support of Eleanor Roosevelt after Franklin D. Roosevelt died in 1945. Its admirable goal was to solve world hunger and improve worldwide standards of living.

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LIBERTY AND RIGHTS

The negative rights defined in the first 10 amendments of U.S. Constitution, provided the starting point for the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In addition to negative rights, the declaration added many positive rights, including:

Seeking asylum in other countries

Men and women, without limitation, have the right to marry

Free choice of employment and protection against unemployment

Everyone has a right to social security

Standard of living (food, clothing, housing, medical care etc.)

An education shall be free

To participate in cultural life

To rest and leisure

Over time, the UN Declaration of Human Rights evolved into the current version entitled Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Although not legally binding, the contents of the UDHR have been expanded and incorporated into subsequent international treaties, regional human rights instruments, and national constitutions and legal codes. There is no question that the United Nation’s involvement with human rights has impacted the world; it is debatable whether this impact has been positive or negative.

As Christopher Roberts’ book explains, the United Nations initiated a contentious and confused period that continues today.

• It changed the collective consciousness about human rights in the Unit-ed States and throughout the world.

• It made people feel entitled, shifting the burden for their success and happiness to governments.

• It diluted the authority of the U.S. Constitution.

• It encouraged uncontrolled immigration.

• It greatly increased the size and scope of government and made it more susceptible to greed and corruption.

• It removed motivation for citizens to grow and become productive members of society.

• It encouraged a culture of crime and lack of respect for authority, when people have an unrealistic understanding of their rights.

Where Are We Today? Humans are naturally compassionate and seek the highest possible standard of living for everyone. The obstacles to achieving this vision are obvious, the primary one being greed and evil in corrupt govern-ments throughout the world. And while establishing positive objectives is an admirable goal, it does not constitute a new set of RIGHTS. Goals yes, but definitely not rights! This concept only results in confusion about rights and responsibilities. To have a “right” is to have a “justice claim,” which implies “duties” on the part of others.

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LIBERTY AND RIGHTS

Where Are We Today? Humans are naturally compassionate and seek the highest possible standard of living for everyone. The obstacles to achieving this vision are obvious, the primary one being greed and evil in corrupt governments throughout the world. And while establishing positive objectives is an admirable goal, it does not constitute a new set of RIGHTS. Goals yes, but definitely not rights! This concept only results in confusion about rights and responsibilities. To have a “right” is to have a “justice claim,” which implies “duties” on the part of others.

Thankfully, at least some people and places are trying to restore the proper balance between rights and responsibilities.

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LIBERTY AND RIGHTS

Learning Circle Discussion

Problem Statement Negative rights are considered unalienable rights endowed by nature. Positive rights are societal benefits granted by government. Government needs taxes and support from the people in order to be able to offer these benefits. Government must violate some people’s negative rights in order to fulfill other people’s positive rights. To what extent is this beneficial and supported or harmful and forced upon people? Group Discussion

___ How should America deal with the confusion about positive rights? ___ What negative rights should Americans give up for other people’s positive rights? ___ What positive rights are you willing to give up for a better America? ___ Would America be better off or worse off, if we honored the Constitution and focused our

priority on negative rights? ___ How should America support the people who are truly needy? ___ How should America deal with people who are able but unwilling to work? ___ Should America try to meet the objectives of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights

(UDHR)? ___ Is the UDHR properly named, and how should it be promoted and enforced? ___ What are the dangers associated with continuing in our current direction? ___ Should America be more like Europe, or should America go it alone?

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Notes:

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Justice vs. Social Justice



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JUSTICE VS. SOCIAL JUSTICE

Justice is the philosophic concept of rectitude, fairness and morality within a society, and it serves as a balancing force between the collective security and the personal liberty of individuals. The Justice System consists of laws, law enforcement, courts, and consequences for violations. For justice to be effective, all members are expected to pledge allegiance to the traditions and laws of that society. An effective justice system then ensures people receive the justice they deserve, and is a deterrent to others who may be considering similar transgressions.

In the 20th century, an expanded version of “Justice” called “Social Justice” became widely accepted throughout much of the world and in America. This concept had its roots in the philosophic theory that the “General Will” of the community needed to take precedence over the “Individual Will” of each person. After World War II, the concept of Social Justice grew in popularity and the role of government took on a greatly expanded role.

The primary difference between Justice and Social Justice is:

Justice - is the result of the fair and proper administration of law. It is the principle that people receive what they deserve based on ethics, rationality, law, religion, and fairness. Justice involves holding individuals accountable for their actions based on laws and morality.

Social Justice - seeks equality of outcome for individuals and societies as measured by comparative wealth and other differences, including standard of living, personal liberties, and employment opportunities. Social Justice involves holding individuals accountable for a collectivist vision and concepts of equality.

The Conflict – Actions to achieve Social Justice violate the principles of Justice

Although Social Justice contains the word justice, it is not a logical extension of justice. The two concepts are actually in conflict. The goal of justice is to safeguard the natural rights of individuals. The goal of Social Justice is to achieve objectives which can’t be achieved without violating the natural rights of individuals. Social Justice gives governments the directives that legalize unjust actions.

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The Code of Hammurabi - a well-preserved Babylonian code of law of ancient Mesopotamia, dated to about 1754 BC. The sixth Babylonian king, Hammurabi, erected the code.

Themis goddess of Justice – from Greek mythology, was the Titan goddess of divine law and order, and the traditional rules of conduct as established by the gods. She was the divine voice, who first instructed mankind in the primal laws of justice and morality.

Plato’s Republic – “The Republic” is a Socratic dialogue, authored by Plato around 375 BC, concerning justice, the order and character of the just city-state, and the just man.

Magna Carta - a royal charter of rights agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215.

British Common Law - the common legal system of England and Wales, comprised mainly of criminal law and civil law, each branch having its own courts and procedures.

Where We Started – Founding of America

The American Justice system is deeply rooted in Greek philosophy and the Western justice tradition. It is derived from the U.S. Constitution. Its roots include:

America’s justice system was derived from British Common Law and was documented in the Bill of Rights of the Constitution. This includes defensive activities such as maintaining national military and supporting police forces for protection against loss of life, property, and liberty at the hands of foreign despots or domestic criminals. Its mission also ensures adherence to the Constitution, which is the contract between “We the People” and the representatives we select to govern us.

Throughout our history, Americans have taken steps to create a fairer and more compassionate society. This has included a welfare system for the truly needy.


Social justice has entirely different goals. Instead of a concern about evil, punishment and safety of the community, social justice was founded on theories about compassion. The idea of social justice can be found throughout history but the term “social justice” has only been in wide use since the 1840’s when a Jesuit priest named Luigi Taparelli popularized the term. Social justice has been mainly a religious concept, and since 1931 it has been part of the official teaching of the Roman Catholic Church.

Since the Second World War, however, “social justice” has come to mean something very different. The socialist aspects of it have won out over its rivals and gained solitary possession of the field. The term now stands for a very particular view of what is right and wrong in society.

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The optimal resource for understanding the current interpretation of this concept is the United Nations’ publication entitled “Social Justice in an Open World.” This document can be downloaded for free from the internet. Below is a brief summary.

The introduction defines the concerns that Social Justice is intended to address. It describes the problem of rising inequality throughout the world, most notably the ownership of capital and the gap between the richest and poorest countries. It refers to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the framework for resolving this imbalance.

It states that, unlike justice, social justice is a relatively recent concept born of the struggles surrounding the industrial revolution and the advent of socialism. Most of its adherents believe in the collective welfare of society. They admit that believers in absolute truth, virtue and justice are not likely disciples of social justice.

Using the motto that “Morally, all injustices are unacceptable,” the United Nations justifies a series of concepts aimed at achieving greater equality. These concepts include eliminating all forms of discrimination and achieving economic justice. Actions to realize economic justice include redistribution of income, progressive taxes, financial and other forms of assistance, and controlling markets.

“Social Justice in an Open World” states that “Social justice is not possible without strong and coherent redistributive policies conceived and implemented by public agencies. A fair, efficient and progressive taxation system, alluded to in Commitment 9 of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development allows a state to perform “its duties.”

The negative aspects of Social Justice include:

1. “Social Justice” uses the term “Justice,” however Social Justice does not adhere to the traditional definition of “Justice.”

2. The actions encouraged to achieve Social Justice (Equality) require agencies to violate the justice principle of Liberty (protection of individual rights).

3. The goals of equality of people and nations do not adequately consider human nature (natural disparities, personal aspirations and immorality) and therefore are impossible to achieve. But, when attempted, they can only be achieved through force by agencies.

4. Social Justice actions are in violation of the U.S. Constitution unless activist interpretations are employed.

5. Instead of achieving a fairer and more equal world using Social Justice principles, it creates envy and resentment; instead of promoting positive aspects of human nature (love, compassion and the need for meaning).

6. The dramatic differences between these conflicting concepts, especially with them sharing the term justice, is a major cause of America’s unhealthy hyper-partisan environment.

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Where Are We Today?

James Madison once said that if people were angels, we would have no use for law. But we live in an imperfect world, and evil exists. So, America’s justice system has a significant challenge protecting its citizens from people who want to do them harm. And most Americans feel our current justice system is unjust, but for entirely different reasons.

Social Justice has flipped the world’s justice systems upside down. It has created unimaginable confusion about what is just and admirable and what is unjust and abhorrent. Meritocracy is now discouraged and activism is encouraged. Looting is acceptable, but disagreeing with a social cause is offensive and could cost you your life. With all its goals, social justice makes the world extremely complex and incentivizes more dependence, unfairness and immoral or unethical actions.

