The response has been big and astounding. Keep it coming. We have just begun to fight to change American politics.
One concern raised by some needs to be addressed head on: Some experienced bloggers expect/want Unity08 to arrive with a specific platform position on every issue.
We repeat what we said in our statement of purpose: We will have an agenda, not a platform. Our agenda is the list of issues that the public feels are crucial that Washington is not addressing – energy independence, quality education, affordable health care, rising national debt and many more.
But we don’t come to this with a platform. We invite you to debate and offer solutions – and ultimately we invite candidates to run for President on the Unity08 banner with their own platform on the crucial issues.
We would stifle the debate if the web site has pre-determined answers. And most American voters know that the crucial issues are very complex, don’t have simple answers, and progress will require debate, discussion and maybe even consensus or compromise.
What’s sad and interesting is that in Washington none of those things are happening on any of the crucial issues. No debate, no discussion, no consensus and no compromise. Washington is polarized and paralyzed.
So to all who expect Unity08 to have all the answers and to be certain of everything, we may disappoint you. To those who relish debate, serious discussion, and finding candidates for leadership ready to discuss crucial issues seriously, we hope to excite you.
Spending a lot of time in Washington is dangerous for your mental health, apparently. But spending a lot of time watching Washington causes you to be very wary of two types: Those who need to read the polls before they know what they think – and those who seem certain of every answer even before the questions are asked.
At Unity08 our forum and our minds are open. Blog on!
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Agenda 3- Amendment to the US Constitution
Congress shall make no law under which they or any, member of the federal executive or judiciary shall have any rights or freedom from prosecution under any law binding on the citizens in general. Any existing such laws shall be immediately declared null and void, except those expressly delineated in the constitution in the main or under any amendment.
Yes, I agree. From what I can tell, it would be beneficial to the economy (especially small business) and to the nations health to not have it tied to employment. Maybe it could be districted like schools, but maybe that's not a good idea either. My only question is...what's the argument against not having it tied to employment?
Agenda 4
Make the transport and power distribution infrastructure from Plank 1 a for profit company with 45% ownership (balance publically traded) shared based on contributions to construction by the countries in the alliance and with all profits from these enterprises in each country dedicated to a universal health care fund.
Agenda 5
A. Create a North American free trade zone and travel zone from Panama to the artic ocean.
1. Standard ID for all people in the region.
2. No birthright citizenship- regadless of place of birth, child receives citizenship of mother only.
3. Joint Naval force (Coast Guard) to suppress smuggling, illegal fishing, and illegal immigration.
4. Joint border patrol force at the Panama canal zone.
Thanks to comments by my new supporter Anonymous here is my 06 annual savings analysis based on googled budgets from INS and Border Patrol!!
The above result in substantial cost savings (defending a border as long as the Panama canal instead of the Canadian and Mexican borders combined). It would be reasonable to assume that the cost now is a function of the border length so 51 miles/10,000 miles (you have to include the Alaskan border with Canada) or .5% of the present costs of 1.4 BILLION or a savings of $1.393 Billion dollars. Also the same idea (given that Mexican and Canadian illegals are eliminated entirely) cuts the INS budget by more then half (6.3 Billion to 3 Billion). Total Savings almost 5 Billion Dollars!!
Agenda 6
Build a lossless power distribution (superconducting power line) from a North Canadian (or Alaskan location) to Panama.
I would like to see a Christopher Dodd/Howard Dean style Democrat on foreign policy and Sierra Club type combine with a Republican cultural traditionalist. No ANWAR, support of International Criminal Court and small town cultural values. Integrity is also a key value, corruption is a major problem in non-competitive congressional districts.
If you are hoping to educte voters, why do you tolerate "EN ESPANOL"? An alien voter has to be a U.S. Citizen. For an alien to pass citizenship requirements, she or he must be able to read, understand, and give correct answers about our Constitution. As you know, our Constitution is written and printed in English.
Ballots should be printed in English only, too. If a voter can not read English, can not read the ballot, the voter has no right to vote. And if I had my way, that would include USA-born citizens who can not read their high school graduation diplomas
Your "EN ESPANOL" does not serve the alien individual who want to become a USA citizen, nor does it serve the nation. Citizens must learn to read, speak, and understand English.
