The American Wall

You might have seen it live during Michael Cohen's testimony today before the House Oversight Committee. Democrats have the gavel and seek answers and corrections to Cohen's testimony because the witness is now convicted of lying to Congress. It was an opportunity to set the record straight before Cohen goes to jail for three years.

Americans want to know if President Trump, before and after his incumbency acted unlawfully, committing crimes that are impeachable?

A number of Donald Trump's campaign members have been indicted and convicted of crimes, including his personal lawyer of ten years. Donald Trump hires bad people. Why? Because it is obvious, Donald Trump is a bad character who is unfit for office.

Trump conned Michael Cohen and Cohen helped con others including every Republican Member present on the House Oversight Committee. Republicans didn't want the answers and the corroborating evidence. They wanted to undermine the integrity of the witness because that is what Trump wanted.

It didn't look good for them because I am convinced the Republican Party should be decertified as a political party based on being an accessory to crimes against the nation.

The wall is up. It is a divide between democratic freedom and authoritarian dictatorship. We only need one party as George Washington once said. I'll take the American Democratic Party.

Evaluating Democratic Candidates

I am vetting Democratic candidates, using the process recommended in the book, How to Select an American President by James A. George and James A. Rodger (c) 2017 Archway Publishing. I encourage you to do your independent vetting employing the process so we can compare notes against a common baseline. I have already evaluated some of the candidates, and have rejected many. 

This is hard work and I am not going to do it all for you. Buy my book and get to work.

If the Democratic Party were doing its job correctly, it would not permit candidates to bear their endorsement or affiliation without certified vetting. The party that allows free-for-all is not doing its job.

I am using the candidate list reported by the Washington Post for this analysis. Their list is in reverse sequence:

"these are listed in order of the most likely to win the nomination, which includes how strong they are and how likely they are to run (if they aren’t in already)"
Washington Post

They do not provide any criteria for their ordering. That is different from my approach which shares the criteria up front and encourages voters to tailor the requirements to their preferences. (See the Post listing as a block quote below.)

First, here is my assessment of Michael Bloomberg. Bear in mind, Queen Elizabeth wanted him to be the Mayor of London.

Former NYC Mayor, Michael Bloomberg

Resume:

Michael Bloomberg
108th Mayor of New York City
In office January 1, 2002 – December 31, 2013
Preceded by    Rudy Giuliani
Succeeded by    Bill de Blasio
Personal details
Born    Michael Rubens Bloomberg
February 14, 1942 (age 77)
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Political party    Democratic (before 2001, 2018–present)
Other political
affiliations    Republican (2001–2007)
Independent (2007–2018)
Spouse(s)    Susan Brown-Meyer
(m. 1975; div. 1993)
Domestic partner    Diana Taylor (2000–present)
Children    2, including Georgina
Education    Johns Hopkins University (BS)
Harvard University (MBA)
Net worth    US$51.8 billion (2018)[1]

•    Qualifications required by law—1
•    Home state or residence from which the candidate is from—3
•    No college 0
•    College graduate BS/BA 2–2
•    GPA H 3, M 2, L 0 —3
•    Academic Honors and Distinctions H--3
•    Post Graduate Masters 2—2
•    PhD 0
•    Professional Certifications: Bar, CPA, Cert. Engineer, MD 2–0 MBA --1
•    Occupation/Vocation: Law/CPA/Professional, 2
•    CEO 2
•    Other 1
•    Health: Good 1, except aging
•    Affected Class 0
•    Character H--3
•    Leadership H--3
•    Continuing Education and Training 1–1
•    Knowledge H 3
•    Skill H 3
•    Life History H 3
•    Platform/Agenda H 3
•    Relationships +1
•    Political Party 1
•    Values 3
•    Military Experience: 0
•    Public Office: Vice President 0
•    Public Office: Judge 0
•    Department Secretary 0
•    Governor 0
•    U. S. Senator 0
•    U.S. Representative 0
•    Mayor H 3
•    State Legislator 0
•    Other Public Office 1
•    Private Sector CEO/President H 3
•    Private Sector VP H 3
•    Private Sector Director H 3
•    Manager H 3
•    Entrepreneur H 3
•    Inventor H 3
•    Memberships—1
•    Religion—1
•    Score: 68/83
(Age detracts from this candidate: subtract 5 points = 63; still, he has the highest score.)

Other candidates

I was once big on a ticket that included Kirsten Gillibrand and Mark Warner.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.)

Good Senator

Sen. Sherrod Brown (Ohio)

Good Senator

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.)

