This article describes the ideal scenario of what a democratic nation and world should look like. The beliefs of some of the major political and religious groups in the United States are summarized. It then identifies the necessary amendments and laws that the U.S. Congress must ultimately pass in order to maximize democracy and promote world peace.

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(Article changed on October 3, 2013 at 06:53)

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This article is not specifically about the exploited Working Class, the disappearing Middle Class, or the still-controlling Ruling Class.   This article is not about how to achieve the short term objectives of one particular problem.   Instead, it is about describing the ideal scenario of what a democratic nation and world should look like. To hard-core Pragmatists and Realists, this article may be considered a waste of time.   But to Idealists--visualizing the actual goal or dream is the only thing that energizes them.   I have identified some of the main groups in the United States that have radically different beliefs about politics and religion, and then I propose a way to create unity and peace among those diverse groups.  

One political group consists of the Paleoconservatives (who are proud to be considered "paleo," or "old-fashioned"). Like our founding fathers who said our nation should not get entangled in the affairs of foreign governments, Paleoconsevatives are Republicans who are against the interventionist foreign policy of the Neoconservatives. Neoconservatives believe that our government has a right, even a moral obligation, to police the world. Republicans and Democrats, in general, have well-known, definable differences regarding taxes, spending, and social policies, but most individuals in both parties favor a neoconservative foreign policy. 

For those who view the world as a place where dog eats dog, the neoconservatives are right. But Buddhists, yogis, Christian mystics, non-radical Muslims, and other peace-practicing groups would say that, if we take the initiative in showing compassion and benevolence, then other individuals and nations will sooner or later reciprocate with matching feelings and actions. Love conquers all.      

Paleoconservatives are socially conservative, so they are less likely to support gay and abortion rights and the legalization of marijuana. They may be concerned about things like genetically modified foods that do not have to be labeled, according to current government laws, but are usually against putting more restrictions on gun owners. 

Paleoconservatives are quick to argue that our government is a Republic with guaranteed individual rights, but that it is not a Democracy. They will inform you that the word "democracy" is not in the Constitution, because our founding fathers feared the possibility of "mob rule." Democracy, or rule by the majority, is what you have when two foxes and a chicken decide what's for dinner. Paleoconservatives will argue that our Constitution was not meant to be a "living" document that changes with the times. They fear a democracy that can take away their God-given rights if it is the decision of the majority.     

The Libertarians are another political group. They are socially liberal, but economically conservative. They are likely to support gay and abortion rights, and the legalization of recreational drugs. But, economically, they are apt to recommend laissez-faire capitalism. They want a small government with the fewest possible government regulations. Libertarians may want the liberty to become millionaires and billionaires through the free market, but they oppose crony capitalism, which occurs when companies collude with the government to get subsidies and special benefits. Libertarians are also against the interventionist foreign policy of the neoconservatives.

Fundamentalist Christians and Evangelical Christians are two religious groups that are combined as one group here. The fundamentalist churches interpret the Bible in the most literal way, even more so than the evangelical churches do. But both have a 17^th century viewpoint of the Bible--believing in a fiery, eternal hell for the lost who refuse to take Jesus as their Lord and Savior. They believe that abortion in most cases, and homosexuality, are sinful. Evolution is wrong, because it contradicts the first few chapters in the Book of Genesis. 

The problem that pastors often have is that if they tell their congregation everything they learned in seminary (that is, if it was a liberal seminary) about the latest scientific research on the Bible, many of the lay people would find their entrenched beliefs challenged and go somewhere else for reassurance. For many people, it is difficult to face the truth and give up certain childhood Christian beliefs. In fact, however, after the initial shock and inner turmoil that results when Christians learn what scientific Bible scholars say about the Bible, they can still grow spiritually as Christians. They can also become better citizens with broader political views, because they will no longer believe that their religion is the one and only way. For example, given the way most conservative Christians interpret the Bible, Israel plays an important role in the events leading up to the so-called Battle of Armageddon, the Rapture, and the Second Coming of Jesus. For this reason, conservative Christians often reflexively support Zionism and military assistance to Israel. 

The Tea Party movement is primarily concerned about deficit spending. Every year, our government spends more money than it takes in from tax revenues, which creates a deficit. Because the government has borrowed and spent more money than it has year after year, it has caused our national debt to skyrocket out of control. This is why Tea Partiers want to reduce government spending and taxes, even though many people who currently cannot find jobs might well benefit from government investment in job-creating projects.  

According to www.WarResisters.org/pages/piechart.htm , 36% of the federal budget goes to the current military, and 18% to the past military, making a total of 54% of the federal budget that is spent on the military (and this does not include the $200 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan war spending). Before he died, foreign policy expert Chalmers Johnson said that about 30 percent of military spending is secretive, unknown even to members of Congress. But these are not issues for many Tea Partiers, since they believe that a very strong military should be a top priority.

