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Notice: Since February of 2019, this website has seen very erratic drops in search engine referrals. So if you consider the information on this page to be worthwhile, I recommend posting a link to the page where you can. Otherwise it is unlikely that it is going to reach very many people. For more on that, see About Dave Conklin.net. 2/23/20, last rev 10/14/21. The story behind this page: Back in 2010, I posted a series of pages titled, A Tale of Two Cities, which was a metaphorical reference to the United States and the course it has been on for the last 60 years, or so. I eventually replaced them with the this page (Dave for Pres) in 2018, but taking a second look at A Tale of . . . , the pages might have a certain merit all their own, so I decided to repost them, for posterity. The only change I have made to it since 2014 is that I condensed all three pages into one. For a take on current events, go here: Dave's Daily Blog Dave for President of the United States I certainly hope no-one takes me seriously about this—the part about Dave for President—it just seemed like an efficient vehicle for conveying my thoughts. Anyway, here is what I would do (or try to do) as president, i.e., my “platform.” A couple items might sound like science fiction, specifically a sunlight-to-hydrogen economy and genetically modified babies, but I do believe the groundwork for such concepts has been laid. If it seems unlikely that such things could be acheived in even an eight-year term, I would point out we landed on the moon just eight years and two months after JFKs 1961 moon speech. 1/01/2023: Recently, nearly four years after creating this page, I came to the realization that one particular entry (was #19, now #3) regarding a constitutional amendment declaring the Bill of Rights as rights of the individual rights against any sort of intrusion, probably rendered four earlier entries regarding privacy and the 4th Amendment redundant. So I decided it was high-time to reorganize my entire platform, now loosely arranged by priority. 1 Ensure that government agencies such as the EPA, FCC, and CPB are working for us and not “them.” 2 Restore the Glass-Steagall act and continue pushing for the restoration of other consumer/economic safeguards that have been methodically removed over the last 50 years or so. Deregulation was a big contributer to the recession in 2008-10. Clearly, there are those who would continue to push us down the same path and would like to completely dismantle the safe haven for savers/investers which the Glass-Steagall act helped to create. Some of their deregulatory fiddling was reversed by Dodd-Frank (which is under attack), but I would push for more. revised 8/11/23 3 Push for a US constitutional amendment verifying unequivocally that all civil liberties, including the 1st amendment, are rights of the individual, against any possible private sector, as well as governmental, restrictions or intrusions, with the only exceptions being those involving national security secrets, handling of WMDs (4th A), the safety of many (4th A); and that any monopolies or collusions that threaten those rights be subject to timely breakup; and that no subjective exceptions, such as the words “hate speech,” be included in any interpretation of freedom of speech; and that no type of language spoken or penned by an adult citizen that does not blatantly call for physical harm, or involve deceptive authorship, be subject to removal when conducted in proper public circles; and that no physical checkups be conducted unless associated with the safety of many, and never in an unscheduled fashion unless a justifiable reason exists. This proposal, however, is in no way meant to supersede common law regarding liable, slander, divulging of trade secrets, or copyrights etc. Added 2/21/22, rev 1/01/23, 1/01/23, 9/01/23: A page I put together regarding the erosion of constitutional rights and privacy and what can be done about it: what comes after 4 Push for a constitutional amendment to abolish corporate personhood once and for all and ensure absolute transparency regarding all “dark money” currently being funneled into the US election process. There are those who argue that it is up to the individual to separate fact from fiction, and any such laws would be condescending, which is a good point, but truth tellers can also be drowned out by big money interests. Some degree of balance must be restored. And then, of course, there is the disparity in lobbying resources between big money and the average citizen, which never seems to get fully resolved. added 7/14/19 5 Instead of attempting to appease US corporations with any more lower tax rates, tell them if they do not bring their profits back to the US, declare them, and pay their fair share of taxes on them, they will no longer be allowed to do business in the United States. (The United States is a huge market. If they want to take their business and product elsewhere, I’m sure there will be someone else more than willing to move up and take their place). Incidentally, after doubling between 2008 and 2014, a 2016 estimate put the amount stored in offshore tax havens by US corporations at 2.1 trillion, resulting in a total tax deferment