Good Senator

Former congressman Beto O’Rourke (Tex.)

Unqualified, Take him off the list.

Former vice president Joe Biden

Joe Biden Resume

•    Born:    Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr., November 20, 1942 (age 72)
•    Location: Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
•    Nationality: American
•    Education:
o    University of Delaware (B.A.)
o    Syracuse University (J.D.)
•    Occupation: Lawyer
•    Job History
o    Private Enterprise
o    Public Service
♣    47th Vice President of the United States, Incumbent, Assumed office January 20, 2009
♣    United States Senator from Delaware, In office January 3, 1973 – January 15, 2009
♣    Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, In office January 4, 2007 – January 3, 2009
♣    In office June 6, 2001 – January 3, 2003
♣    In office January 3, 2001 – January 20, 2001
♣    Chairman of the International Narcotics Control Caucus, In office January 4, 2007 – January 3, 2009
♣    Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, In office January 6, 1987 – January 3, 1995
♣    Member of the New Castle County Council, In office 1970–1972
•    Political party: Democratic
•    Spouse(s): Neilia Hunter (1966–1972), Jill Jacobs (1977–present)
•    Children: Beau (1969–2015), Hunter, Naomi (1971–1972), Ashley
•    Religion: Roman Catholic”

Vice President Biden scored 57.

Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.)

Good Senator, good prospect.

Sen Elizabeth Warren (Mass.)

Good ideas. Good Senator. Can't win.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)

Doesn't belong.

"Bernie Sanders Resume
•    “Born: Bernard Sanders, September 8, 1941 (age 73), Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
•    Nationality: American
•    Education: University of Chicago, bachelor of arts degree in political science
•    Job history:
o    Private sector:
o    Public sector:
♣    United States Senator from Vermont, Incumbent, Assumed office, January 3, 2007
♣    Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, In office, January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2015
♣    Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Vermont's At-large district, In office, January 3, 1991 – January 3, 2007
♣    Mayor of Burlington, Vermont, In office, April 6, 1981 – April 1989
•    Political party: Independent
•    Other political affiliations:
o    Liberty Union (1971–1979)
o    Vermont Progressive (affiliated) Democratic (caucusing)
•    Spouse(s): Deborah Shiling (1964–1966); Jane O'Meara Driscoll (1988–present)
•    Children: Levi (with Susan Mott), 3 stepchildren
•    Religion: Judaism”
“Sanders is a self-described democratic socialist who admires the Nordic model of social democracy and is a proponent of workplace democracy.”

Scoring Bernie Sanders
•    Qualifications required by law—1
•    Home state or residence from which the candidate is from—2
•    No college 0
•    College graduate BS/BA 2–2
•    GPA H 3, M 2, L 0 —3
•    Academic Honors and Distinctions H 3, M 2, L 1–2
•    Post Graduate Masters 2—0
•    PhD 2–0
•    Professional Certifications: Bar, CPA, Cert. Engineer, MD 2–0
•    Occupation/Vocation: Law/CPA/Professional, 2
•    CEO 2
•    Other 1–0
•    Health: Excellent 2, Good 1, Poor 0–2
•    Affected Class 2–1
•    Character H 3, M 2, L 1–3
•    Leadership H 3, M 2, L 1–3
•    Continuing Education and Training 1–1
•    Knowledge H 3, M 2, L 0–3
•    Skill H 3, M 2, L 0–3
•    Life History H 3, M 2, L 0–-1
•    Platform/Agenda H 3, M 2, L 9–3
•    Relationships +1, 0, -1–0
•    Political Party 2–1
•    Values 3–3
•    Military Experience: Veteran, 3, Officer 2, NCO 1, None, 0–0
•    Public Office: Vice President 2–0
•    Public Office: Judge 1 —0
•    Department Secretary H 3, M 2, L 1–0
•    Governor H 3, M 2, L 1–0
•    U. S. Senator 2–2
•    U.S. Representative 2–2
•    Mayor H 3, M 2, L 1–3
•    State Legislator 1–0
•    Other Public Office 1–0
•    Private Sector CEO/President H 3, M 2, L 1–0
•    Private Sector VP H 3, M 2, L 1–0
•    Private Sector Director H 3, M 2, L 1–0
•    Manager H 3, M 2, L 1–0
•    Entrepreneur H 3, M 2, L 1–0
•    Inventor H 3, M 2, L 1–1
•    Memberships—0
•    Religion—1
•    Score: 43/83

A score of 43 is not competitive against other available candidates. There are a number of concerns about Bernie Sanders that begin with his age. At 72 years entering the contest, he would be >81 years at the end of two terms in office. Second, his independence may be attractive to voters as is the case with Donald Trump, however, governing in a democratic pluralistic system such as ours requires collaboration and consensus, beginning with allegiance and loyalty among the host political party. That may be suspect in this case.