Another group to consider is the New Age movement. New Agers often talk about the importance of making a paradigm shift in consciousness. They believe we each can experience a higher state of consciousness called the Universal Mind, which makes the ordinary consciousness experienced by separate individual minds seem less real, or even illusory.     

New Agers believe that Meditation helps one attain a calm, objective, detached, and nonjudgmental awareness that makes it possible to identify with this Universal Mind. Actually experiencing this Universal Oneness is like coming home to the True Self that had been there all along. And we can return to that Consciousness whenever we let go of our selfishness and prideful ego. By always trying to get more or to be more than anyone else, this ego creates duality and separateness from others.

This Universal Oneness is identical to the Perennial Philosophy of Aldous Huxley, the Atman and Brahman of the Hindus, the samadhi of yogis, the nirvana of Buddhists, and the inward Kingdom of God of Christians. These sublime states are supported by the findings of quantum physics and the growing scientific research on Near Death Experiences and parapsychology. 

Moreover, in recent months there has been a resurgence of interest in psychedelic drugs such as peyote and ayahuasca, which can provide a foretaste of this Cosmic Consciousness. These plant-derived drugs have been used as an effective treatment for alcoholism and physical drug addiction, and often help people overcome the fear of dying. But, in order for these treatments to be successful, the mind-altering substances require a proper mental set in a therapeutic setting. Unfortunately, those conditions are difficult to meet in the United States, since the treatments are illegal here.

Many advocates of the New Age movement are apolitical, but without remorse.  Some refuse to learn about current events, because they do not want to incorporate any "negativity" into their lives. In the book Mindful Politics: A Buddhist Guide to Making the World a Better Place, edited by Melvin McLeod, we find these words at the beginning of section one:

"We are all equal, says the Dalai Lama, in seeking happiness and peace. Yet, as individuals and as nations, we value our own happiness over all others'.  This is called "ego" in Buddhism and it is the root of our suffering, both personal and collective. He proposes a new approach to global politics based on taking responsibility for the happiness of all people."

If anti-political, New Age people stay calm, detached, objective, and centered in serenity, they should be able to deal with current events and engage in political thinking. In the introduction of the book described above, Melvin McLeod said, "It's not treaties that will really bring peace in the Middle East. It's not legislation that will really change the lives of those who live in poverty and misery. It is only forgiveness, generosity, awareness, kindness, and selflessness that will really make a difference." Earlier in the book Introduction, on page 11, McLeod writes: "We have to recognize that we can't really change the world. We can't really change who others are and what they think. We can only work with our own heart and mind. But the transformative power of that is extraordinary." 

Since I haven't read the rest of the book, I am expecting and hoping that the other writers in the book will emphasize that we should still, nevertheless, keep working to create better legislation and better treaties.

The last group I want to identify consists of the Progressives and Leftists of various Socialist, Communist, and Green Parties. I have a kinship with this group also. The reforms it urges for ecological sustainability, social justice, egalitarianism, and a non-interventionist foreign policy are urgently needed. Probably most Leftists do not practice meditation and prayer, or believe in a higher Self or reincarnation. But as secular humanists, agnostics, and atheists, they can be just as ethical as other groups associated with spiritual practices.        

With so much diversity and so many different worldviews within the United States, it is no wonder why the military-industrial-congressional complex, or the wealthiest one percent, can easily manipulate and maintain control of the disparate masses.  Based on current trends, some would argue that the world is becoming a prison for the 99 percent. They point to the passage of laws that increasingly restrict our free speech, and by the increase in surveillance and Homeland "Security." Meanwhile, the planet is being plundered and devastated by corporate capitalism.    

Looking for Solutions That Work for a Diversity of Views

So what is the solution?  Average Americans must realize the importance of democracy, especially consensus and participatory democracy, whenever possible.  Somewhere--if not at home, then at school--we should learn conflict resolution skills. Our government must be both a Democracy and a Republic, that is, a Democratic Republic. It must be a democracy that provides guaranteed human rights that the so-called "mob" cannot deprive individuals of, and it must be a Republic in which our leaders, who represent larger groups of people, will actually represent all the people, and not just a select few. 

The American people must realize that there are "blowback" repercussions if we police the world and exploit the labor and resources of other countries for the benefit of our transnational corporations. If, by using a black budget, the CIA is sabotaging democratically elected governments of developing countries that refuse to be client states of the United States, we the citizens, who allow such a government to exist, can expect to reap what our government has sown. Would we want a foreign government to have large military bases on our land? Of course not! So why do we think the people of other nations welcome our bases on theirs?   