Also, why are you catering only to one group? The Spanish-speaking aliens. What about other non English speaking aliens? Russians, Italians, Chinese, Vietnamese, Germans, Norwegians, Swedes, Indians, Cambodians, you name it? Why "EN ESPANOL" only.
English only, if you please, treats everyone fairly.
Thank you.
I am so grateful that someone has taken the initiative to introduce more moderation into American politics and take us away from the two extremes. The Bush administration has polarized Americans more than any other administration in recent memory. I hope that the ticket will reflect socially liberal and fiscally conservative policies while maintaining a more peaceful foreign policy outlook.
They work well together. When we are ready why not see if they could accept our Agenda?
They are as close to mainstream independents as anyone in the US could get.
Most of the people that I have talked to are turned off by 'the usual suspects'. I think we will need someone that is not part of the Washington bunch.
I have seen Governor Tom Vilsack (D.Ia) interviewed twice. He comes across as a very stable, unit-er type. What little research That I have done on him showed no baggage or skeletons. ???
The gov't has no business meddling in the private affairs of its citizens. The vote to amend the Constitution to "save marriage" is just another republican attempt to force its narrow ideology on everyone. It is also an attempt to distract the public so we won't notice that they can't solve issues they should be dealing with. Barb
Have you contacted ex-Gov. Lamm?
He was involved in Reform Party II
While I understand the desire to not stifle debate, issues and alternatives should be clear and other groups, such as the Concord Coalition and Fact Check, which are attempting serious consideration of major issues, should be identified and cooperation attempted.
Congress is organized in an unconstitional manner. Selecting committee members by seniority violates the principal of equal representation. Not all congress people are equal. The Committee heads have more influence, and power creating an unequal representation based upon seniority and are under influence of party leadership.
Under whose authority did Congress decide to organize this way? Amazing the US Congress decided to organize itself around the principles of seniroty and party leadership in direct conflict to the principle of equal representation. Remove it, pick the committee chairs by lottery. My Gosh, does that mean a freshman senator not beholding to a party leader could chair the Finance Committee? You bet, a senior Senator or congressman has no more constitional right to a position than a freshman.
The most important issues for the future of all of us is the security of America's place in the global market. Let's face it folks, China will surpass us in less than 20 years and our economic clout will disintergrate and with it our beliefs in human rights for all people.
With no unions, safe working conditions, wage requirements, and above all environmental regulations China stands to corner the industrial market, leaving many middle class Americans jobless with no alternative but to go to the hospitality industry which is already being filled to the brim.
The solution to this is education, economic incentives for industry that does stay home (in US), and proportional tariffs on goods from countries that (such as India and China) disregard human rights and environmental concerns.
WE MUST NOT PROSTITUTE OUR POSITION ON HUMAN RIGHTS FOR ECONOMIC GAIN! How can we hold our heads high when we SELL OUT just because there's money to be had? How can we be proud when our illiteracy rate is so high, when children in India can apply mathematics without even a claculator - yet our own schools have such low performance? Where is the PRIDE that America should have in itself?
We need TRUE leadership, to bring the pride and RESPONSIBILTY back to our shores. We have the innovation - no country is as creative as we! Now we must turn this creativity to our greatest problems - and no problem is greater than our nearly garunteed economic decline in the face of billions of underpaid Chinese workers luring our industrial base from our own shore and leaving behind thousands of unemployed workers.
32 hour follow-up: Perhaps our government can provide a more effective and lucrative formula than the current tax breaks, to help two income households with growing and developing children, so they can work less hours and dedicate more time to the stability of their families, without having to sacrifice revenue. It is to the benefit of all of society that the problems of America's children be addressed.
I concur with your sentiments and analysis dear girl.
We want a wide tent in Unity08 but it should not reach to the far right or left.
Stem cell research funding and gay marriage are clearly far right negative agendas not ours.
The length of term in the United States needs to be changed to one six year term. Look at past presidents and the amount of two term president. How much time and money do we waste on reelections. Four years is not enough and eight is to many.
I agree with other commenters that you need to link related comments, the blog portion of the site is maddening.
I also found one comment admist the madness that was different and progressive: Big Questions. It will give this site the opportunity to frame the debate differently and perhaps get people off the well known extremist views that you can find on every other blog.
When do Americans have the right to interfere in the rights/decisions of others? Alternatively, when don't they have that right?