Social Justice has now become a worldwide movement of activist warriors fighting against victimization. Everything is either a victim or a perpetrator. The victims receive special treatment and the perpetrators are shamed and intimidated. The normal principles of justice no longer apply. Under the court of public opinion, the activist warrior are the judges and “innocent until proven guilty” no longer applies. Achieving Social Justice is given a higher priority than Justice, even though it is unattainable and results in turmoil, unhappiness and more violations.

Our diametrically opposed viewpoints of Justice and Social Justice are symptoms of our different political ideologies and views of the world. How can Americans achieve unity when they can’t agree on what Justice is? The concepts of justice and social justice are not compatible, and in fact are like oil and water.

Prior to the mid 1900s, Americans shared a common understanding of what America’s core values and principles were. After World War II, this began to change with the increased influence of Progressive Ideology in America. Justice is more closely aligned with Conservativism and American Tradition, while Social Justice is more closely aligned with globalism, modernity, and Progressivism.

Conservatism - is loyal to the wisdom of our ancestors that was developed and written down in much simpler eras and has stood the test of time. The purpose of Justice is to deal with evil and protect the members of society. It is also intended as a deterrent to others who may be inclined to perform unlawful actions. Progressivism - believes in modernity and popular groupthink based on theories and ideologies that are constantly evolving and have not been proven to be true. Social justice is intended to achieve a utopian vision of what the world could be. Social Justice theory might have been based on an admirable vision, and using the term justice may have helped the movement gain authority and traction. But, like all ideologies, it keeps mutating and evolving, whether it is true

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or not. Just because it is backed by the United Nations does not make it beneficial to achieving a fairer and more equal world.

In American culture, the term “Justice” infers law and demands respect, authority, and allegiance. Under Social Justice however, this sense of authority and allegiance is redirected to a popular utopian vision. But this utopian vision is based on identity politics and is an opinion that is not held by all members of society. With social justice we are trying to enforce opinions, not laws. Backed by a sense of authority, these opinions become the “ends” which justify means that are often unattainable, unjustifiable and in violation of the principles of the U.S. Constitution. America was founded on a set of values and principles that made it the greatest country in world histo-ry, and Americans need to unite based on America’s founding values and principles. We can and should be an example for the rest of the world. We don’t need to follow the rest of the world off the cliff, if that’s the direction they choose to go. We need to be better.

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Learning Circle Discussion Problem Statement The concept of Social Justice as we know it today, grew from admirable intentions in the late 1940s. World War II, which was said to be the war to end all wars, ended and the United Nations was formed. Much of the world was destroyed, many people were living in horrible conditions and the United Nations took aim at the inequality gap between the richest and poorest countries. Under the motto “Morally, all injustices are unacceptable,” they enacted a series of concepts aimed at achieving greater equality among nations and people within nations. Solving the world’s problems is a monumental task that required an unbelievable amount of authority and a new world order. It resulted in a new political ideology and movement which placed more emphasis on equality than freedom. Social Justice has now become a worldwide movement of activist warriors fighting against victimization. Achieving Social Justice objectives is taking precedence over Justice principles, even though it is unattainable and results in turmoil, unhappiness and more violations. And under the guise of Social Justice goals politicians and world leaders are ignoring Justice principles for their personal goals. Is it possible for the world to unite in solving compassionate goals without the dangers associated with invalidating our founding principles and taking away individual freedoms?

Group Discussion:

___ How would you compare and contrast the vision and goals of both concepts? ___ How does the concept of morality differ under Justice and Social Justice? Explain. ___ How do you feel about political correctness, identity politics, and massive welfare? ___ Will we become a fairer and more equal society because of our focus on social justice?

___ How should America resolve the confusion about social justice? ___ What are the dangers associated with continuing in our current direction? ___ Should America be more like Europe, or should America go it alone? ___ Is a world order and authority beneficial or dangerous? Why? Can the risks be mitigated? ___ Should we support the Social Justice movement or try to counter balance it? ___ Are Social Justice activists making the world better? Are they educated and do they understand

what they are doing?

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Notes:

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Democracy



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DEMOCRACY

A Democracy is a system of government in which power is held by all citizens. Because pure democracies are extremely inefficient, democratic power is often delegated to elected representatives, a structure know as a republic. Governments in which the citizens have no power are considered authoritarian or totalitarian.

Democratic - a form of government that allows everyone to be treated equally and to be involved in making decisions. A Democracy is a government, in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected representatives and appointees.

Authoritarian - forms of government characterized by a strong central power unrestrained by laws. Political scientists described many variations of authoritarian governments most ruled by a single dictator or group of rulers. One example is Iran, a theocracy ruled by a council of religious leaders.

History of Democratic Forms of Government

The first democracy in known history is attributed to ancient Athens; and the term itself is derived from the Greek “demos” (common people) and “kratos” (strength). To the Greeks, the term democracy meant “rule by the people”. This concept first appeared in 508 B.C. In the latter part of the fifth century, the Athenian statesman Pericles (495-429 bce) was largely responsible for the full development of Athenian democracy and the Athenian empire, making Athens the political and cultural center of Greece. His reign has been dubbed the Age of Pericles.

In 1775, the people of the American colonies rose up against Britain. This led to the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the War of Independence. In 1776 the colonists sent the King of England their Declaration of Independence. Between the Declaration of Independence and the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1789, our founders had constructive debates, as presented in the Federalist Papers, about the options for an effective government. This great experiment included government of, for and by the people in a republic with checks and balances to ensure minority rights. The U.S. Constitution was based on the individualist principles of personal freedom and autonomy, balanced by a strong justice system that prescribes equal treatment under the law. It provided Americans with the foundation for a democratic form of government.

The Spectrum of Government

The diagram below illustrates the spectrum of types of government from Collectivism on the left to Individualism on the right. Collectivist forms of government place higher priority on the community over the individual and in the extreme become authoritarian. Individualist forms place higher priority on individuals over the community and in the extreme result in anarchy.

With rare exceptions throughout history, authoritarian forms of government have been the norm. Some have had benevolent monarchs, but most showed little concern for the will, or welfare of the people.

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DEMOCRACY

There are major advantages to democratic societies. Democracies naturally evolve into capitalistic free market economies, which are innovative and efficient. They invent and produce more products and services, generate more wealth than authoritarian forms of government, and increase the average standard of living for all citizens.

There are significant challenges to forming and maintaining democratic governments. The first is understanding and accommodating the will of the people. This is extremely difficult in larger societies such as America. The second is preventing a slow but steady drift toward an authoritarian form of government. This often occurs when dissatisfied members feel they would be better off under a more controlling government. It also occurs when leaders weaken checks on their power.

A Major Shift in Direction - Illusional Democracy

In the late 1940s, after the conclusion of World War II, the United Nations was formed and there was a major movement to solve the inequality gap between the richest and poorest countries. This was a monumental task that required an unbelievable amount of authority and a new world order. It also resulted in a new political ideology which placed more emphasis on equality than freedom. As emphasis shifted from liberty to equality, the original principles of the constitution were compromised.

While the U.S. Constitution provided American colonists with the foundation for a democratic form of government, our laws, consciousness, and culture needed two centuries to reflect our founding ideal: “All men are created equal”. It wasn’t until the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Legislation in the 1960s that America truly began living up to the full letter and intent of the U.S. Constitution. At the same time America began living up to the “Equality” principle of the U.S. Constitution, we also began overreaching and drifting in the opposite direction, away from the letter and intent of the Constitution. The Civil Rights Legislation resulted in a significant growth in government focus, institutions, and programs including affirmative action and diversity programs. As America grew in size and complexity however, power and control shifted from the people to an enormous bureaucratic government. In actuality, America is now a hybrid between a democracy and a bureaucracy.

If we accept the definition of democracy as a system of government where power resides with the people, we would have to conclude that America is drifting away from democracy. In a true democracy, the people have the ultimate authority and government derives its legitimacy from the people. Abraham Lincoln said “Government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.” But Lincoln could not foresee an American government obsessed with equality, while setting aside liberty, unconcerned with the will of the people. In addition to its size, many factors that have diminished the authority of the people.

The first of these factors is the opposition between democracy and populism. Populism is an egalitarian political philosophy or movement that promotes the interests of the common people. Unfortunately, Americans believe that whatever the perceived consensus opinion is, it can and should be done. This is a dangerous and flawed interpretation. The U.S. Constitution documents America’s core values and principles, which if we stay true to them, ensures we will remain a democracy.

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DEMOCRACY

Today, the only means the American people have to exercise their authority is the ballot box. Over time however, America’s leaders have found ways to steer popular will away from policies that ensure the health of the country and toward policies that increase their authority.

Below are areas where the interests of the people are being weakened or threatened, and all Americans should be concerned.

Voting Integrity – The only direct way the citizens can exert their influence is through their votes. Free and fair elections must be protected at all costs. There are many ways current elections are being corrupted including: fraudulent ballots, money in politics, manipulated machines, intimidation, and non-citizens voting. Each manipulated or fraudulent vote offsets a valid vote. Voting is a privilege reserved for citizens.

Debt and Deficit – American politicians are squandering America’s wealth for their own benefit in ways that harm the health and prosperity of America. Much of this spending goes to special interest groups and causes that help politicians remain in control. Much of it encourages fraudulent voting that thwarts the will of the people.

Illegal Immigration – While legal immigration is compassionate and welcome, open borders bring crime, drugs, diseases, and dependence. The main motivation for mass illegal immigration is that it provides a source of easily influenced voters.