There is one branch of government that is most responsible for our plight. Potentially, however, it is the most powerful branch of government and can actually rectify our many problems. I refer to the national legislative branch, the U.S. Congress. Currently, only ten percent of Americans approve of Congress, which is quite pathetic. But you could also argue that a government is only as good as the people in it, or as good as the citizens who empower it.

We the people have to take responsibility for allowing the one percent to control us by controlling our Congress. Importantly, we need to recognize that, although members of Congress enjoy the pay, prestige, and perks of the job, they need big financial contributions to get re-elected. The wealthy One Percent is able to donate the most money, which it does as long as members of Congress do their bidding. For this reason, the American people must realize the importance of taking all money out of politics. If we do that, we can enable the Congress to play the role it needs to play to meet the needs of the many groups that form our own society and the international community. The best political remedy for our local communities, our nation, and the world is to force the U.S. Congress to maximize democracy and promote world peace. 

The following recommended amendments and laws, expressed as demands, can be made to members of Congress, even if it takes several generations for some of them to be implemented. These demands could be the basis for a new political party, which could be called the New Congress Party. If no other political party sees the need to make these specific demands of the U.S. Congress, then a new political party is needed. To make radical improvements, radical changes must be made--the sooner the better. Here are some of the most important:

1.  Take leadership to dismantle all nuclear weapons and nuclear energy power plants, simultaneously and voluntarily, the world over as soon as possible.

2.  Bring home all U.S. troops and close down the government's 700 military bases around the world. Even with such a drawdown, our nation would retain more than enough capacity to defend its own borders. The money previously spent on the military would be used to create jobs and rebuild our nation's infrastructure: "[A]nd they shall turn their swords into ploughshares." (Isaiah 2:4). Military ships, submarines, and planes can be used for low-budget travel and tourism. 

3.  Remove the influence of private financial contributions and of lobbyists on members of Congress. The Library of Congress will create a website that will become an online forum and clearinghouse for all public policy advocacies. All positions and arguments will be publicized. Everyone will know who is lobbying for what and why. Publicly, provide the same finances to the political campaigns of the seven largest national political parties, and give all seven parties equal public exposure.  

4.  Elect the U.S. House of Representatives through a system of Proportional Representation, and abolish the U.S. Senate. Why should California and Wyoming have the same number of senators, when California's population is about 70 times greater? The seven largest national political parties will be empowered in a single-chambered national legislature under a system of proportional representation. Under such a system, the National Green Party may, for example, get 15 percent of the vote in a 435-membered House of Representatives. By contrast, in Indiana, a conservative state currently entitled to ten members in the House of Representatives, it may be that, of the top seven national political parties, the Indiana Republican Party will get to select five of the ten House members.

5.  Abolish the Electoral College System for electing a president. A president must win by a majority of individual votes (not just a plurality of votes) using the method of Instant Runoff Voting, in which each voter will rank slated candidates from most preferred to least preferred. It may take two or more rounds of voting to eliminate the candidate with the fewest votes, until eventually one of the remaining candidates captures at least 51 percent of the vote.   

6.  Limit the terms for Supreme Court judges to four years, but allow judges to serve multiple terms.  

7.  Implement a decentralized, non-hierarchical, or grassroots, approach to public schools: The neighbors who live within the boundaries of each public elementary, middle, and high school will be forced, or allowed, to democratically establish their own school philosophy and curriculum, using public funds. There will no longer be federal, state, county, or township control of neighborhood schools. This should improve neighborhood togetherness, as neighbors ideally become tribal, in a new and modern way.  

Local neighborhood groups would probably search the Internet and study the most effective schools and various school curriculums. Residents would be forced to think independently and philosophically. In the process, neighbors would get to know one another better, and they would build a close-knit community. Parents, other residents, and senior citizens would become effective tutors and better educated citizens. The current reliance on public school "experts" to dictate when, how, what, where, and who can teach has not worked well for teachers, students, parents, or our society.  

8.  Abolish the Federal Reserve and allow the Treasury Department to oversee a publicly owned banking system, such as the Bank of North Dakota. Currently, the Federal Reserve has pumped $16 trillion into the central banking system, as many people wonder, "Where is my bailout?"

9.  Strive to establish a democratic world government that provides equal pay for equal work, with no one earning more than three times the wages of the lowest paid worker. This will eliminate the extremes of poverty and wealth, and provide adequate food, housing, and jobs for all citizens of the world. All workers in companies with seven or more employees shall have democracy in the workplace.  The world map can be divided into 500 rectangular-shaped, legislative districts of equal population. The World Legislative Council could then make executive and judicial branch appointments.  

Until the World Legislative Council is established, the United Nations should be changed so that all nations can participate in making all decisions, giving each nation one vote. The five nations that are permanent members of the Security Council within the United Nations have too much power. All nations should participate in Security Council decisions. 