of $620 billion. One can only guess what the amount currently is. rev 11/12/21 6 Institute a personal tax structure more like the highly prosperous mid-twentieth century, when the wealthiest paid a much higher percentage than they do now, and use that revenue to lower cost burdens that have been shifted to the middle class, such as rebuilding our infrastructure, higher education, etc. Also create a graduated tax curve--one that does not clobber a person the moment they make over the poverty level with the same rate as the wealthiest, minus all the loopholes--one that then increasesexponentially for extremely high income earners, with the goal of decreasing the likelihood of individuals having a few spare millions lying around to spend on lobbyists and/or election campaigns, or just plain taking the country's wealth from the people and giving it to themselves, other countries, and bankers etc. rev 11/08/20, 1/01/23, 7/09/23 7 Stand up to the oil and coal industry and make energy independence for the US a top priority with emphasis on solar energy to hydrogen research. Once there is no need whatsoever for the US to run trade deficits (which have "taxed" the American people, US farmers included, since 1975 to the tune of some 6.25 TRILLION dollars as of July 2018) and perpetuate dollar hegemony, tariffs will be implemented to correct trade imbalances, counteract unfair trade practices and offshoring etc. A key part of this is to ensure that the bulk of solar technology is manufactured here, and not China, to help offset job loss. added 8/03/18 8 Implement a single-payer health system, and relegate the existing health insurance industry to a much less prominent role. The trick will then be to keep any social-nanny-type restrictions designed to protect the individual from him or herself from creeping in. Modern medicine has gotten very complex and sophisticated and continues to do so, while the population is growing older. The US needs a health care system that is as simple, streamlined, and cost efficient as it can possibly be; not the disjointed, complicated mess it currently is. As large a country as the United States is, it could be the best and the most efficient in the world, by far, as opposed to the least efficient. rev 5/26/19, 6/22/19, 8/07/2020, 11/08/20 9 Make sure the US has a well funded and unhindered genetic research program (unhindered by any goofy restrictions on stem cell research, or embryonic stem cell research, etc.) with the goal of engineering people who are—on average—more intelligent, healthier, have longer lifespans, are less superstitious, and are less violent. This may require genetic samples of many thousands or even millions of people, and the collection of personal data, all of which should be completely voluntary. 10 Make any such discoveries and the gene splicing technology (potentially the greatest tool mankind could ever utilize - if used wisely) necessary to implement it available to the entire planet, and indeed to every person on the planet, so that any couple on earth—regardless of social status—can select the latest and best DNA sequences for their child. (The DNA sequences—a very small percentage of the human genome—would be added to their own to create a unique embryo.) 11 Outlaw the use of credit score to discriminate against any job applicant, and make sure its only legal use is as a tool for banks in the money lending process. A few states have already passed their own laws to this effect, but a national one is needed. 12 In the near term, strengthen the US-Mexican border to stave off any rapid influx of people that may strain health care and other tax-based resources, affect wages and the job market for certain US citizens, include some very bad guys, and cause a very unfair situation for those who do respect international borders. Then set a date for any crackdown on any new violaters, as opposed to implementing some Naziesque retroactive campain against long-term illegals. (A more extensive border wall should have been constructed many years ago.) 13 Beyond restoring Glass-Steagall, update the rules for banking practices. We all know the shady practices that some banks and credit unions do that penalize the poor: account maintenance fees designed to steal a person’s last dollar so they can impart an overdraft fee on top of that when the account holder writes that bad check, or charging outrageous fees to mail a monthly statement that probably does not cost the bank more than 1st class postage, with the only other option for receiving a statement being to purchase the latest computing device that supports a browser that supports the latest encryption algorithms—all of which requires an internet connection, of course; which exposes their new device to malware and viruses. And then you have some credit card companies and loan agencies still getting away with "murder." An update of Federal rules regarding such practices is long overdue. Such laws at the Federal level would level the playing field for all banks and businesses. 