Freedom of Speech – One of the greatest threats to the liberty of the people is the suppression of free speech. Free and open debate was the cornerstone of the first democracy in Greece and is critical for America’s democracy. An informed citizenry is one of the biggest threats to authoritarian government. Communist countries control the media and prosecute people who speak out against the party line. In America today, the media is affiliated with the progressive faction, is biased, and is intimidating people with conservative opinions.

Unjust Justice System – Fair and equal justice is the cornerstone of America’s democracy and is ingrained in the Constitution’s Bill of Rights. In authoritarian governments, the justice system becomes a tool of corrupt leaders. America’s system has evolved into a two-tier justice system, one for politicians and those who are well-connected, and one for the common people. This must be corrected.

Limited Government – The U.S. Constitution limits the federal government and places certain powers with the states and the people. Progressive ideology strives for greater equality and promotes uniformity of thought and political correctness. Today, our American government is trying to regulate the most intimate aspects of American culture. We must demand our freedom and autonomy and resist big government.

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DEMOCRACY

The Regulatory State

The Constitution (Article I, Section 1) vested “all legislative Powers” in the Congress. In Article II, Section 3, it directed that the President, as head of the Executive branch, “shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.” This separation of powers ensured that laws were made by democratically and directly elected representatives of the People, rather than by executive fiat.

Over the course of the twentieth century, the expansion of the Federal government, i.e., the Executive branch, and the increasing complexity of its activities resulted in a corruption of the Constitution's intent in that the “faithful execution of the Laws” was not based on what Congress enacted, but rather on how such Laws were interpreted and administered by unelected bureaucrats appointed by the President. This violation of the separation of powers has accelerated over time, which has severely compromised the democratic process. Rather than rule by the People through their elected representatives, we have unintended extensions of the legislative process, with the power of the law in the hands of bureaucrats not accountable to the People, except very indirectly by way of Congressional oversight. In many cases, the intent of the laws passed by Congress has been subverted.

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DEMOCRACY

SUMMARY

The diagram below illustrates the shift America has undergone since its founding. It presents a spectrum, with Collectivism on the left and Individualism on the right. America was founded on individualist principles, based on the moral worth of the individual, balanced by a justice system that provides collective safety and security. Individualism prioritizes liberty over equality while Collectivism does the opposite. Communism and Socialism emphasize collectivism and are more authoritarian.

The red, white and blue anchor in the lower right represents the U.S. Constitution at the time of America’s founding, rooted in individualistic principles. America is represented by the USS America and is positioned as a center left country. As such, in many ways, America has broken away from being anchored by the Constitution. Forces of Marxism and Progressivism are blowing America toward the Left, while the forces of Classic Liberalism and Conservativism are fighting to resist this slow but steady transition.

Great countries come and go; America is no exception. Consider the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. After becoming the greatest country in the world, the citizens and politicians of Rome became complacent and took their wealth and prosperity for granted.

The checks and balances built into the U.S. Constitution, if maintained, safeguard American democracy. But these safeguards have been weakened. Americans must not become complacent nor accept the tactics of corrupt politicians and America’s enemies. Politicians promote what seems like compassionate policies with admirable intentions, but for the most part pernicious results. The American people remain loyal to America’s core values and principles contained in the U.S. Constitution. To do otherwise risks losing the fruits of our democracy.

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Notes:

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Problem Statement - As America grows in size and complexity, an enormous bureaucratic government is increasing its power and control. America is now a hybrid between a democracy and an authoritarian bureaucracy. When freedom and autonomy are lost, history shows they are difficult to regain without a revolution. Is this a positive trend or should we act to reverse it? Questions to Consider

___ Is America’s democracy beneficial and worth saving? ___ What are the main characteristics that make a government a democracy? ___ Is America’s democratic form of government under threat? ___ What are biggest threats to our democracy? ___ Should we consider other options, such as Democratic Socialism or Social Democracy? ___ What are the benefits of democratic socialism? ___ In what ways do America’s politicians fail to follow the will of the people? ___ To what extent should government be involved is the intimate aspects of our lives?

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Equality (Opportunity vs. Outcome)



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EQUALITY (Opportunity vs. Outcome)

Is there such a thing as equality in nature? No. Equality does not exist in nature, and it can’t. On the contrary, there must be diversity in nature, meaning dissimilarity, inequality, and all sorts of contradictions between objects and phenomena. That is what gives the colors and properties that are in nature richness. Philosophically, inequalities are classified as either natural or constructed.

Natural Inequality - stems from differences in age, health or other physical characteristics. Natural inequalities fall outside the domain of justice, for the simple reason that there is no possibility that justice can equalize these differences. While we may acknowledge we cannot rectify differences in intelligence, talent or desire between individuals, we often attempt to compensate for these inequalities.

Social Inequality - is found in almost every society. It is shaped by a range of structural factors, such as geographical location, citizenship status, or cultural self-sorting. Social inequality results from hierarchies of authority, class, race, and gender that distribute access to resources and rights unequally. Examples are income and wealth inequality, unequal access to education and cultural resources, and differential treatment by the police and judicial system, among others.

Nature has made us unequal in physical, mental and spiritual traits. There is a great variety in the world of human, animal and plant life. Some people are more powerful physically than others, and some are more intelligent. This is natural inequality. Natural equality is that which is inherent in all humanity solely because of what human nature is. This equality is the principle and foundation of liberty. Natural or moral equality is based on the fact that all men and women are born, grow, live, and die.

The Conflict – Equality of Opportunity (treatment) vs Equality of Outcome (lifestyle)

The goal of equality of opportunity is to position all individuals so that they can achieve their unique God-given potential. The goal of equality of outcome is to ensure all individuals reach a common standard of living. Equality of opportunity establishes a meritocracy that encourages competition to achieve greatness. Equality of outcome discourages competition and allows people to survive without an incentive to find meaning and live a purposeful life.

In order to expand our analysis, we will assess this conflict in terms of the difference between Equality and Equity.

Equality - is about ensuring that every individual has an equal opportunity to make the most of their lives and talents, with equal status, rights, and opportunities. It is also the belief that no one should have more limited life chances strictly because of the way they were born, where they come from, what they believe, or whether they have a disability.

Equity - an equitable society is one in which all can participate and prosper. The goals of equity must be to create conditions that allow all to reach their full potential. In short, equity creates a path for hope and change.

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These opposing forces are championed by the world’s two major political ideologies, which have drastically different visions of an ideal society. Equality is more closely aligned with America’s founding, natural inequalities, liberty, minimal government and equality of opportunity. Equity is more closely aligned with the Global Left, societal inequalities, intrusive government, social justice, and equality of outcome.

Where We Started – Founding of America

America was founded under a unique set of circumstances, which provided the ingredients for the great American experiment. It began in a vast untamed territory without a structured form of government. While new pioneers experienced the wonders of nature, they were also forced to deal with the natural difficulties of life. They had to acquire new skills and find innovative ways to survive, but they also experienced the joys of growing personally and contributing to new communities. Together they built railroads, invented the telegraph and telephone, and found new ways to farm.

The natural desires and characteristics of human beings created a life worth living and built the modern society we have today. Individuals found ways to adapt their individual talents and skills for the advancement of their communities. And communities had to find the best ways to provide security and cooperate with other communities.

While modern Americans have gained much from their ancestors, they have also lost many of the natural joys of life. Our life expectancy is much longer and we live in comfort in the coldest and hottest weather. But instead of challenging ourselves and being proud of our personal accomplishments, many of us are content to simply blame others for our misfortune. As a society we need to restore our sources of self-worth.


Since the Industrial Revolution and the Age of Enlightenment, a new progressive ideology has evolved. This Progressive Ideology seeks to achieve a modern form of utopian society in which everyone enjoys the wonders of life without having to expend personal effort or accept responsibility.

With all the advances in technology and comforts of living, Americans are able to refocus their energies on entertainment and acquiring luxuries. And while their expectations of what they are entitled to increases, they still experience a natural need to contribute to a better society. But instead of actually making personal contributions, more people are drawn to activism. They express a sense of compassion by advocating government programs that reportedly promote greater societal equity.

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Since the early to mid 1900s, America has been influenced by the Global Progressive Ideology of a welfare state. It began with Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, with Social Security and massive new government agencies and regulations. It took another major leap toward Progressivism with Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society. The Great Society included Civil Rights Laws and the war on poverty. Our government is now threatening to take another major move to the Left with a president who claims to be the most Progressive president ever.

While these movements and policies have had many positive impacts on the current quality of living, they also come with significant costs. America’s debt and deficit are out of control and unsustainable. The current generation is experiencing a higher standard of living at the expense of future generations. And America’s younger generations are taught to feel entitled, but are not being taught creative think-ing skills required to solve America’s future problems.

Where Are We Today?

America has become a hybrid society, no longer functioning as a fully free-market capitalistic economy, and not yet a totally socialistic government-controlled society. The federal government is gaining more and more control over commerce and industry (i.e. postal services, education, transportation, healthcare, agriculture, and now energy). This evolution has been justified because these functions are critical to the well-being of the society and should not be subject to the profit motive. But the government is driven by political rather than rational or economic principles of supply and demand, and thus government functions have proven to be inefficient and corrupt. Our ever-growing government is either funded with increased taxes which increases the cost of living or is borrowed which threatens future generations.