Some other big questions I'd like to propose:
Is life a right or a privilege? (For example why are those opposed to abortion rights in favor of the death penalty and vice versa? I'm in favor of both abortion and the death penalty but I believe that as a society we should make both as rare as possible. I believe that there should be policies: health care, childcare, sexual education, adoption, more compassion and less judgement about the morals of the mother that led to pregnancy,... that will encourage fewer women to seek abortions while keeping them safe and legal for those that need that option; similarly there need to be more stringent and consistent laws surrounding when & how the death penalty is imposed.)
What services are properly provided by the government? And which should not or no longer be a government responsibility? I believe that healthcare is one of the services that should be provided through the government or some other single payer system that eliminates the obscene waste of the current health insurance bureacracy and provides for the general health and well being of our population. Think pandemics. Medicine has advanced since our country was founded and our government policies should reflect that.
Why do we need Congress? It's supposed to be the people's house. In 1780 indirect representation was the only feasible solution. With today's technology why can't we have direct representation via internet voting at both the federal and state level? Keep the Senate to moderate and inform the debate and to advocate for constituents but let the people participate and decide. I'm tired of "statistically significant" polls supposedly identifying what this country really wants.
Any other Big Questions?
"Submitted by HPeterson on June 1, 2024 - 5:34pm.
The most important issues for the future of all of us is the security of America's place in the global market. Let's face it folks, China will surpass us in less than 20 years and our economic clout will disintergrate and with it our beliefs in human rights for all people."
Having just returned from a tour of China I must say it won't take 20 years.
We better move to our strengths now and one of the most important strengths is to build a unified low trade barrier market for all of North America. And begin to plan for the integration of South america also.
I heard of UNITY 08 on their recent NPR interview and am glad that their are others who want to fix our political system and try to get our government back in the hands of the electorate and not under the control of political parties and lobbyists.
I would suggest a good trial run for the upcoming 06 congressional elections would be to target the worst of the worst in Congress for replacement by true Americans not interested in the money and power chase currently going on. If we can throw all the "rascals out" we would be able show we can take back the process and once again be proud to call ourselves Americans.
I recently read the constitution again after several years, and could not help but ask myself where did the system our founders instituted go? Our current system is so out of whack that it has almost no relation to what Jefferson and Hamilton and the others instituted.
Unity 08 is very important in showing that the American people can participate in the political process without feeling they have to settle for the "lesser of two evils". I applaud your efforts and will be willing to help where I can.
Thanks
The soon-to-be-released "Shoutbox" will provide a much easier system to discuss and respond to issues and each other. It's almost ready...
As for the blog comment usability at the moment, we don't like it either. We are tracking down a pesky bug that has the comments stuck in "collapsed" view.
*UPDATE: Full comment view is back.*
Thanks for your patience.
Good choice, I teach political science and use The Federalist in many intro and upper level classes.
Will let all of my students and colleagues know abut Unity08.
Alex
One main reason for not having health care tied to employment is that when or if the employment ends, so does the health care. Another is that the unemployment rate for people with disabilities is much, much higher than the general population.
Pat, perhaps the reason that the unemployment rate for those with disabilities is that all those jobs have been taken by the illegal immigrants working for a pentence. The poor, uneducatated, and the disabled are most effected by illegal immigration, but those voting blocks always vote AGAINST their self interest.. go figure!
We have a national debt of $8.4 trillion, and our politicians in Washington are using our tax money to buy votes. It is called "earmarks".
Then, national security dollars are doled out to political hacks. Our ports on the Atlantic and Pacific are vulnerable to Condoleeza Rice's famous "mushroom cloud", but the dollars go to Nebraska. What the hell are those dollars going to do in Nebraska, protect the cows???
Why does the word "obscene" always seem to come to mind whenever I think about our Senate and House of Representatives in D.C.???
This is a great idea and has been a long time coming. I didn't think I was alone in thinking that the parties are so polarized and yet one and the same. This party has the potential to change the face of U.S. history. To suceed however there are a few crucial factors which must be met.
1. Compromise- The party must be willing to compromise in forming it's agenda. Members and contributors to this site must also realize that without compromise the party will fail miserably. To reach out to the many middle ground voters who must pick one party or the other the party Unity '08 must pick an agenda attractive to a large amount of voters that benefits as many of them as possible.