14 New law: With rare exception, all new non-consumable products sold in the US must be in good working condition after ten years of use, unless damaged by “catastrophe” or obvious misuse. Articles of clothing: five years. Purchasers of products that have failed within their respective time frame will then be able to take the product to a branch of the Consumer Protection Agency for a quick inspection to determine the cause of failure. If cumulative data indicates a product prone to failure due to poor quality or a manufacturer’s defect, the manufacturer (specifically the individuals running the company at the time the defective products were made) will then face fines imposed by the CPA and possibly be responsible for refuding all or part of the purchase price to the purchasers. added 1/17/20, rev 11/16/20, 1/21/21 15 Make sure all search engines are severed and independent entities from any web content that they refer to, possessing no vested interest whatsoever in said content, so that they and their operators remain wholly neutral and utilize search algorithms that direct to the best and most relevant information first while excluding nothing. added 2/21/22 16 Restore and enforce the constitutionally guaranteed rights against search and seizure that have been steadily eroding ever since Ronald Reagan’s communistic drug czar, Carlton Turner, began his assault on them. Under my watch, if any US citizen who has lived in this country for 50 years or more, or who was born in the US to parents who have lived in the US 50 years or more, is ever searched without probable cause, including that citizen’s personal property, vehicle or land etc. (excepting emergency situations), at any location inside the US, a US territory, or at any point of entry, the employment of the person who executed or ordered the search will be immediately terminated if a US government employee. 4th amendment violations by the private sector, as well as all levels of law enforcement, will result in fines or possible prosecution. added 7/14/19, rev 9/05/23 17 Mandate that all phone service providers and phone manufacturers devise a way for anyone with a landline, cellphone, smartphone etc. to be able to block calls simply and easily from their phone much like many email services. Enough of this nonsense! The phone system has been digitized for years; phones have been digitized for years; emails can be blocked via a simple program; so why can’t I easily block certain numbers from ever coming through in the first place? Answer: so phone solicitors, bill collectors and crooked bill collectors, along with any manner of other crooks, can harass you. The blocked calls would be diverted to an answering service so the caller could not ascertain that the number has been blocked. added 1/01/23, rev 6/23/23 Note from the future: Congratulations, I was elected and managed to accomplish my entire list. You, the lower eighty percent of the US population, who voted me in office have now reclaimed much of the wealth that you were tricked (again and again) into handing over to the top 20% (with emphasis on the top 1% or fraction thereof). Your elected officials are now much more likely to listen to you and affect policies that will benefit you, as opposed to only benefitting the corporate elite. While humanity is still divided among races and creeds, there is not near the racism that once persisted. No one can now point to a specific race and claim it to be any more devious, or more prone to violence, than any other. Population control can now be calmly and intellectually discussed. The USs bloated financial sector has been deflated, while much of the domestic manufacturing lost to offshoring has returned, restoring the US to a more self-sufficient production-based economy; a tax scheme, and social credit scheme based on GDP, have been implemented to offset any rapid job loss that may arise due to automation and other factors and ensure that the excess proceeds from all that increased productivity by the young continues providing for the older generations, as opposed to providing for super-rich corporations and super-rich individuals; a strong border is becoming less and less important because all countries of the world are elevating their own societies; the colossal annual pile of tossed-out defective products has diminished; and the US no longer has a trade deficit, allowing a return to the gold standard—a tool to combat inflation, and (ironically enough) a deterrent against trade deficits. Environmental pollution is decreasing rapidly, as fossil fuels have largely been replaced by a sunlight-to-hydrogen economy. And lastly, the threat of nuclear war is something taught only in the history books. last rev 12-20-21 Note from the present: Sorry, but the scenario described above is never going to happen in a million years because there are enough bought-off elected officials at both the state and Federal level to ensure that none those items listed in my platform will ever happen. Due to the collision of population and climate swing, human society will descend further into chaos and authoritarian rule. End note, some advice: Watch out for false prophets—those who would read articles like this and pretend to be a champion of the people, when all they really plan to do is trick you out of the little actual wealth you have left. (Gee, who could Dave be referring to?) No one has a crystal ball to see in the future, of course, and I did not vote for either Presidential candidate last election (2016), but