For some Democrats, Bernie Sanders is a major distraction. His running introduces fresh ideas, though, Bernie is a professional politician."

Sen. Kamala D. Harris (Calif.)

Good Senator. Good prosecutor. Good potential. TBD

Here is the Washington Post list in reverse order.

"10. Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg: As Politico’s Marc Caputo writes, an old, white, male billionaire who used to be both a Republican and an independent isn’t exactly the demographic the Democratic Party seems to be craving. But Bloomberg put his money where his mouth is on gun control and climate change. That could go a long way, as could his hundreds of millions of dollars. 

9. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.): Gillibrand launched her campaign last month despite having said just three months before that she would serve out her entire Senate term if she won reelection. “Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand flat-out lied,” declared the Buffalo News editorial board. The Syracuse Post-Standard agreed. Look, politicians change their mind about running all the time, and some have lied about their intentions. But it was one of the worst-kept secrets in politics that Gillibrand was ramping up for a presidential campaign when she said she would serve out her term. 

8. Sen. Sherrod Brown (Ohio): If you’re looking for someone who might benefit from the leftward lurch of this primary field — but also brings populist bona fides to it — Brown might be your guy. As the other candidates stretch the Overton window, Brown has charted what Politico calls a more “nuanced” relationship with corporations and banks. He also seems prepared, if and when he gets in, to focus on an electability argument, as a guy who won reelection in an essential Midwestern state that President Trump easily carried. 

7. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.): Every couple of days or so, Klobuchar gets hit with another story about just what a dreadful boss many staffers say she is. The latest is courtesy of the New York Times. Klobuchar has tried to spin that as her being someone with high expectations, and her defenders suggest that the attack is gendered — the kind of thing we’d never talk about if she were a man. But there’s a difference between being demanding and reportedly throwing binders that hit people. If she can shake this, though, she may have the best claim to the moderate/pragmatic mantle in this race — a lane that could be pretty wide. 

6. Former congressman Beto O’Rourke (Tex.): O’Rourke’s decision on whether to run is due in the coming days, and it looks as though he’s in. But what exactly will he run on? We tend to judge candidates like O’Rourke relative to whom they’re running against — in O’Rourke’s case in 2018, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.). But is he really the liberal hero Democrats are looking for, or just the guy they really wanted to unseat Cruz? O’Rourke didn’t exactly run on a hugely liberal platform, and there will be pressure to define himself almost immediately if he gets in. There is lots of upside here, though. Lots. 

5. Former vice president Joe Biden: Biden is the highest-ranking pol on this list who isn’t yet a candidate. And he seems to be genuinely hesitant about whether to give it one last go, even as the conventional wisdom is that he probably runs. As for if and when he does? Remember that his two previous campaigns didn’t go well at all. He left as a popular vice president, but it’s easier to be popular when you aren’t constantly front and center, facing scrutiny. Many people seem to think he would be Democrats’ best hope in the general election, but getting to the general election is a big, big if. 

4. Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.): Booker scored a signature legislative win just before launching his presidential campaign, after Trump endorsed his First Step criminal reform legislation and it passed both chambers. The big potential liability, at least at this point, is his ties to Wall Street and corporate interests. He has said he won’t take corporate PAC money. 

3. Sen Elizabeth Warren (Mass.): Her supporters would like to believe the Native American stuff doesn’t matter, but that doesn’t explain why Warren feels the need to keep addressing it. And her inability to put this issue behind her after trying to preemptively take it off the table is perhaps the most troubling aspect of all this, practically speaking. That said, her credibility on liberal issues is matched by basically only one other person on this list, (see No. 2 below), which keeps her near the top.
2. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.): The 2016 Democratic runner-up is the latest big entrant in this race (not that there was much question he’d run). And he started off with a bang, raising nearly $6 million in about 24 hours — about four times his nearest competitor. That’s coming from the base he already built, yes, but that’s also kind of the point: 225,000 people gave to his campaign almost immediately, signifying a sizable reassembled base with which to start in a crowded field where assembling such a base won’t be easy. 