Instead of creating a utopia that is fairer, less stressful, and more equal, we are actually evolving into a dystopia with more welfare recipients and more homeless. Our politicians champion such causes as reduced wealth disparity, higher minimal hourly wages, unions, and diversity programs, but promote policies that exacerbate these negative metrics. As we debate over equality and liberty or equity and social justice, our challenges become more difficult to resolve. We need a different direction with less divisive and better strategic solutions.

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Instead of creating a utopia that is fairer, less stressful, and more equal, we are actually evolving into a dystopia with more welfare recipients and more homeless. Our politicians champion such causes as reduced wealth disparity, higher minimal hourly wages, unions, and diversity programs, but promote policies that exacerbate these negative metrics. As we debate over equality and liberty or equity and social justice, our challenges become more difficult to resolve. We need a different direction with less divisive and better strategic solutions.

Summary

There is an opposite point of view called collectivism, which originated from the works of German philosophers Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in the mid 1800s. Their theories evolved into Socialism and Communism, and into a milder form called Progressivism. These ideologies place major emphasis on equity (equality of outcome) and have little concern for individual liberty and self-reliance. These systems have produced totalitarian governments, which are neither equal nor free. They developed into caste systems with rulers and supporters in the upper class and the general population in the lower class.

Americans must find the optimal balance between individualism (equality of opportunity) and collectivism (equality of outcome). We must resist the forces that pull us toward totalitarian forms of government wherein politicians are the ruling class and the general population is the lower class. As a country, we must quit spending America’s wealth on free things our politicians say we need. Rather, we must find new ways to generate wealth. We must promote a common effort towards higher standards and restore the values and principles that made America great. We must raise our expectations and begin holding politicians accountable. As individuals, we need to quit criticizing our ancestors and instead learn to admire and mirror their heroics. We should celebrate our natural diversity and quit trying to achieve a fabricated vision of diversity. We must temper compassion with tough love. We need to quit worrying about being Woke, and begin waking up. Changing our attitudes will allow us to do great things. Together, we have a chance to achieve world peace and eliminate world hunger. However, if we continue to fight amongst each other as we are now doing, we will have lost the opportunity of our lifetime, and Lady Liberty will weep.

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Problem Statement The second paragraph of The Declaration of Independence states that “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness”. “Equal justice under law” is a societal ideal that has influenced the American legal system and is en-graved above the front entrance of the United States Supreme Court building. This concept in also enu-merated in the Bill of Rights, which are the first 10 amendments of the Constitution and clarified in addi-tional amendments.

Equality is the cornerstone of the U.S. Constitution and the foundation of American society. But since the United Nations 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, there has been has been substantial con-fusion and disagreement concerning what “Equality” means and what are the rights of Americans. This difference of interpretation has led to many of the conflict and related challenges in American society today. If we are committed to forming a more perfect union, we must first resolve these differences and arrive at a common understand of what Equality means in American society.

Group Discussion

___ What should be the role of government in evening out inequalities?

___ Who should be the judge and what should be the criteria?

___ What actions are justified to achieve equality?

___ When should someone’s rights be violated in order to achieve equality?

___ Should popular opinion influence measures to achieve more equality?

___ Should the property and savings which people acquired through skill, hard work and risk during their lifetime be subject to redistribution in the interest of reducing inequality?

___ What are the causes of hierarchy or class differences natural or imposed?

___ What are the sources of wealth in America, and should they be controlled by government?

"I have no respect for the passion for equality, which seems to me merely idealizing envy - I don't disparage envy, but don't accept it as legitimately my master".

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

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America’s Racial Conflict Is not a “Black vs. White” Issue



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Is Not a “Black vs. White” Issue AMERICA’S RACIAL CONFLICT

Racial issues are now paramount in the mind of practically every American, but people are confused about what the problem is, what the causes are, or how it could be resolved. The vast majority of Americans are good, compassionate people who respect others and wish for health and happiness for all humanity. Unfortunately, the current hyper-focus on racial conflict often impedes our ability to address the real issues that could improve the quality of life for all. So, what is real and what is imagined? In the 21st century, is it really an issue about race?

Some say that only people of color have credibility when discussing racism. Yet, each of us has a vested interest in solving the problem. We have studied what great authors have written and said about the subject. And the more we learn, the more we realize it is less an issue of race and more of a philosophical conflict between left vs. right. It’s an issue of how people interpret history and human nature. It’s an issue of whom we’ve chosen as role models and whether our understanding has been drawn from indoctrination or critical thinking.

A Brief History – Finding a Balance between Liberty and Equality

The U.S. Constitution provided American colonists with the foundation for a democratic form of government. But our laws, consciousness, and culture needed two centuries to reflect our most universal founding ideal: “All men are created equal”. It wasn’t until the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Legislation in the 1960s that America truly began living up to the full letter and spirit of that ideal.

Although slavery had been prevalent throughout the history of mankind, it violated the principles of Natural Law, which were the foundation of the U.S. Constitution. On September 22, 1862, Abraham Lincoln’s Executive Order, the Emancipation Proclamation, lead to the abolishment of slavery and the end of a dark chapter in American History. The southern states, however, resisted abolition with a series of Jim Crow laws, beginning a period of segregation and discrimination. In the mid 1960s, Civil Rights legislation was effective in overcoming the history of segregation and nullifying the discredited principle of 'separate but equal.

As America began living up to the “Equality” principle of the U.S. Constitution, we also began overreaching and drifting away from the equally important “Liberty” principle of the same Constitution. Since the 1960s, Progressive ideology emphasizing collectivist principles, has gained increasing influence in America’s culture and consciousness. But this fixation on equality has disrupted the ideal balance between the two great constitutional principles.

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Is Racism a Black vs. White Problem? – An excellent way to answer this question is by comparing the opinions of black authors and celebrities. If it is a black vs. white problem, why do great black authors reach differing conclusions about the same problem in the same way the rest of society does? And why are so many protesters, rioters and looters young white men and women? Today’s battle lines are not drawn between races but between theories about America’s history and core values.

The 1619 Project is an ongoing initiative developed by Nikole Hannah-Jones and published in The New York Times Magazine in August 2019, the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery. It aims to reframe American history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of our country’s narrative. Despite the fact that the first slaves landed on American soil in 1619, long before those who would ultimately write the U.S. Constitution had even been born, the 1619 Project describes America and its Constitution as irredeemable, blames white supremacy and privilege for every perceived injustice, and promotes restitution and special treatment for identity groups.

The 1776 Commission was established to support traditional education about American history with all its flaws and greatness. It promotes the U.S. Constitution, color blindness, fair and equal treatment under the law, personal autonomy and responsibility, and meritocracy.

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A good place to observe this debate is by visiting your local book store and reading book titles.

From the Left, there are best-selling titles like White Fragility, White Rage, How to Argue with a Racist, Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People about Race, The History of White People, and more. The book In Defense of Looting actually argues against the American Justice system. In How to Fight White Supremacy, the author admits he purposely excluded Black Conservatives. How can you comprehensively address the problem without including both sides, unless you are not interested in solving the issue and are more motivated to keep the conflict going?

From the Right, there are books by extremely articulate, intellectual and inspiring black Americans. These include We Can Overcome by Lt. Col Allen West, Discrimination and Disparities by Thomas Sowell, White Guilt by Shelby Steele, and Winning the Race by John McWhorter, and many more.

Could It Be a Left vs. Right problem? - If Black Conservatives are discounted, their principles must be dangerous to the Progressive cause? In his book The Breakdown of Higher Education, John M. Ellis describes how the Civil Rights Legislation of the 1960s had a negative impact on our colleges and universities by initiating affirmative action and diversity programs. Schools were inspired to expand diversity programs and staffing them with activists. As time went by, the predominance of Progressive over Conservative professors and administrators grew. Eventually, these schools were more interested in promoting a cause than encouraging academic excellence and intellectual rigor.

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In On Liberty, John Stuart Mill stated, “He who knows only his own side of the case, knows little of that.” This is what is happening in our higher education system. The focus is more on indoctrination than criti-cal thinking skills. This is why Conservative thought is suppressed on virtually every college campus. And in order to succeed in advancing toward a leftist world view, Progressives must tarnish the values and achievements of the American way of life. This is why the history of America is distorted in the 1619 Project and why traditional civics classes are deemphasized or eliminated. And it is why minorities are defined as victims and successful people are defined as oppressors.

Is It a Blame vs. Responsibility problem?

Americans are by nature the most loving and compassionate people on earth. They are instinctively eager and willing to help anyone who is willing to help themselves, regardless of race, sex, national origin, color, creed, educational background, or status in life. But they generally avoid and resist being threatened, conned, or shamed.

All humans have experienced challenging times which required fortitude, a strong work ethic, and a willingness to learn and grow. While it is true that some people are born into better family and life situations, that circumstance doesn’t guarantee success, and there aren’t shortcuts in life.

Most of the conflicts in the world are between the so called “Haves” and “Have Nots.” And instead of working to improve their own situations, the “Have Nots” generally blame the “Haves” for their challenges, which does little to solve anything on a country-to-country basis or on a person-to-person basis.

As Charles Swindoll suggests, we all possess God-given skills and talents, and success and happiness come from developing these traits and making a real contribution to humanity.

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Is Not a “Black vs.”White Issue AMERICA’S RACIAL CONFLICT

Is Racism a Cultural Issue?

‘Culture’ is a term that refers to a large and diverse set of mostly intangible aspects of social life. According to sociologists, culture consists of the values, beliefs, systems of language, communication, and practices that people share in common and that can be used to define them as a collective. Culture also includes the material objects that are common to that group or society.