if Mr. Sanders had been on the ballot, my vote would have gone to him. 5/25/18: Whenever you post something on the Internet, you never know if anyone is going to read it or not. I was therefore a bit taken aback by the sudden surge of interest in the recent advances in genetic engineering such as CRISPR so shortly after posting this page. In the original introduction, I used the words designer babies, which I quickly changed to genetically modified . . . I regret using the word designer, as it implies couples ordering up specific genetic traits for their child such as blue eyes or blond hair. I do not support the concept at all; in fact, quite the opposite: I think any genetic changes beyond what is critically necessary to improve health, and mental health, should be avoided to ensure genetic diversity. Secondly, I think it very important that the latest treatment package be available to every human being regardless of social status. In other words, the richest person in the world and the poorest Siberian eskimoe alike would have access to the same genetic upgrades for their child at any given time. I think any other scenario could, and no doubt would, be socially devastating. For more on the subjects of censorship and genetic
uplift, I put together a special page: 8/09/21 In March of 2021, I received the third economic stimulus payment. I had cashed the first two checks, but I decided things had gone too far, and at some point, you have to grow up and practice what you preach. So I promptly sent a letter to the new secretary of the treasury, Janet Yellen, telling her exactly what she could do with the third payment. (Well, you want to be a public servant, you have to be prepared for some flak). I am not accepting the payment because, of course, it is only “funny money” sent out by a government that does not have the money to begin with. I sent the letter because I received the payment in the form of a debit card, rife with potential fees, and yet another gift to the banking industry, as if all the stimulus money in their coffers was not enough. If you have read my platform, then you probably know how I feel about plastic cards, so I will take this opportunity to elaborate: Suffice to say that, in addition to the invasion of privacy and extortion issues that occur when they are forced on people, and indeed they are . . . the rise in popularity of the credit card (more lines of credit) is one of those few things that, in my view, the American public did to help create the present situation, of which there are many names for, plutocracy, corporatocracy, or technocracy being a few popular ones, but if I had to pick the best description, it would be, a nation of debt slaves. And I certainly do not think it is what the founding fathers of the United States had in mind . . . To put it bluntly: The more personal debt the public has taken on, the more corrupt and powerful the bankers, corporations, corporate executives, and government have become, to the point of the public losing jobs, wealth, quality infrastructure, and democracy. revised 9/01/23 So for the US treasury to be passing out credit cards, in my view, only epitomizes the US government’s collusion (democrats and republicans) in this trickle-up, democracy-subverting scheme that rewards the richest and our bloated financial sector while penalizing everyone else. And I think a good analogy to the person overseeing the program—in this case, Janet Yellen—is the financial-world equivalent of El Chapo passing out free crack vials to half the country. And not only does it promote the idea that multiple lines of credit are a necessity for Joe citizen to maintain some basic standard of living, I also suspect there are other agendas, such as a cashless society (see what comes after) Lastly, to be an armchair president for a moment, I think President Biden should have at least requested that anyone not-in-absolute-need-of-the-stimulus-payment not accept the payment. Just how many would have listened, I don’t know. References: I actually came across the following
article, via
Zerohedge.com,
after I had
written all of the above, so not really a reference but a good
article that covers the same general subject, only a
little more analytically. 2/20/23 State of the Union Houston, I found that pair of glasses that I lost. Ukraine: So an award-winning journalist claims that the current president of the United States ordered the destruction of the Nordstream pipeline. As of writing this, it is the claim of only one person, so I can’t take it as gospel. The only thing I do know is that someone, here, is bat-s—t crazy. Israel: So history keeps repeating itself in the Holy Land—again, and again, and again. It always starts with Israel electing a hardliner, who wants to build more settlements in the West Bank, or knock the mosque off the Temple Mount and build a new temple of Solomon, or behave in way that suggests it. This angers the Palestinians, and sooner or later Israel goes in and shoots a bunch of them, having discovered a group of them making rockets in their tent, or whatever, often leading to all hell breaking loose. I’m not worried about being labeled a racist or an anti-Semite for what I just wrote, because I’m sure I already have been. In like Flynn: I