1. Sen. Kamala D. Harris (Calif.): Nobody’s launch has been as impressive as Harris’s, save for Sanders’s fundraising haul. The California senator seems comfortable in her own skin, on-message and sharp, and it has made her a somewhat surprising early favorite in betting markets. The big early question for her, though, is whether her past “tough on crime” stance toward criminal justice fits with today’s Democratic Party." 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/02/23/top-democratic-presidential- candidates-ranked/?utm_term=.4d89e304b2ff

https://www.amazon.com/Select-American-President-James-George/dp/1480840882

Straight Talk About Trump

Whether you are right, left, or in the middle of the American political spectrum, at this point in the Trump President experience, there is sufficient evidence by the President's actions and words to question his fitness for office, his loyalty, and allegiance to the Constitution and democracy.

What proof and evidence supports that statement?

1. Many of the members of the Trump Campaign are indicted or convicted of crimes, with all having lied to the authorities.

2. Many of the members have demonstrated conflicts of interest that include dealings with foreign governments having received payments and working as their agents and without having registered as foreign agents.

The people involved are the President's closest advisors and confidants.

3. His personal attorney is convicted of felonies including having lied about payments to women to silence their testimony from having been paid to keep quiet. The attorney lied and covered up his actions and so did his client, Donald Trump.

4. We know that Roger Stone, Gates, and Corsi engaged in activities to steal information from the Democratic Party mail accounts and did so in concert with Wikileaks. The President blurted encouragement to Russians who are known to have been engaged in interfering with the American 2016 Elections.

5. We know that Trump was involved in business dealings with the Russians and Saudis that constitute Emolument Clause violations based on information that is on the surface and is likely to be confirmed by the Special Prosecutor's report.

6. It is suspected that Donald Trump could be a Russian agent, motivated by personal gain and compromising his oath and US allegiance. If proven, that would be treason.

Of course, the rule of law is being followed to deliberately prove the allegations and to ultimately confront the President by Congress through impeachment and subsequently in the court through the prosecution of alleged crimes.

The trouble is, all that takes considerable time while the chaotic and irresponsible and reckless President endangers Americans through his abuse of power while in office.

Who is responsible for allowing this charade to continue?

The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives is now engaged in oversight and investigations having taken over from delinquent Republican leadership. An important question is what is their liability for having failed to investigate if the evidence demonstrates the President is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors?

The Republican-controlled Senate remains conflicted in its duty. The root of the problem is the Republican Party that participates as an accessory to the obstruction of justice.

The main question is what liability does the Republican Party have for failing to vet its candidates and incumbents? When the facts are known and the cases are prosecuted, will the Republican Party face decertification? What is the liability for all concerned who threatened Democracy in America?

Image from Axios

Who is Stephen Miller?

Stephen Miller is a Senior Advisor to the President. What are his qualifications? The answer is important because this guy has considerable influence over President Trump and his policies, just like Sean Hannity except he gets paid for advice.

Sean Hannity is grossly unqualified for his job in broadcasting, much less as a political commentator. Why do Trump and some Americans go along with these people? I think it is because most people have no nothing about their resumes.

Furthermore, many Americans have no idea about how to evaluate resumes and credentials and to map them to specific jobs. That is why I wrote the book, How to Select an American President by James A. George and James A. Rodger (c) 2107 Archway Publishing.

Using the job of President as an example, I demonstrate how to evaluate candidates' and incumbents' resumes and qualifications.

Look at Stephen Miller's resume on Wiki. First, he is thirty-three years old. That might be alright if he is an extraordinary genius who has demonstrated accomplishments. Is there proof of that?

"In 2007, Miller received his bachelor's degree from Duke University, where he studied political science." 

"After graduating from college, Miller worked as a press secretary for Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and Congressman John Shadegg, both members of the Republican Party."

That's it. Sure, Miller expressed his views about immigration and homeland security policy. The problem is they are his opinions and lack scholarly rigor or vetting of any kind. He is a self-professed ideologue.

I know a hundred Republicans who not give this guy a job based on his resume. Here we are with President Trump following his advice. Is that making America great? I think not.

Compare Miller's resume with Valerie Jarrett who advised President Obama similarly. Observe Jarrett's law degree.