2. Media coverage- It is going to be extremely hard to get a large amount of positive media coverage due to the fact that America's media is becoming more and more restricted by the powerful few who own it. Members must work in their individual towns and cities to get the press to realize that Unity'08 is a force to be reckoned with and then the members must make good on that promise.
3. Demographics- Unity'08 has the potential to change the face of American politics however this will depend on which demographic relates to the party the best. The party must recognize this and pursue this demographic to the best of its ability
4. The Website- I am a first time user of this site. I love the idea of a serious third party getting involved in American politics. Please do not ruin this site by making into a site for bickering about certain issues amongst ourselves. Partisanship belongs on capitol hill not in a party named Unity
I have a few more points but I'll save those for later.
I think a mistake is being made by not putting forth a platform. I can guess why a decision was made to go with an agenda instead, but a comprehensive platform will be critical in establishing legitimacy and being competitive with the other candidates in the media and at debates.
*originally posted by Independant Voter on June 1, 2024 - 9:26am.*
I have been a little frustrated with politics lately. I want us all to get along as Americans even when we disagree. I think that a large part of the problem today could be solved by answering what I have come to refer to as "the BIG question".
When do we as Americans have the right to interfere in someone elses life?
If it were only a matter of protecting peoples lives than the answer would be "only to stop someone from killing/hurting themself or another". However, more often lately, the answer seems to be "whenever their persuit of happiness offends me". Do we really think we have the right to interfere in someones sex life? Or to tell them what god to worship? Or what they can ingest for the sake of medical treatment or entertainment? I for one don't think so. Therefore, it is my belief that Congress should answer this question for the sake of all Americans. It would end debate on many national issues in one fell swoop.
When do we as Americans have the right to interfere in someone elses life?
I beleive that the answer to that question has the potential to make us all more free. If we could agree to an answer to that single question I think a sense of national unity would once again flow through this great nation. Once that question is legally answered, what more is there left for us to argue about?
What is your answer to "the BIG question"?
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Thanks to all the people who replied to "the BIG question" . I have to admit I was truly impressed by the depth and intelligence of some of the posts. This is obviously a question that some of us have thought about for a while.
I like montana mikes "dont interfere with my life" take on things too. It seems to go to the heart of the issue.
Seneca, I am still re-reading your post, but I have to say I found it inspiring to say the least. Your vision of real equality in both the citizenry and the tax code sounds very logical indeed. Separating corporations and special interest groups from the political contribution game also seems to be a sound idea. Do you think we could find both a Republican and a Democrat to support such ideas? I hope so.
Anonymous, I don't know if the BIG question is enough to solve the abortion issue, as it is directly connected to at least two (some would say three) lives. However, I do believe that we can all agree that we would like to see abortion happen less. That is a unifying idea to be sure, without alienating either half of the pro life/choice crowd. Also, I agree that some kind of healthcare for all seems decades overdue for the strongest nation on earth.
You see I grew up as a middle child, so I often found myself mitigating arguments between people I love. That's how this recent partisanship feels. We are brothers and sisters who have forgotten our love of one another due to anger.
The Republicans don't want to destroy the world, and the Democrats aren't trying to turn the U.S into a communist country.
We really are ALL on the same side. We are Americans first last and foremost.
If we can decide/agree as a nation on an answer to the BIG question we will have so much less to argue about, we might actually start to get things done!
**When do we as Americans have the right to interfere in someone elses life?**
Keep those replys coming.
Although I realize it will take some time for this movement to establish itself clearly the internet can and will expedite this process exponentially. I also believe it would be most helpful if we were to BEGIN hammering out a "platform" we intend to stand on and the immediacy of such issues as ILLEGAL immigration and the war on terror should be in the very forefront!
I'm a registered Republican who has felt disenfranchised in the past several national elections. It seems in every election, the candidates have been filtered -- first by the party "bigwigs" (both parties), and then by the voters in Iowa and New Hampshire. By the time most of us get to the primary polls, the battle is over. I wish that the candidates would do the bulk of their campaigning via television, radio, etc. and that the primary elections would be all on the same day. The "powers that be" might be surprised by the candidates that "we the people" really want to run for national office!
