Under an efficient national government

Amen.

John Jay argued that the American people would best be served by "an efficient national government." He argued this point strongly in the third Federalist paper which dealt largely with the influence of foreign powers. I believe he was certainly correct in his assessment that all of us would be better served by this efficient, central government. I daresay it extends beyond the concept of foreign powers and their influence, but more importantly, takes center stage in our own national economic, social, and political frameworks.

It is because of this lack of efficiency, closely followed by the unintended state of ineffectiveness, I can support neither of the candidates or the parties that sponsor them. Reform, true reform, is so terribly different from what the candidates are currently proposing that I simply cannot let either of them have my vote. They have no desire to limit the size of neither government nor its role in our day-to-day lives. I have heard nothing about a reorganization of government - employees, processes, or the various secretariats - that leads me to believe that true reform is up for debate. They both simply want more of the same - bigger government, larger loopholes, and vaulted power without constraint and no true check and balance. Mobilizing the true intent of government, demanding the proper structure and billet of resources, and maintaining this through the act of limiting the power of the elected will go a long way in serving our republic.

Let us begin with the true intent of government. We must redefine, within the context of the constitutional republic we inhabit, the true role of government. We must also begin with the end in mind: simple is better and less is more. The current reality is in stark contrast with this desired future state. I believe that government plays three crucial roles: national defense, regulating lawful activity and ferreting out fraud, and upholding general welfare without the welfare state.

National defense is a key element in this new model. We must not waiver in our desire to keep our nation free of international and domestic terrorists. This does not mean we should enter foreign shores to infringe upon the sovereign territories of other nations. This does not mean we should support various governments in their pursuit of a style of government that we uphold. As I believe government should meddle less and less in our daily lives it should restrain itself from the lives of our fellow global citizens. Now, this does not mean that we should not support efforts through coalitions we have collaborated with in the past and spent countless dollars to support. Also, I believe we should continue to provide intelligence and counter-intelligence services to our allies and insure that threats, once revealed, are quickly squashed by the local government or regional coalition.

The current administration vehemently opposes this sort of focus on national defense. Why? Self interest is the underlying driver. More war, more conflict and more engagement keeps them in power, our tether inextricably tied to their misdeeds. Ladies and gentlemen, it is not because we are trying to save the world. It is the opposite: we simply influence the rest of the world with our culture, our religion, and our form of government. National defense should be about protecting our citizens, our borders, and our natural resources. It should not be evangelical in its execution. It should be about defense and not offense.

A final word about defense is needed here. We must work harder in terms of diplomacy, economic sanctions, and galvanizing worldwide coalitions (without a heavy handed approach and without dispensing countless dollars). There is no worse leader than a leader that leads through bribery and coercion. This is not a leader at all. It is merely a bully, a self-aggrandizing fear monger. This should not be the United States of America.

Our second action item is the creation of a more streamlined system of regulating lawful activity, finding those that abridge the laws of our fair republic, and swiftly and with great resolve moving against them with the appropriate sanctions. As I mentioned, this needs to be a streamlined process. It is beyond comprehension the level of waste, the layers of management, and the bloated gravy trains we have created in our country when it comes to government. Neither of the two candidates will do anything about this. They cannot. The elected officials that work alongside them in congress have much too much to lose by dismantling the Christmas tree.

I would start with the tax system. All of us, rich and poor, black and white, and smart and not-so-smart have lived too long on the teat. Government is not the great equalizer. Government is not the last stop for those that abuse the system, do not study, or do not get off their dead asses and work. Everyone must pay their fair share. Whether you earn $1 or $1,000,000, you must pay the same amount of tax. I believe we should dismantle the entire tax system as we know it. You earn a $1, you pay 3 cents. You're done. Simple is better. Less is more. We shut down the IRS. We redistribute accounting resources in our companies to do other work. This entire system is a waste of money, time, and energy. It is fabricated to serve the needs of a monster that can be killed in one slice of the sword - utilizing our own courage and determination to make true change in our national tax and accounting infrastructure.

Finally, a critical assessment of "general welfare" needs to be made. We need to stop carrying those that do not seek out their own shelter of responsibility. Those that do not study, or work, or move into public service through Obama's new civilian work corps, must not be given the funds for nothing. Fraud is the number one perpetrator here. The same can be said of corporate welfare. Subsidies, earmarks, and general pork barrel spending must cease and desist. Means tested, measured, and monitored fiscal policy and execution must rule the day. I am all for the general welfare of our nation, but not at the expense of the greater good and not for special interest or for those citizens unwilling to seek out a better, more responsible way of life.

Efficiency must come from within and from outside of our government. We must all try to understand process, work flow, and organization in such a way that we seek to minimize waste and create cost savings while all the time enhancing effectiveness of service and service delivery throughout our government. Moreover, we must seek to make more efficient our state and local governments by minimizing the replication of school systems, municipal bailiwicks, and departmental fiefdoms. This is the call to action. This must be part of our national, strategic framework.

Alas, be thankful for what you have, take only what you need, and work diligently for peace. I shall try to do the same. From the frozen tundra that is Iowa City, IA, I bid you all a good night.