Stephen Miller
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 20, 2017
President    Donald Trump
Serving with    Jared Kushner
Ivanka Trump
Preceded by   
Brian Deese
Valerie Jarrett
Shailagh Murray
White House Director of Speechwriting
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 20, 2017
President    Donald Trump
Preceded by    Cody Keenan
Personal details
Born    August 23, 1985 (age 33)
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Political party    Republican
Education    Duke University (BA)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Miller_(political_advisor) 

Valerie Jarrett
Director of the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs
In office
January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017
President    Barack Obama
Preceded by    Julie Cram (Public Liaison)
Succeeded by    George Sifakis (Public Liaison)
Senior Advisor to the President
In office
January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017
President    Barack Obama
Preceded by    Barry Jackson
Succeeded by    Jared Kushner
Stephen Miller
Personal details
Born    Valerie June Bowman
November 14, 1956 (age 62)
Shiraz, Iran
Political party    Democratic
Spouse(s)    William Jarrett
(m. 1983; div. 1988)
Children    1
Parents   
Barbara T. Bowman
James E. Bowman
Education    Stanford University (BA)
University of Michigan (JD)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valerie_Jarrett

Stephen Miller

Who is Sean Hannity?

It amazes me that millions of Americans listen to and watch Sean Hannity. His credentials are exceptionally weak. He is a seminary dropout and lies like crazy.

"Hannity has promoted falsehoods and conspiracy theories, such as casting doubt on Barack Obama's birthplace, promoting conspiracy theories about the murder of Seth Rich, and reporting false stories about Hillary Clinton's health. He was an early supporter of Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. Since Trump's election, Hannity has often acted as a conduit for Trump's messaging, criticizing the media and attacking the special counsel inquiry. He speaks to the president on the phone most weeknights, has spoken at the president's lectern during a Trump rally and White House advisors have characterized him as the "shadow" chief-of-staff."

Wiki

Sean Hannity
Born Sean Patrick Hannity
December 30, 1961 (age 57)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Residence Centre Island, New York, U.S.
Nationality American
Education St. Pius X Preparatory Seminary
Occupation Radio host, television host, political commentator, author
Employer Premiere Networks, Fox News Channel
Known for Conservative[3] political commentary
Political party Conservative

You should be reading my books and not listening to this fool.

Welcome To My Holon

When guru Dan Appleton introduced the idea of holons (holonics) to the "firm" in 1992, many of us rolled our eyes as he was want to introduce new paradigms and innovative applications of concepts that sometimes seemed a little out of reach.

"A holon (Greek: ὅλον, holon neuter form of ὅλος, holos 'whole') is something that is simultaneously a whole and a part." 

Wiki

When trying to understand and explain the complexity of our existence, the notion of holons fits right in. Thought leader, David M. Boje created a graphic to try to account for certain holonic relationships. I am using his model to populate my individual points of view. (David M. Boje is Professor and Bill Daniels Ethics Fellow, a past endowed Bank of America professor of management at New Mexico State University (NMSU) in Las Cruces.)

Boje suggests that identifying "who are your people?" begins by understanding the holonic relationships and how they impact your personal identity or brand.  The funny thing is, the audience for my several books is relatively small compared with the audience for my poetry and former journalism articles.

I am forever refining my audience and my understanding of it.

In my lifetime, I may have garnered an audience of 8 million persons, though today it is closer to 8,000. Size isn't bad unless you are needing to make a living from audience members buying something from you. That's alright now because I am retired and self-sufficient.

Still, I write and publish ideas intended for a future audience that begins with my twin grandsons. At nearing four years of age, they already know that their grandpa is peculiar, though I also believe that they are too, and that is just the way we might like it.

According to the Boje model, my "World Views" is influenced by "my people." My intellectual priority today is advancing my world views because I believe they are important and potentially enduring. I document them for my grandsons in hope that one day they will read them and draw conclusions:

1) "Jimpa" was a thinker and a doer.

2) "We" can do that too.

3) His ideas have relevance, and we can build on that.

Therefore, my primary audience is my grandsons, success at the size of two individuals.

In the next article, I will generate my unique holonic diagram.

Too Far Gone

Too Far Gone




At the tipping point is the American democracy

where Constitutional fragility is exposed by

tyrannical undermining by wealthy corporate elitists

and by systems that are too slow to react and respond

like a nuclear meltdown with the water cut off.




Chipping away by those that masterfully confuse

freedom of speech with unlimited campaign contributions

that destroy the notion of one person, one vote

the American political system is imploding.




The consequences of the American domestic disaster

are far-reaching as the effect the global economy

and security for humanity everywhere felt in three dimensions,

economic, social, and environmental.




The problem is large and complicated though can be addressed.

Universal Declaration to Protect the Planet -- notionally extrapolated from concerns about global warming and climate change.




Universal Declaration of Human Rights -- an existing UN-created declaration of which the US is a signatory, though is defaulting in support.