I also feel we urgently need to remove ourselves from the captivity of the oil nations. The first step is to get serious about developing alternate sources of energy. The second (and equally important) step is to emphasize to all our citizens to use energy wisely. Hummers, huge SUV's, mansion-type homes with only two regular residents, work commutes with only one person, when public transportation or carpooling is possible...all of these are using valuable resources without necessity. I definitely belief in capitalism and improving one's lifestyle, but how about spending that extra cash on quality, not quanity. If we are to become energy independent, we each need to be willing to make some personal sacrifices for the ultimate benefit of ourselves, our country, and the future generations.
It seems to me that what some of you want is to "just do your own thing"! That is not how this country got to be a great country. If you look at history you will find whenever the people did what was right in their own sight, they failed miserably. We are dependent on each other to keep this contry moving in the direction that our forefathers intended; without morals we are doomed to the fate of other contries and kingdoms that calapsed because of unchecked immorality. There are standards of morality that our country was founded upon, we need to reestablished those standards. people
Mentioned unity08 to an individual who is ready for the republicans to go and vote back in the democrats. Said they might be interested in a thrid party, but would not be if the effect on the election would be to take votes away from the democrats and allow the republicans back in. I thought they had a point. Personally I'm ready for the democrats to go back in, but yet I've always thought we needed a third choice. Will a third party give the election to the republicans?
You're right Joe, but along with the morality issue is discipline. Personal discipline and political discipline.
Wow..finally found a resource for my deep conviction to get involved and respond to the obvious decline of the great human idea which is America! America is not a nation, race, gender/sexual orientation/ political party or religion...it is the manifistation of the spirit of every man to be free! If America dies, civilization may never pass this way again. We are at an important crossroad . I'm in!
I totally agree with the absence of a platform. So many "issues" would solve themselves if we got the government out of the way.
I suggest:
1. Fiscal Sanity
a. Shrink the military!!
b. Put everything on the table from NIH to the War on Drugs and the Dept of Homeland Security
2. Roll back legislation:
No Child Left Behind
Telecommunications Act of 1996
Patriot Act
etc., etc.,
That's it. Everybody just put your pet issues on hold and read some Tom Paine and Thomas Jefferson about the blessings of small government (and curses of the large ones)
Two Words: Jesse Ventura
Somebody really hit the nail on the head. Just about all our foreign problems are because we seem to think it our job to interfere with any government we want. My study of history shows that all our interference is for the temporary solving of our own problems! We always come up with some noble sounding reason and it turned out to be the Big lie.
Right now the CIA is arming some of the same warlords in Somalia that we fought with the 'Black hawk Down' incident. Our excuse -- we don't want Al Qaeda to get a foothold there and the warlords are against outside terrorists.
Will we ever learn? Another little gem is the CIA trying to overthrow the DEMOCRATICLY elected government of Venezuela. This administration has told so many lies about the President of Venezuela that it's hard to get the truth through the smoke. I found the truth from foreign news sources and an in-depth investigative movie on the election and failed military coup.
I can get behind a non-religious Republican party. I'm pretty liberal on gay rights and church-state separation and those are the two issues that seem to dominate the Republican party, besides abortion, even though I'm pro-life for completely non-religious reasons. But unfortunately the Republicans are one step away from renaming themselves the Christian Republican party so I have to make some hard choises come election time. Republicans are too religious, Demacrats too liberal, Green WAY too liberal, and Libertarian too wacky. So if Unity '08 can come up with a reasonablely slightly right of center ticket in '08 then they might have my vote. We'll have to see who they come up with. As I poster before, Jesse Ventura would be great and maybe Arnold, they could be the Predator ticket.
"Granted, there are always exceptions, but overall a universal system is not much better (and is often worse) than what we have now".
I always hear this argument but I have to say I've lived (and had medicial care) in three "socialized medicine" (and I think the term is misused) countries: France, Belgium and Singapore. I, nor my family, never had inferior treatment, nor long waits for care in these countries. I wish I could say the same for what has happened to my parents here in our system.
"Also, remember that if one set of bureaucrats dissatisfies the patient, they can seek alternatives in a private system; not so in a universal one".
I wish my Mom could have had the time in her last week of life to have change her HMO when she was summarily told her hospice provider had been discontinued. The HMO insisted that she sign new paperwork for a new hospice provider, literally, on her death bed. In a universal system I suspect that would not have happened.