The people that are leading movements such as Black Lives Matter are not interested in prospering and assimilating in the American society with its Constitution and laws that have evolved over centuries. They view American society as unfair and irredeemably flawed. Instead, they want to create a different society with a living constitution modeled upon progressive principles of collectivism.

Revolution seems to be a constant in the history of mankind. America’s current racial conflict is no exception. America’s youth have been indoctrinated with an extremely fuzzy vision of a progressive utopia. For them, it is easier for the world to adapt to their view of an ideal culture, than for them adapt into the existing American culture. But these types of revolutions are unproductive, harmful and dangerous. They almost always lead to a dystopia not utopia.

Is It a Good vs. Evil Problem? – This question requires much contemplation and examination. Racism and slavery existed in the 13 original colonies at the time of America’s founding, but our founding fathers created a forward-looking Constitution based on the principle that all men and women are created equal. It took a long time and numerous amendments for our culture to catch up to the principles of the U.S. Constitution.

With over 330 million Americans, there are definitely racists in America, but America is not systemically racist. Many Americans have beliefs that America is an unjust country and are committed to taking actions that are unconstitutional, unlawful, and unprincipled in order to advance their beliefs and convictions. But their attitudes and actions are not making America a fairer country where all people are treated equally. While these actions may have admirably intentions, they are causing unwarranted harm and violating others guaranteed rights and protections. Whether these actions originate from left or right ideologies they are unjust, evil, and contribute to America’s racial conflict.

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Summary

In our White Paper, “How the System Destroys Its Enemies,” we described the tactics used throughout history by evil people to overthrow valid governments. One of the most common tactics is generating dissension, envy and resentment within the general population in order to encourage revolt. These tactics have been successfully deployed in the 1917 Russian Revolution, Nazi Germany, Cuba, Argentina, Venezuela, and many other countries. Evil forces in America have been promoting victimization since the Civil Rights Legislation and are active today with Identity Politics and organizations like Antifa.

America has made significant progress in achieving Martin Luther King’s vision of a color-blind society. We advanced beyond the abhorrent eras of slavery and segregation into a modern era where all Americans can achieve their potential and realize their dreams. Many of the things we’ve done have been highly successful, but a large number have been destructive and dangerous. As a country, we have not reached our potential and have a lot of work left to do. Achieving the vision and promise of America will require us to work together and make wiser decisions.

America is still the greatest country in the history of the world, and the reason for our success is the United States Constitution. It provides us with a model and structure for ideal governance if we adhere to it. It provides the optimal balance between individual freedom and autonomy weighed against the safety and prosperity of our collective society. It encourages a proper balance between individual rights and responsibilities. It is consistent with natural law and human nature, with a focus on helping people to reach their God-given potential (teaching people to fish instead of giving them a fish). To achieve that ideal society, we must carefully choose the people and ideologies we follow.

If you believe racism exists, you will see it everywhere you look. But is it really there? Or is it simply asserted without much basis, more a matter of faith than of evidence and reason? Leo Tolstoy, in his philosophical treatise The Kingdom of God Is Within You, observed the following:

“The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of a doubt, what is laid before him.”

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Mission Statement

Racial discrimination goes against America’s core values and is unconstitutional. While there may be people who are racists, America is not a racist country. There are however, people who benefit from racial conflict. Armed with this knowledge, how can we diminish our racial conflicts and create the country we want to live in?

Group Discussion

___ Is America a racist country?

___ Are there racists that call America their home?

___ Is Racism currently a cultural issue in America?

___ Is there systemic Racism in the United States?

___ What is Identity Politics and how does it relate to racism?

___ Is it the role of government to shape and influence culture?

___ What can be done to make America a fairer and more inclusive country?

___ Is it evil when people do what they believe is worthy and true, but infringe upon other’s liberty?

___ If people perceive themselves as revolutionaries against a greater evil, is it okay to harm others?

___ If people are committed to achieving a perceived greater good, is it okay to break laws? Should government handouts or corporate donations be used to favor one group over another?

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Economic Theories and Systems

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Economy is the term used to define the activities that take place within a nation to produce and distribute goods and services for public and private consumption. An economy is often the synonym for the economic system, which consists of the assumptions, theories, goals, procedures and regulations associated with the production, distribution, trade, and consumption of goods and services. An economy is evaluated in terms of the wealth it creates for the nation and the wealth and standard of living for its citizens. Economies are either open and free or closed and subject to governmental control over the factors of production and how they will be allocated.

What makes countries unique and effective?

When people describe a country, they often refer to its economic approach. But that is often misleading or incomplete. America is considered a capitalistic democracy, but it is no longer a pure democracy. When analyzing a country, you must also consider its form of government, its system of justice, its commitment to liberty and human rights and its economic philosophy.

The Conflict – The extent to which the economy is open and free or closed and planned

The economies of modern countries are composed of many institutions and businesses. Some countries believe the best way to serve the people is with strong government planning and controls. Other countries believe economies are too complex to gather and analyze information fast enough to effectively plan and control it. Socialism is the economic system that utilizes strong government control. Capitalism is an economic system that prefers limited government and individual autonomy, and permits the economy to control itself through free market principles.

Capitalism - an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and operation for profit. Characteristics central to capitalism include private property, capital accumulation, wage labor, voluntary exchange, a price system and competitive markets.

Socialism - a political and economic theory of social organization where the means of production, distribution, and exchange are owned or regulated by the community as a whole. Social ownership can be public, collective or cooperative ownership, or citizen ownership of equity.

The two principles that underlie these two economic systems, are “Competition” for Capitalism and “Cooperation” for Socialism.

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Where it all began

Evidence shows that trade and barter occurred throughout the world since the beginning of human life. But modern economic systems did not appear until after the Age of Enlightenment (1685 to 1815) and the Industrial Revolution (19th century).

The Age of Enlightenment, which started in the late 17th century, began a period of great change and new ideas. It was an intellectual movement, predominately in England, France, and Germany, in which great thinkers challenged the basic foundations of society. These philosophers (including Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Voltaire) offered differing theories on human nature, the role of government, the sources of authority, and concepts of liberty. These ideas helped guide Eu-ropean societies away from feudalism and absolute monarchies, toward societies based on liberty and equality, along with broader citizen participation.

The Industrial Revolution of 1760 to 1840 saw new manufacturing processes in Europe and the United States. This period included the transition from hand production methods to machines, new chemical manufacturing, iron production processes, increased use of steam and water power, the development of machine tools, and the rise of the mechanized factory system.

THE HISTORY OF CAPITALISM

The core principles of capitalism had many roots, but capitalism as we know it emerged naturally in Northwestern Europe, especially in Great Britain and the Netherlands, in the 16th to 17th centuries. The original principles of capitalism were espoused by English philosopher John Locke (1632-1704) and Scot-tish economist Adam Smith (1723-1790). John Locke’s principles were defined in his book “The Second Treatise of Government.”

1. Liberty – All men are naturally in a state of perfect freedom and equality. This includes a law of na-ture where no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions.

2. Property – Every man has the right to own property, including his own person. The labor of his body is properly his.

Adam Smith’s principles for an optimal economy were defined in his book “Wealth of Nations” and earlier in Theory of Moral Sentiment” illustrated with his Invisible Hand. They indicated that although individuals act in their own best interests to maximize their capital and labor, in doing so they contribute toward maximizing the optimal output of society. These principles led to the classical theory of supply and demand, where an uncontrolled free market will balance itself more quickly and effectively than a government system of centralized planning and control.

Capitalism thrived in an American setting, enabling the transition of continental wilderness into a growing and modern economy. This spurred previously unimaginable advances in transportation, communications, agriculture, medicine, technology and much more. The standard of living in America

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quickly became the highest in the world. There were certainly poor working conditions and worker abuse. But America’s unplanned free market economy was the source of great wealth without precedent.

THE HISTORY OF SOCIALISM

Socialism refers to both the economic systems and the type of government of authoritarian societies, because they are so intertwined.

The original principles underlying Socialism were espoused by French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) and later by German philosophers Karl Marx (1818-1883) and Friedrich Engels (1820-1895). Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s major works were his books “Discourse on the Origin of Inequality” and “The Social Contract.”

1. People should sacrifice their “individual will” in order to realize greater gains for society as

expressed in the “general will.”

2. The fruits of the earth belong to us all.

The first community known for adopting socialistic principles was New Harmony, Indiana, founded in 1825 by Robert Owen (1771-1858), a wealthy Scottish social reformer. In February of 1826, his town adopted a new constitution entitled "The New Harmony Community of Equality". The goal was to achieve happiness based on equal rights and equality of duties. The followers of Robert Owen coined the term Socialism. But because of constant quarrels, the community was divided into smaller communities, and in 1828 Socialism was replaced by more Individualist principles.

Karl Marx is considered the father of Socialism, but his ultimate goal was Communism. In 1848, Marx and fellow German Friedrich Engels published “The Communist Manifesto,” which introduced the principles that led to Marxism. Marxism is a social, political, and economic theo-ry, which focuses on the struggle between capitalists and the working class. Marx wrote that power relationships between capitalists and workers were inherently exploitative and would inevitably lead to class conflict.

Marx suggested that all societies naturally evolve through a series of stages from Primitive Communism, to Slavery, to Feudalism, to Capitalism, to Socialism and eventually to Communism. He believed that communism engenders utopian society where class and government fade away. In a Marxist utopia, everyone would happily share property and wealth, free from the conflicts that class-based systems bring. But in order to achieve this stage, society had to experience a revolution.

Stage 1: A revolution must occur in order to overthrow the existing government. Marx emphasized the nee-d for total destruction of the existing system in order to move on to Stage 2.