Universal Declaration for Sustainable Economics -- a developing invention leveraging the "Green" and Sustainable initiatives.

Adam Schiff vs. Donald Trump

Donald Trump struck the Congressional investigations about him and attacked the Chair of the House Intelligence Committee who is leading one of the inquiries. He called Congressman Schiff a political hack to disparage his Constitutional role in overseeing the President's actions.

Americans have witnessed a barrage of information about Donald Trump's apparent conflicts of interest that appear to be violations of the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution. We have seen how foreign governments and lobbyists exploit Trump's hotel and resort ownerships to curry favor.

Trump's soft treatment of the nation's enemies and nonaligned nations is also transparent without proper vetting and explanation.

The Courts document Trump's disregard for the rule of law and attempts at taking authoritarian actions having struck down most of his Executive Orders and directives that undercut the law.

Therefore, investigations that begin with understanding his IRS tax filings and the flow of money are most relevant and late in coming because the former Republican-led Congress was derelict in their duty.

Who is Adam Schiff? He is a well-qualified Member of the US House of Representatives: Education, Stanford University (BA) and Harvard University (JD). He is not a "hack."

"After Harvard Law School, Schiff began working as a prosecutor in the Los Angeles branch of the U.S. Attorney's Office. While an assistant U.S. Attorney, he gained attention by prosecuting a case against Richard Miller, a former FBI agent convicted of "passing secret documents to the Soviet Union in exchange for a promised $65,000 in gold and cash." The first time Miller was tried, it resulted in a hung jury; the second time, it resulted in a conviction overturned on appeal,[6] and the third time he was convicted." 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Schiff

For the President of the United States to take a cheap shot at his principal oversight investigator is outright stupid and arrogant. Having told Congress before the American public at the State of the Union Speech that he will not legislate so long as there are investigations is obstruction of justice and a undermines his oath of office. You saw it, America. Trump is unfit.

Adam Schiff 

Chair of the House Intelligence Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2019
Preceded by    Devin Nunes
Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee
In office January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2019
Preceded by    Dutch Ruppersberger
Succeeded by    Devin Nunes
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 3, 2001
Preceded by    James E. Rogan (27th)
Henry Waxman (29th)
Howard Berman (28th)
Succeeded by    Brad Sherman (27th)
Tony Cárdenas (29th)
Constituency    27th district (2001–2003)
29th district (2003–2013)
28th district (2013–present)
Member of the California Senate
from the 21st district
In office
December 2, 1996 – November 30, 2000
Preceded by    Newton R. Russell
Succeeded by    Jack Scott
Personal details
Born    Adam Bennett Schiff
June 22, 1960 (age 58)
Framingham, Massachusetts, U.S.
Political party    Democratic
Spouse(s)    Eve Sanderson (m. 1995)
Children    2
Education    Stanford University (BA)
Harvard University (JD)

A Good Life for All

An excerpt from A President's Manifesto by James A. George (c)2019 All Rights Reserved.


The book is offered free on request by emailing: jimgeorgeauthorarchway@gmail.com
Chapter 3: A Good Life for All Citizens for an Entire Lifetime


Is it too much for citizens to expect their government to create an economic environment in which all citizens can “earn” a good life? In nation states like the US where the ratio of population to resources is favorable, meaning plentiful, the expectation is reasonable at a minimum.


When a baby enters into the world, it comes to life under whatever economic and social environment that its parents can provide. It is a matter of chance to be born more or less off from the average conditions. Newborn children may have assurance of an equal opportunity to succeed in a pluralistic democracy and under the U.S. Constitution. That means that they should not be forced to endure an impoverished life. Government acts on behalf of citizens to close the gap. That requires providing assistance for poor and underperforming parents to help them improve their situation.


In today’s political environment, the incumbent government and Congress may not agree, or may hedge. By requiring answers that are part of party platforms and presidents’ manifestos, the intentions are made certain and clear.


Escaping the grip of poverty requires individuals to enhance their education and to acquire job skills, knowledge, and experience. Citizens who are victims of poverty may need sociological and behavioral support in the form of services.


Self-improvement begins with individual will and desire. Given the considerable resources of the United States of America, it is reasonable for the nation to seek to eliminate poverty. Doing that has the effect of boosting the entire economy. So, what do presidential candidates believe about these ideas? What does it mean to “earn” a good life?


From the outset of childhood, American citizens are encouraged to work hard to develop their abilities and capacity for self-sustainment. It begins with public education. Placing a high value on hard work is called the “work ethic.”