"In Britain, it results in "Quality of life" judgements that result in eye surgery being performed on one eye only,"
When my father was 88 he decided that he was getting a cataract in his "other" eye, he had had surgery on one already, and went to his doctor who confirmed he indeed had a cataract. United Health Care denied the surgery because he had one good eye and it wasn't a medicial necessity. He lived three more years and one of his greatest pleasures was reading. I can happen in a private payer system too.
The unity ticket is an intriguing idea. I recently saw an interview on The News Hour with Jim Lerher. One of the unity proponents made the comment that issues such as climate change were not being talked about seriously in Washington. I was surprised by that since democrats have been talking about it for years. I can understand some republicans wanting to distance themselves from the far right, unfortunately that is who the party is.
Republicans who supported W. can not now simply say "whoops". To say the American people are fed up with wedge issues such as gay marriage, abortion, ect... is preposterous. Thats what got all those mean spirited right wingers to the polls. As far as candidates in 08 I like Al Gore. The worst thing he could do would be to run with a republican. I know this seems extreme and honestly I like some of our republican representatives, Arlen Specter comes to mind, but I have had it with religious fundamentalists, and as long as they control the republican party I will not vote for any republican under any circumstance.
Submitted by Wacky on June 1, 2024 - 12:11pm.
"I'd like to suggest those who join the Unity discussion agree to give up the labels Liberal and Conservative since most of us hold a mixture of so-called liberal and conservative opinions. Let's decide what's crucial,what's important and what's unimportant. Then we will try to decide what's possible. The decisions will have nothing to do with Liberalism or Conservatism."
The only rational way to approach this! Let's decide who we want to be as a country and a community.
Obviously, illegal immigration is emerging as a central theme in this national dialogue, which must be reckoned with. It is time to set aside the shackles of "political-correctness," which have muzzled free speech for too long in this country. Hence, I am going to state publicly one of my deepest beliefs about one of the consequences of illegal immigration into this country. It is one of the factors in the deterioration of academic standards in our school system, due primarily to the ESL (English as a Second Language) aspect of it. One of the things I learned when being trained as a teacher, was that the philosophy of the American school system is one of democracy, to make available to the broadest mainstream, a quality education; hence, the impetus of academic standards are geared towards the average achiever or ability group. This is what sets the academic standards. While this is a lofty ideal, the problem is that a large population of non-English speaking students have been integrated into our school systems, who are required by law to accomodate them, regardless of their family's legal status to be in this country. This strains the schools systems, and effectively weighs down the academic standards,as the schools attempt to bring to proficiency the English language skills of ESL students, so that they are not disadvantaged in competing and succeeding academically. However, this has an impact of attrition on the entire system.
I am a lifelong Democrat (with allowances for my Concerned Democrat period during the Vietnam war) and I feel my party has abandoned me. Over the last year or so I have regularly returned the fund-raising questionnaires with a small check and a promise not to send any more money until someone starting speaking intelligently on issues such as global warming, the need for a national health system, true education reform and the like. I'm tired of the D's saying "we're not George Bush" and then clamming up. If Unity '08 is an antedote to this, sign me up.
How about a forum where we can have clearly organized discussion, rather than haphazard comments that get lost in the midst of all the confusion?
Our main function will be to name two candidates with winning manners and issues.
This may translate into raising the most money ever on the WEB.
But the overarching problem is to supply Uncle Sam with money not raised by taxes. That is, not raised by taxes -- except for taxes that prevent hyperinflation.
Other taxes are not necessary.
Except for necessary taxes, people who pay taxes vote against parties they think will spend Uncle Sam's money. That's why problems do not get solved.
Read the pages linked to my name above. Join a wikispaces support effort for unity08.
My biggest concern is that this may turn into another "fringe"(right or left) thing. If this forum/party shows itself standing FOR things instead of AGAINST things then just maybe UNITY08 will make a difference.
Hoping for the best things. Let's work together!
JF
As a physician, it would be easy for me to focus on a self-serving agenda like issues around health care; however, it appears Unity08 will help establish agendas into a priority fashion. Having congress pass lots of useless legislation is easy as they are rehearsed, but to actually tackle their work in a prioritized manner as real world people must is perhaps the hope of this new political approach of Unity08
An explanation of where you stand on the issues would go a long way towards building something. Details and firm stands. Not wishy washy BS or telling people what they like to hear.