Stage 2: A dictator or elite leader (or leaders) must gain absolute control over the proletariat. During this phase, the new government controls the common citizen's personal choices -- including his or her education, religion, employment and even marriage. Collectivization of property and wealth must also take place.

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Stage 3: Achievement of utopia. This phase has never been attained because it requires that all non-Communists be destroyed in order to achieve perfect equality.

In the last third of the 19th century, social democratic parties arose in Europe, based on ideas from Marxism. The philosophy of Karl Marx influenced the following socialist movements:

Social-Democrat Worker’s Party in Russia (1898)

Adolph Hitler’s National Socialist Workers Party of Germany (1920)

Joseph Stalin’s Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (1922)

Mao Zedong’s Socialist Education Movement and Communist Party of China (1943)

The major flaw of Socialism is that it places too much power in the hands of a few and lacks the checks and balances to control and limit that power. It is sold as a fairer, more equal, and more efficient, classless utopia. But power corrupts and utopia quickly turns into dystopia, which is nearly impossible to reverse. Instead of a fairer classless society it inevitably becomes a two-tier system with the ruling class and supporters living in luxury and common people struggling to survive. Instead of encouraging individuals to achieve their God-given potential and make an independent living, it subsumes all to accomplish central planning objectives. The result is an inefficient economy that does not grow and creates to a lower standard of living for all.

The attraction of a utopian society is overwhelming, and followers feel they can achieve it, avoiding the failures of the past. And some aspire to joining the ruling class.

The Road to Serfdom was written between 1940 and 1943 by Austrian-British economist and philosopher Friedrich Hayek. In it he warns of the risks of Socialism and Communism and describes what he calls “The Middle Way.” The middle way is an incremental step away from Capitalism and toward Socialism, hoping to find that ideal balance. But these incremental steps don’t accomplish their objectives and more incremental steps lead closer and closer to Socialism. This is the theory behind “New Democratic Socialism” and other, similar movements.

Since the end of World War II, many countries experimented with Socialism. Some of these such as Argentina, Cuba, and Venezuela had been successful and prosperous societies, then experienced significant deterioration. Others that implemented milder hybrid forms of Socialism such as France, England, and Canada are still prosperous, but arguably not as prosperous as they could be. Countries such as Cambodia, North Korea, Vietnam, and Ethiopia are still experiencing substandard living conditions.

The flaws in the philosophy of Socialism and Communism:

Socialism has never succeeded

Socialism denies some essential traits of human nature

Socialism pays lip service to the will of the people, but requires a dictator to implement

Socialism inevitability becomes totalitarian, a pseudo-scientific tyranny

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WHAT MAKES COUNTRIES UNIQUE AND WHERE IS AMERICA?

Earlier in this paper, we provided a diagram showing the various elements of government. Each of these have a number of components that identify where a country is on a spectrum from Collectivism on the left to Individualism on the right. Where is America today?

Form of Government – America was founded as a “Representative Republic” but as a result of our two-party system, lifelong politicians have gained firm control over the levers of power. The people of America are losing their voice and power, and America has become closer to an “Oligarchy.” The majority of the policies currently being implemented by these politicians are based on socialistic principles, are unconstitutional, and are not in the best interest of the people or the health of America.

Liberty and Human Rights - The U.S. Constitution supports individual liberty and autonomy. In the late 1940s the United Nations began promoting socialistic principles espoused by global progressives. This gave legitimacy to an American movement toward collectivism and equality, and away from the U.S. Constitution and its values and principles.

Justice System – America’s Justice system was built upon British Common Law to support individual liberty and autonomy. In America today, there is more emphasis on Social Justice than Justice. As a result, our Justice System has become overly complex and is dangerously less effective.

Economic Philosophy – America’s effort to satisfy Social Justice objectives has required heavy government taxes, ownership, control and regulation into our economic system. As a result, we have evolved away from a pure free market, into crony capitalism, and an extensive welfare system. Because of the governments heavy influence in segments of our economy we are now a hybrid Capitalism/Socialism combination.

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Schools of Economic Thought - Classical vs. Keynesian

No discussion about economic systems would be complete without at least mentioning the two economic schools of thought.

Classical economics flourished, primarily in Britain, in the late 18th and early-to-mid 19th century. Its main thinkers were Adam Smith, Jean-Baptiste Say, David Ricardo, Thomas Robert Malthus, and John Stuart Mill. This school of thought held that government influence in the economy should be resisted. They promote a “laissez-faire” approach which allows the free-market economy to manage itself.

Keynesian economics was named after the British economist John Maynard Keynes during the great depression in the 1930s. This school of thought posited that consumer demand is the primary driving force in an economy and supports expansionary fiscal policy. Its main tools are government spending on infrastructure, unemployment benefits, and education. In America, this belief has been used to justify excessive borrow and spend policies, while ignoring the long-term risks as well as the short-term corruption and disincentives to work.

American Evaluation Metrics

America’s economic system has been evolving in a different direction than the intent of the U.S. Constitution. This evolution has been driven by the assumptions, theories, principles and goals of the Global Left and socialism. But would we have been a healthier country that did a better job of supporting our people if we had not strayed from Capitalism? To answer this question, we would have to define a set of metrics to evaluate our economy against. Then we should compare the principles of capitalism and socialism and make smarter policy decisions. Below is a list of economic principles we could consider.

• The growth of the economy and the wealth of the country

• The ability to provide jobs for the people

• The wealth disparity and distribution

• Ability to accumulate wealth

• The standard of living for the people

• The stress of the people

• Fairness

• Equality

• Amount of corruption

• Happiness and a sense of accomplishment

• Innovation

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SUMMARY

The problems associated with the American economy are constantly on the minds of Americans. But what are these problems and are they real or imagined? Are they the result of too much greed and autonomy, or too much government ineffectiveness and corruption? The solution people favor depends on what they think the cause is. If you think the cause is too much corporate greed, you will support more Socialism and government control. If you think the cause is too much government corruption, you will support more free market Capitalism. Either way, the problems associated with the current situation are because America has been involved in a constant tug-of-war, being pulled in one direction then the other. America needs a better way of analyzing challenges and setting policy.

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Problem Statement – After World War II, America began adopting and implementing principles associated with Collectivism and Socialism. This resulted in an extensive increase in the size and scope of American government. In spite of this growth, the problems this bigger government was designed to resolve still exist and in many cases have gotten worse. For example, policies were enacted to win the war on poverty, but poverty still exists. Under America’s two-party political system, policy decisions are not based on effective problem-solving techniques, but ideological differences.

So, what is America today and what do we want America to be? Would America be better off if it was more like China, Russia, Venezuela, or Cuba? Would America’s problems be resolved under economic systems like England, Germany, France, Canada or Norway? Or should America build upon the experience and strengths of the U.S. Constitution, setting its own course and leading the world in a better direction?

Questions to Consider

___ How would you describe America’s current economic system? Is this system the optimal system for the American people and the health of America?

___ What are the theories, principles, and goals underlying America’s economic system and how should they be modified or enhanced?

___ What should be the role of the American government in controlling or influencing the American economy?

___ What steps should the American government take to create a fairer and more equal society?

___ What should be America’s approach to deficit spending, borrowing and taxing?

___ How should America achieve objectives like modernizing infrastructure?

___ What should be America’s policy for taxing business and people?

___ How serious are concerns about corporate greed? About government corruption? How can these concerns be mitigated?

___ What are the metrics that should be used to evaluating the effectiveness of the American economy?

___ What should be the relationship between the federal government and state governments con-cerning the economy?

___ What are the sectors of the economy that definitely should be controlled by the government? That definitely should not be controlled by the government?

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Notes:

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A History of Political Parties and Ideologies

WE THE PEOPLE of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessing of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution of the United States of America.

These enormously significant words are in the introductory paragraph of the Constitution of the United States. The Constitution is the contract between the people of the United States and their representative government which came to life on the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred eighty-seven. This document founded Americanism and defined its pioneering ideology as an ideal form of government that was superbly in tune with human nature.

In nature, humans are social beings that live in societies for the benefit of themselves and the people they love and trust. These societies establish governments to ensure the security of its members.

The greatest challenge of government is finding the optimal balance between the security and prosperity of the collective and the rights and potential of the individual. Rarely has this balance been achieved, and the debate continues today.

This paper provides a brief summary of the concepts (ideologies and political parties) involved with forming and maintaining the optimal form of government that is synchronized with human nature. It begins with a philosophic explanation of the formation and evolution of theories and ideologies. It then describes the prevalent ideologies associated with the debates throughout history and the world about the role of government. Next, it will discuss the relationship of ideologies with political parties in the United States and will summarize the history of political parties.

PHILOSOPHY - THE FOUNDATION FOR UNDERSTANDING POLITICS Philosophy (from Greek: philosophia, 'love of wisdom') is the deliberative investigation of humanity's most general and fundamental questions, such as those about reason, existence, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Political philosophy is the study of human social organization and the role of the individual in society. In society today, discussions that deal with politics or religion have become quite contentious and disruptive to a group discussion. But, through philosophic processes, the discussion is more constructive if framed as questions of the “ME” or spiritual concerns about the life of individuals and the “WE” or political concerns about living in community with others.

Philosophy consists of theories and ideologies. These theories and ideologies are not necessarily right or wrong, good or bad. An ideology is a set of beliefs attributed to a person or group of people. It begins with a concept or question, relative to a wide range of fields including spirituality (religion) and community (politics). A theory about what is true and correct is proposed and debated by others. Once enough people believe in it, it is adopted by that group and given a name. The letters ism at the end of the name designate it is an ideology or belief. As time progresses, people become apologists for the

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belief and it either becomes popular or fades. Over time, specific details are added and a dogma or doctrine is formed, which either adds to or detracts from the original theory or ideology.