“Work ethic is a value-based on hard work and diligence. Capitalists believe in the requirement of hard work and its ability to enhance character. In the context of class conflict, Marxists view the cultural ingraining of this value as a means to delude the working class into creating more wealth for the upper class. In the (former) Soviet Union, work ethic was seen as an ideal to strive for.”[i]


It is not a digression to consider and to debate economic models such as capitalism versus socialism and communism, for instance. The requirement to work hard to earn rewards and benefits is shared among economic models. One variable is the amount of individual liberty and self-reliance. Also, there is a matter of providing a balance of consequences such that extraordinary performance is rewarded more than average performance. Deficient performance is rewarded less or punished.


To review, “to earn” means the following: “1a: to receive as return for effort and especially for work done or services rendered b: to bring in by way of
return <bonds earning 10 percent
2a: to come to be duly worthy of or entitled or suited to <she earned a promotion> b: to make worthy of or obtain for <the suggestion earned him a promotion>”[ii]


Every citizen who is able is expected to work to earn a sustainable living, beginning with themselves. If citizens decide to have children, they should do so only if and when they have the economic capacity to support their children.


Unfortunately, the basic rules governing this behavior are so free and lax that persons who have deficient intellect and education may not respond to societal rules and basic common sense. That is when government intervention is required. Of course religious beliefs that affect values about birth control may exacerbate the problem.


Some politicians express the belief that some citizens will become victims of themselves and their parents. Some politicians believe that offering assistance will just make matters worse as people may become welfare dependent. Others believe that aggressive intervention by government to rescue children and to force better parenting will result in stemming the tide of perpetual welfare.


Historical attempts by government have not solved the problem. However, the reasons for failure include many possibilities:


1. Legislative incompetence


2. Deficiencies in problem definition


3. Deficiencies in solution development


4. Wrong solutions


5. Deficiencies in the balance of consequences


6. Executive incompetence




There is a belief among some that all welfare recipients who are able should be required to perform some kind of work to earn welfare benefits. To accomplish that, adults with children may need childcare support. This is a complex problem in society and a presidential manifesto should address the topic.


There is serious debate about how good capitalism is serving the nation’s interest. Critics argue that the profit motive has run amuck. They believe that capitalists are neither socially and environmentally irresponsible, nor are they patriotic. Bill Gates has acknowledged that on occasion.


“One of the most peculiar but least understood developments of our time is the emergence of billionaires against capitalism. Even some of the greatest beneficiaries of the market system seem deeply disillusioned with it.


Bill Gates provided a striking example this week when he slated the market for distorting important priorities. He reportedly told a Royal Academy of Engineering conference that governments and philanthropic organizations need to counter this flaw. The software billionaire gave the example of the malaria vaccine getting virtually no market funding, whereas male baldness gets ample. His remark was striking because of Gates' stature, not because of its content. Socialist critics have argued for over two centuries that the market is poor at meeting human needs. The rich, in contrast, have tended to dismiss such criticisms."[iii]


America’s current economic situation shows that there is an extraordinary high concentration of wealth into too few hands. It shows that those with wealth are not investing properly in the nation’s business to address market needs and to create jobs.


Should government adopt a policy to redistribute wealth? Should government explore the development of sustainable capitalism?


At a time when fossil fuels have fouled the air and water, and when their consumption has exacerbated diminishing supply, advocates for a new energy paradigm argue for investment in renewable energy.


Capitalism as we know it is not sustainable when it is driven by sources of fuel for which supply is near empty. Some argue for the development of sustainable capitalism. Others argue for open mindedness in engineering a new sustainable economic model.


Observe that “Big Oil” interests may have compromised the integrity of elected officials as their interest is to run out the clock on fossil fuels at the expense of developing renewable replacements.


“’Big Oil’ is a name used to describe the world's seven or eight largest publicly owned oil and gas companies, also known as supermajors. The supermajors are considered to be BP plc, Chevron Corporation, ExxonMobil Corporation, Royal Dutch Shell plc, Total SA and Eni, with ConocoPhillips Company also sometimes described as forming part of the group.[iv]


Government leaders in the executive and legislative branches are expected to address the problems and challenges associated with transforming the nation’s economy to that which is sustainable.


What is the government’s role in accomplishing this? That should be a very high priority topic for presidential candidates to attend. In December 2014, the author published the following article at Examiner.com as the National Politics Examiner.


“Aimlessness is not malaisiness: Carter to Obama, December 12, 2014

Leadership with a plan for a sustainable U.S. economy, The White House

Outgoing Defense Secretary Hagel nailed it this week when he said ‘Hope is not a strategy.’ A majority of Americans voted for Barack Obama in 2008 because hope was going down the drain.