happened to catch an episode of “Frontline” the other night about retired General Michael Flynn. At a certain point in the show, when asked about accusations of his organization being “Nazis,” Flynn rebukes the suggestion. The truth is, in certain respects, he is probably something worse: Here is a guy who really knows how to stir up trouble. One way is by stoking religious fanaticism and the other by stoking patriotism and nationalism, both of which, in my opinion, comprise humanity’s "other religion." General Flynn is fully aware of this and is using both to stir people up; and he is also militarizing the group. One dangerous guy, for sure. Coronavirus: It appears as though the coronavirus vaccines themselves have probably killed thousands. And, although I have ran across better charts lately, I still haven’t seen any interactive charts like the one I proposed last year (hypothetical chart). I still maintain that the effectiveness of the vaccines is just too complex a subject for a chart here, on this aspect, and a chart there, on that aspect. Give me a chart that covers it all, or get lost. Censorship: Now consider the fact that there are people who would no-doubt like to prevent anything from the four paragraphs I just wrote from getting to anyone else. The ADL alone would brand me an anti-semite and evil incarnate for criticizing Israel. So I would say to those that think censorship is a good idea: What are you going to do after you have made censorship common place, and the bad guys gain power (by election or force), and not you, nor I, nor anyone else can call them out? the bad guys, that is, that simply plopped themselves in the driver’s seat and took over the institutions that you created. Incidentally, there was an odd shift in traffic to this website on 1/16/23. Page hits dropped dramatically; however, visits did not change much. The drop immediately followed an entry I made in my daily blog, similar to the above paragraph concerning the coronavirus. Then there was another strange incident back in November 2022, when this web site went down for two days just five days before the mid-terms. S.S. and Medicare: So Congressional Republicans have a tizzy fit when Biden suggests that some of them want to get rid of Social Security and Medicare, which is an absolutely truthful statement. Heck, I think a few of them would crack a whip at their own grandmother and make her carry them on her back to save a buck on a taxi. But wait a minute, on second thought, Biden’s statement was indeed false; after all, Republicans can’t get rid of S.S. and Medicare because it already got thrown out with the bathwater years ago. Don’t thinks so? Well, take a look at the top diagram on this web page, US Debt to GDP 232 year chart | Longtermtrends and tell me any country with a debt to GDP ratio like this one has money for much of anything. Science: Some pretty promising developments in the field of science and technology. I just have my doubts that science and technology is going to save us from global warming. As far as this push towards things electric is concerned, everyone should always keep these two facts in mind: About half of the electric power generated by power stations is lost in transmission. And 61% of the electric power generated in the US is from fossil fuels. That equals a lot more CO2 chucked into the atmosphere, for example, when you switch from a gas to an electric stove. But that is just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak; when you crunch the numbers, in regards to electric vehicles, solar panels, and so forth, you come to the conclusion that we really need a new game plan. Final thought: Wouldn’t it be nice if, even for just one minute, we had a government that wasn’t just a conglomeration of liars? Too harsh? Okay, stop laughing. Anyway, I have a proposal: I call it the “party election.” So going back to the 2000 election, everyone blamed Ralph Nader and his reform party for siphoning off votes from Al Gore and getting George Bush elected. So I get the impression that a lot of people are reluctant to vote for third parties anymore. Conclusion: two parties/candidates on the ballot make the most democratic sense, otherwise you could possibly end up with politicians elected by a minority of voters; but the problem is, we end up stuck with the same two political parties forever. My proposal: We hold a national election sometime before the primaries, but as opposed to voting for people, voters will be voting for a preferred political party for whatever public office is eventually going to be on the ballot. When the votes are counted, the two most popular political parties are the ones whose candidates will be on the primary ballots for any particular office. Now, a candidate who was once affiliated with a losing political party could always try and switch party affiliations afterward (if that political party allows it). It will be up the voters, then, to accept their spiel, or not. I know elections are expensive, but we’re just going nowhere fast. Refrences: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/netanyahus-government-vows-to-expand-west-bank-settlements-annex-occupied-territory https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/michael-flynns-holy-war/transcript/ |