Ideologies are systems of beliefs or theories. Political ideologies are associated with the optimal functioning of communities and the formation of structure and government. But the complexities of community are very difficult to understand, and many political theorists did not adequately incorporate these complexities into their theories. The principle concept of community is achieving the optimal balance between individualism (the liberty of individuals) and collectivism (the security and prosperity of the collective). This balance impacts every one of us and is the root cause of disagreements and wars throughout the history of mankind. These debates have evolved into theories, then ideologies, then documented into dogma and many times forced upon the members of society.

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America was founded upon an individualistic ideology called classic liberalism. This is a laissez-faire ideology, which holds that the government should be small and keep out of most areas of American life (such as the economy, community life, and personal morality). What is called liberalism today is quite different. Modern liberals believe government has an important place both as a regulator in the public interest and to assist those with lower incomes. As such, modern liberalism has drifted away from the individualistic concept and toward a more collectivistic concept.

Both the individualism and collectivism ideologies originated during the “Age of Enlightenment.” John Locke’s theories are considered the most influential to ideology of individualism, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s theories are considered the most influential for collectivism. Individualism places greater emphasis on the individual will and autonomy, and collectivism places greater emphasis on the general will of the community over the individual. Appendix A lists the ideologies that are classified as individualist and those that are collectivist.

THE HISTORY OF POLITICAL PARTIES

Although being somewhat constrained by the constitution, America’s approach to government, seems like a tug-of-war, where policy shifts from one direction to the other. In one party are people who support collectivist policies or more control by government, and in the other party are people who

While there have been hundreds of political parties representing a wide range of special interests (i.e. Green Party), the diagram above represents the political parties that have had the greatest influence in the evolution of America.

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This concept of forming parties began before the writing of the US Constitution with the Federalists on one side and Anti-Federalists on the other. The Federalists fought for a strong, powerful central government, and the Anti-Federalists fought for distributed authority residing in the states with limited power granted to the central government. This process of debate and negotiations, resulted in the great American experiment, the U.S. Constitution with its checks and balances, and the strongest and most prosperous country in world history The arguments and debates during the early days of America seem as contentious and vicious as today, but earlier ideological divisions were much narrower and more specific. During the 1960 debates between John F Kennedy and Richard Nixon, both candidates would be considered conservative by today’s standards. And while there was a progressive influence in American politics going back to the 1890-1920s, it played a limited role in policy decision-making. That influence increased significantly with the start of the Bull Moose party headed by Teddy Roosevelt in 1912. That party ended in 1930 with the majority of the followers of Progressivism moving into the Democrat party. Since then, the progressive influence in America has grown significantly. While it started with Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s policies were very progressive. In addition to an enormous growth of the federal government and welfare spending as part of his New Deal, he influenced the global progressive movement with the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The progressive influence took another major leap forward under Lyndon B. Johnson with the Civil Rights Legislation and the Great Society in 1964. Today, the principles and values of Classic Liberalism and Conservativism are barely a memory and now represent subservient ideologies in America. The Modern Liberalism, Progressivism, and Social Democracy ideologies are now dominant with politicians, federal workers, media, and the collective consciousness of American citizens. And while many politicians firmly believe in progressive and collectivist ideologies, many people join the Democrat party because of the power it brings them. Now, instead of healthy debate and discussion, which leads to more complete and effective discussions, policy changes are implemented on a totally biased motive to gain revenge. Instead of new policy to make America better and more effective, most new laws are like whack-a-mole, making one aspect of the country better, but causing one or more other aspects to become more problematic. How great could America be today, if we stayed true to our founding principles, values and ideology? And how many of the problems we are experiencing today are attributable to an overfocus on Progressive principles and the erosion of America’s core values? These questions will be covered in the next section.

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SUMMARY

America didn’t become the greatest country in the history of humanity by accident. It happened because America was founded based on the principles of Natural Law and Natural Rights, which is synchronized with Human Nature. Commitment to these principles enabled Americans to prosper, guided by the optimum balance between liberty and responsibility to community.

Simply stated: Natural rights, according to Locke, were those rights that sprang from the exercise of “Natural Law”:

a right to property, since we have a corresponding duty not to steal

a right to life, since we have a duty not to kill

a right to liberty, since we have a duty not to oppress

Today, America’s ideal balance is out of sync, and this is causing major turmoil throughout our society. Our major cities are being destroyed by our own citizens and are no longer safe. We seem more concerned with an income gap, rather than the standard of living everyone has. Our budget deficit is out of control, and our revenues no longer meet our demands. Our justice system no longer provides equal justice for all. Religion is being discouraged and there isn’t an alternative for teaching morality and self sufficiency. Everyone has rights and privileges, but few have responsibilities. The news media is no longer reporting news but giving their opinions and shaping news. And people are being threatened for their viewpoints and not their actions Both parties pledge to work toward restoring unity and are claiming the moral high ground. But these same politicians remain deeply committed to their political ideologies and party affiliation. Instead of moving closer to unity, they are ignoring tradition and bending rules to achieve their personally motivated objectives. While America has always been proud of its political discourse, this time it’s different. There is no longer mutual respect between our politicians, and this is bubbling down to the people of America.

Successful societies achieve optimal balance between individual rights and the welfare and security of the community. America has evolved into a center-left country. This means America has experienced a significant shift away from freedom and innovation toward regulation and equality. A continued drift in this direction, presents a major risk of an authoritarian government.

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The table below summarizes the key differences between our two major political parties.

Characteristics Collectivists (Democrats) Individualists (Republicans)

Basic Character-istic

Focus on the collective - Emphasizes the welfare of the group over individual mem-bers. They seek uniformity with common beliefs, values, goals. Demonstrates fa-voritism toward in-group members over out-group individuals.

Focus on the individual - Emphasizes the worth of the individual over community. They value diversity, independence and self-reliance and oppose external interfer-ence by society or institutions such as the government.

Evolution and change

Top-down based on government ideology - Supports social reform, based on a top-down interpretation of advancements in science, technology, economic develop-ment and social organizations. They reject traditional values and institutions that hinder their view of progress through cooperation.

Bottom-up based on individual ingenuity - Seeks to preserve institutions such as orga-nized religion, parliamentary government, and property rights that enable bottom-up progress. They believe change occurs nat-urally through innovation, scientific meth-od, and competition.

Proper Role of Government

Extensive including social reform - Pro-gressives focus on equality of outcome and believe government’s main responsi-bility is to curb the excesses of individual-ism and capitalism. They see discrepan-cies in society and strive to solve them with government programs.

Limited addressing functions appropriate for a central government - The most im-portant responsibility of government is to secure the rights and freedoms of individu-al citizens. This includes defensive activi-ties such as maintaining national military and local police forces for protection against loss of life, property, and liberty at the hands of foreign despots or domestic criminals.

Rules and Regula-tions

Tailored to achieve social justice goals - Must be flexible to accommodate evolv-ing revelations of the leaders of the movement. Regulations are critical to maintaining uniformity and should be specific and detailed.

Traditional to protect human rights -Believe the primary purpose of laws is to protect the natural rights of individuals. In order to be effective, they must provide stability and consistency and be uniformly enforced. Simple is better.

Freedom of thought and speech

Restricted for political correctness - Be-lieves in the benefits resulting from ad-herence to correct or accepted theory, doctrine, belief, creed, and dogma based on collective thought or subjective truth. Views individuals who question collective thought as heretics.

Unrestricted to encourage open dialogue - Believes in the benefits resulting from di-versity of thought and the continued reex-amination of orthodoxy (group beliefs, creeds and dogma). Free speech encour-ages creative thinking and the evolution of theories and ideologies toward Absolute Truth.

Education Designed to provide equality - Is based on a common curriculum that supports equality, uniformity and cooperation. Teaches children “What to Think” (Indoctrination). Supports the public-school system designed to ensure all students receive the same basic educa-tion. Rejects private or charter schools that compete with and draws money from the public-school system.

Diverse to encourage critical thinking - Is based on a diverse curriculum that allows teachers to teach based on their unique skills and experiences. Teaches children “How to Think” (Critical Thinking). Rejects a one-size-fits-all system in favor of diverse schools that better meet the unique needs of each individual student.

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America is not currently on a path toward utopia but more toward a dystopia. While the control of America is moving further and further left, the American people seem to be moderate or evenly split between left and right. How is this situation going to evolve and what can be done to save the America we love? Are our differences reconcilable, or will it take a civil war or a split into conservative states and progressive states? Can we live in freedom, or will we be forced to live under an authoritarian government? Or is it still possible to come to agreement on the differences identified in the table above?

All good ideas are welcome and encouraged.

Perception of History

Distorted to promote collective goals - Under strong Progressive influences, a slanted and dramatically revised interpre-tation of U.S. history is being taught in school. The newer version is based on Howard Zinn’s book and the 1619 project. This new version highlights America’s flaws and downplays its successes.

Truthful and accurate to learn from -The more traditional and accurate version of history presents both the positive as well as the negative aspects of American histo-ry. History is there to be learned from, and children should be proud of the country they are part of. The 1776 commission was created during the Trump Administration to restore the traditional version.

Voting Privileges Focus on quantity – Voting is a right and everyone should be encouraged to vote regardless of age, citizenship of judicial status. Safeguards to prevent fraud is considered voter suppression, which un-fairly impacts minorities.