Foreign policy that we could not afford combined with tax benefits to the wealthy that we could not afford and the combination of resulting debt and deficit drained the Middle Class of assets and opportunity. So, the hope deficit was filled by an articulate and enthusiastic community organizer who rallied the spirit by stopping the financial bleeding and by acting to restore a functioning economy. Obama did that.

Once a new equilibrium was established, Americans looked around to assess the situation and saw a continuing dysfunctional government. It saw a President that they believed was charging too aggressively into a socialistic answer to affordable healthcare with ‘big brother-type’ mandates, and that frightened them. They didn’t like the quality of legislation coming from a Democrat-led House of Representatives, so they changed that to Republican leadership.

The resulting government still wasn’t functioning properly and Republicans didn’t offer ‘hopeful’ alternatives, so Americans reinstated President Obama. They wanted him to step up his game to become a more effective organizer at least, and less of a politician. That means, Americans wanted leadership from a President who isn’t constantly campaigning. They wanted his brainpower without the political baggage from the Obama Party.

They didn’t get that, so voters went to the polls and strengthened the Republicans hand on Congress by giving to them full throttle.

Now, the result is a government that still isn’t operating and performing on all cylinders. Leaders are not appearing stronger except John Boehner, maybe, who at least got a budget passed in the House. Mitch McConnell will do fine in the Senate at the basic business of government too.

That leaves the question, to where is America headed as an economic force? What is the relationship between government and the private sector and the economy? What is the state of the union?

The news today describes American malaise, a term associated with the Jimmy Carter administration. It described a nation of uneasiness and lacking direction. It is worse than that.

Racism remains in America and is aggravated by President Trump’s caustic and careless language the seems to promote it.”[v]

Violence is returning as a result. The American government remains at war in the world while doing a cake walk with senior executive positions creating instability and a state of leaderlessness.

Here is a list of what it will take to restore and to renew the American dream:


• Leadership with a plan for a sustainable U.S. economy



• Leadership with a plan to transform the U.S. economy from fossil fuels to a renewable energy strategy



• Leadership that can engage and work with business and industry to produce a harmoniously regulated economy



• Leadership that can reduce world tensions and effect higher resolve toward peace and stability



• Leadership that can help wealthy Americans focus their mental and financial powers toward greater invention and investment resulting in more upward mobile opportunities


• Leadership that can motivate American private and public sector institutions to steadfastly committing to creating a good life for all Americans in the absence of poverty.

If you consider the Obama administration with regard to these things, you may discover:


· Obama did not have a plan for a sustainable economy.


· Obama had a strategy and direction for transforming the energy paradigm, though without Congressional support it languished. Obama got caught up in a more esoteric subject, climate change, when the focus should have been energy transformation.


· Obama failed to engage wealthy Americans and corporations to advance invention.


· Obama, like Democrats in general, professed the right values, but had not workable plan to end poverty.


Observing Donald Trump’s initiatives, it was too soon to know. He was very skimpy about details and therefore his ideas are not actionable. That brief critique will be debatable and is addressed more in later chapters.


What qualifications and credentials are required of an American President and from representatives of government to produce the superior outcomes? What can restore and renew America’s direction and aim toward greatness? Who can do that?


Leadership may begin with an executive order, but it takes hands on CEO skill and experience to put it into practice. Furthermore, one of President Obama’s EOs uses the word “sustainable economy”. He never explains that capitalism is unsustainable as we know it.


His EO jumps into details omitting the scope and scale of change that is essential to making baby steps meaningful. Leading the discussion with the environment is not the place to start. Start by explaining the economic model for the future of America.


Presently, the greatest positive addition to America’s Gross Domestic Product is from weapons sales. Is that what we want?

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[i] Work ethic is a value based on hard work and diligence .... https://www.coursehero.com/file/p7prrh8/Work-ethic-is-a-value-based-on-hard-work-and-diligence-Capitalists-believe-in/

[ii] Merriam-Webster, earn, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earn

[iii] Bill Gates' attack on capitalism is nothing to cheer .... https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/mar/15/bill-gates-capitalism-attacks

[iv] World Supermajors Oil and Gas Jobs - Worldwide Jobs. https://www.gulfjobcareers.com/world-supermajors-oil-gas-jobs-worldwide-jobs/

[v] USA Today, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2018/08/14/times-president-trump-comments-called-racist/985438002/