Focus on quality – Voting is a privilege and only citizens with a stake in the results should vote. Each fraudulent vote invali-dates a legitimate vote. Safeguards are needed to ensure the vote represents the true will of the people.

Pro-life vs Pro-choice

Pro-Choice - A woman’s body is her prop-erty and abortions are part of woman’s healthcare. They believe healthcare is a right, so abortion should be paid for as regular healthcare.

Pro-life – The constitution and American values obligate us to take care of the weak-est among us. This includes the unborn. Abortion may not be illegal, but people who don’t believe in it shouldn’t be forced to pay for others to get it.

Positions of Op-ponents

Threat to unity and common belief – free thought is a threat to the common beliefs and it hinders their perceived progress toward their vision of utopia.

Threaten to liberty – Progressive regula-tions restrict people’s autonomy and pur-suit of happiness and it leads to an over-bearing authoritarian government.

How to achieve Unity

Ensure the opposition sees the wisdom of progressive beliefs - By converting the opposition into loyal subjects that sup-port collective goals and eliminating con-flicting viewpoints that are believed to be lies.

Restore the values and principles that sup-port individualism - By reestablishing a sense of trust through a common commit-ment to established rules, principles and values. Allowing others to live their lives as they desire.

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LEARNING CIRCLE DISCUSSION

Problem Statement:

In April 2020 the Claremont Review of Books published an article entitled “Hyperpartisanship”. This article identified America’s political divide as the worst in American history. Instead of evolving in a positive direction and solving America’s challenges we are generating new problems and creating significant long-term risks.

The political Right believes the way to achieve American greatness is through limited government and restoring America’s founding traditions and values. The political Left believes the way to American greatness is through heavily involved government and modern evolution including Social Justice and Democratic Socialism. The Right believes in strict compliance with the U.S. Constitution. The Left believes the U.S. Constitution is outdates and a hindrance to achieving their Progressive vision.

Because of this partisanship, our government is dysfunctional and no longer working in the interest of the people. Is this the America we want for future generations?

Discussion Questions:

___ Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future of America?

___ Are our differences irreconcilable?

___ Is there a way to bridge our wide divide between our two-party system?

___ What are the issues that need to be addressed?

___ What are the things the government should be focusing on but isn’t?

___ What are the things the government is focusing on but shouldn’t be?

___ What are the risks of having such a divided government?

___ How will these problems be resolved and how long will it take to resolve them?

See Appendix B - Political Ideologies and Appendix C - Political Parties for Additional Information

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Notes:

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Appendix A - Learning Circles

Learning Circles are a highly effective interactive formats the Proud Majority uses to facilitate discussions. These sessions are based on our “Federalist Papers for the 21st Century” and “The Proud Majority Speaks Out”. These documents consist of series of white papers designed to inform readers about America’s core principles and the complex issues of our time.

Each White Paper addresses a specific concept or challenge of American life. While Americans generally support these concepts, they have drastically different conceptions of what they mean. Each paper begins by providing the definition and background information associated with that concept. They then identify the conceptions that cause political debate and conflict. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each conception is needed to achieve an ideal balance. Armed with this knowledge, we will strive to achieve greater unity and find better solutions to America’s challenges.

Each session focuses on a specific topic and uses a structured process that ensures a safe and welcoming environment for optimal learning. The goal is to build, share, and express knowledge through open dialogue and deep reflection. Learning Circle discussions will be led by the following people:

• Topic Sponsor – The subject expert who understands the history and philosophy related to the topic

• Facilitator – The individual who guides the discussion and ensures guidelines are followed, without expressing their own opinion.

• Scribe – The person who assists the topic sponsor and facilitator by recording information on the Parking Lot.

Topics be based on white papers, which will be distributed a week before the discussion.

Discussions will begin with a brief introduction by the Topic Sponsor, who has knowledge of the topic.

A problem statement and the list of potential questions will be used to guide the discussion.

A Scribe will record questions or ideas not directly related to the topic on the “Parking Lot” for later consideration.

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Appendix B - Political Ideologies

DICHOTOMY OR CLASSIFICATION OF IDEOLOGIES

Collectivism is the moral stance and political ideology that emphasizes the welfare of the group over the individual members of the group. Collectivists tend to find common values, goals and favoritism toward in-group members than out-group individuals.

Individualism is the moral stance and political ideology that emphasizes the worth of the individual and supports individual will over the collective will. Individualists value independence and self-reliance and oppose external interference by society or institutions such as the government.

INDIVIDUALISTIC IDEOLOGIES

Conservatism is a political and social philosophy promoting traditional social institutions in the context of culture and civilization. Conservatives seek to preserve institutions such as organized religion, parliamentary government, and property rights. They tend to oppose modernism and seek a return to traditional values.

Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy based on liberty, consent of the governed and equality before the law. Liberals espouse a wide array of views but generally support free markets, free trade, limited government, individual rights (including civil rights and human rights), capitalism, democracy, secularism, gender equality, racial equality, internationalism, freedom of speech, freedom of press, and freedom of religion.

Classical Liberalism is a branch of liberalism that advocates civil liberties under the law with emphasis on economic freedom and is closely related to economic liberalism. The individuals whose ideas contributed to its development and growth include John Locke, Jean-Baptiste Say, Thomas Robert Malthus, and David Ricardo. Classic Liberalism was the foundational influence in the founding of America and the creation of the U.S. Constitution

Modern Liberalism is the dominant version of liberalism in the United States. It combines ideas of civil liberty and equality with support for social justice and a mixed economy. Influenced by the emergence of progressive thinking, it seeks to balance Classic Liberalism with a strong welfare system that emphasizes equality of outcome over equality of opportunity.

Libertarianism - a political philosophy and movement that upholds liberty as the core principle. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, emphasizing free association, freedom of choice, individualism and voluntary association. Libertarians share a skepticism of authority and state power.

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Appendix B (continued)

COLLECTIVISTIC IDEOLOGIES

Communism – a philosophical, social, political, and economic ideology whose ultimate goal is the establishment of a communist society, namely a socioeconomic order structured upon the ideas of common ownership of the means of production and the absence of social classes, money and the state. Most forms of Communism evolved from the theories of Marxism and have been spurred through social revolution and eventually lead to authoritarian forms of government

Progressivism is a political philosophy in support of social reform. Based on the idea of progress in which advancements in science, technology, economic development and social organizations are vital to the improvement of the human condition, progressivism became highly significant during the Age of Enlightenment in Europe.

Socialism is a political, social, and economic philosophy encompassing a range of economic and social systems characterized by social ownership of the means of production. Social ownership can be public, collective, cooperative, or of equality. Socialists disagree about the degree to which social control or regulation of the economy is necessary, how far society should intervene, and whether government, particularly existing government, is the correct vehicle for change.

Marxism, a body of doctrine developed by Karl Marx and, to a lesser extent Friedrich Engels in the mid-19th century. The written work of Marx cannot be reduced to a philosophy or philosophical system. But his theories were adopted by the various socialist movements including Soviet Marxism by Vladimir Lenin and modified by Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong’s Chinese variant of Marxism-Leninism.

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Appendix C - Political Parties

Federalist Party - the first political party in the United States. Under Alexander Hamilton, it dominated the national government from 1789 to 1801. The Federalists called for a strong national government that promoted economic growth and fostered friendly relationships with Great Britain in opposition to Revolutionary France.

Democratic-Republican Party - an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early 1790s that championed republicanism (Republicanism is a political ideology centered on citizenship in a state organized as a republic), political equality, and expansionism. The party became increasingly dominant after the 1800 elections as the opposing Federalist Party collapsed.

The Whig Party was a political party active in the middle of the 19th century in the United States. Alongside the slightly larger Democratic Party, it was one of the two major parties in the United States between the late 1830s and the early 1850s as part of the Second Party System. Four presidents were affiliated with the Whig Party for at least part of their respective terms. Other influential party leaders included Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, William Seward, John J. Crittenden, John Quincy Adams, and Truman Smith. The Whigs emerged in the 1830s in opposition to President Andrew Jackson, pulling together former members of the National Republican Party, the Anti-Masonic Party, and disaffected Democrats.

Democrat Party - Tracing its heritage to Thomas Jefferson and James Madison's Democratic-Republican Party, the modern-day Democrat Party was founded around 1828 by supporters of Andrew Jackson, making it the world's oldest active political party. Before 1860, the party supported limited government and state sovereignty. Since Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal coalition in the 1930s, it supported the progressive reforms and social liberal platform. In the 21st century, the moderate Democrats and conservatives (Blue Dog Democrats) have been outnumbered, limiting their influence.

Republican Party - sometimes also referred to as the GOP ("Grand Old Party"), is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with its main historic rival, the Democrat Party. The GOP was founded in 1854 by opponents of the Kansas–Nebraska Act, which allowed for the potential expansion of chattel slavery into the western territories. The party supported classic liberalism, opposed the expansion of chattel slavery, and supported economic reform. Abraham Lincoln was the first Republican president. Under the leadership of Lincoln and a Republican Congress, chattel slavery was banned in the United States in 1865.

Progressive Party (often referred to as the "Bull Moose Party") was a third party in the United States formed in 1912 by former president Theodore Roosevelt after he lost the presidential nomination of the Republican Party to his former protégé and conservative rival, incumbent president William Howard Taft. The new party was known for taking advanced positions on progressive and populist reforms and attracting leading national reformers. After the party's defeat in the 1912 presidential election, it went into rapid decline in elections until 1918, disappearing by 1920.

federalist papers - theproudmajority.com

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