10.  Implement a Progressive income tax up to 94 percent for any income amounts over $100,000, with a simplified tax code.  

11.   Phase out fossil fuels through government incentives.

12.  Provide free post-high-school public education for students whose parent(s) have an annual income of less than $100,000.  

13.  Legalize commercial hemp, medical marijuana, and the private use of marijuana for adults, on a national level. If marijuana is safer, why are we driving people to drink? 

14.  Call for a new, independent investigation of 9/11 with subpoena powers, especially with respect to Building 7 of the World Trade Center. That building was not even hit by a plane, but fell at the speed of gravity into its own footprint at 5 p.m. on that tragic day. Yet, Building 7 was not even mentioned in the initial Official 9/11 Commission Report, an investigation that was not done until two years later and then by government insiders, with an extremely limited budget. 

Nano-thermite explosives were gathered from the World Trade Center debris shortly after the towers fell on 9/11 by Physics professor, Dr. Steven Jones. He and a team of nine scientists published their paper in the Bentham Chemical Physics Journal, which is respected by Nobel Laureates and other members of the scientific community. Also, the majority of 9/11 Commissioners now say the government lied about 9/11, according to the website www.investigate9ll.org .

15.  Provide incentives for backyard, front yard, or local, organic food production.  Require that all genetically modified foods be labeled. 

16.  Show citizens of the 50 states how to restructure their state governments from the bottom-up, not the top-down: from the neighborhood block club, to the precinct, township, county, and state levels. Each level of legislative government can make executive and judicial branch appointments. Representatives at all state levels can be voted out of office by the voters in the precinct, township, or county from which the representative came. Representatives at each level would vote among themselves to send a representative to the next level above it. State constitutions can be rewritten using a democratic process.   

17.  Empower the seven largest national political parties, using a system of proportional representation to elect 100 individuals to meet at a Constitutional Convention to rewrite the U.S. Constitution. The delegates will work for three entire months to get a 51 percent or higher approval of any proposed new constitution. (In other writings, this author has laid out a 23-month timeline for this process.)

18.  Require workplace democracy in companies that have seven or more employees. Workers will participate in determining the company's direction, employee wages, and the selection of bosses, instead of relying solely on a Board of Directors who are bent on making a profit for shareholders and the company's upper management.   

19.  Allow Americans to visit Cuba if they choose.

20.  Stop the drone strikes, the Guantanamo torture prison, the abuse of the Patriot Acts and NDAA, needless NSA spying, and excessive security checks at airports.

21.  Make buses and trains more affordable and available, to reduce the number of cars and trucks on roads and highways.

22. Implement Single Payer Health Insurance, with the federal government as the single payer. This will eliminate most private health insurance companies, which are eager to make greater profits while offering their members increasingly lower coverage and benefits.    

Conclusion

It has been said that the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.  Well, that journey need not seem impossible. Consider that, for the first time, the American people recently expressed in the polls that they didn't believe the lies and disinformation about why the U.S. should bomb Syria. 

As more and more Americans wake up and stop relying on the mainstream media in the formation of their opinions, there is greater opportunity to reach the masses, especially the millions of Americans who don't have jobs or who work at jobs that don't pay living wages. The working class of America should and can be educated and recruited to demand that their members of Congress make the radical changes outlined above, or be voted out of office. 

The U.S. Congress does not have to be permanently despised. Instead, an educated and empowered citizenry can help it become the ideal of the world. The Occupy Wall Street movement failed, at least in part, because it could not agree on specific demands to put before Congress. 

As the gap between the rich and poor widens within countries and between countries, national and world problems increase proportionately. This is why I am adamant about reducing the economic gap between rich and poor even more dramatically than socialists and communists would advocate. But that is my preference. The democratic voice of the people may choose otherwise. 

Living in a classless society where citizens love academic study, philosophical thinking, meditation, and voluntary simplicity, instead of conspicuous consumption, is my ideal. It would be accompanied by local self-determination and economic self-reliance, undergirded by a modern type of tribalism. Still, I recognize that the democratic voice of the people may choose instead a more regulated capitalism with a greater focus on individualism. 

Advocating neighborhood control of neighborhood schools to the extent that I have is unprecedented. I have not found a single educational philosopher who recommends it. Even the first public schools had elements of top-down control. But just because it has never been tried does not mean it can never work. 

With so much diversity, can there be unity and peace in the world? There can be unity and peace, and even happiness, in the world, in spite of all the diversity. But to achieve it, we each must find a way (whether it is through meditation, prayer, daily attitude, selfless service, or a combination of these things) to be inwardly joyful and serene. That will make it easier to be loving and kind in our interpersonal relationships. 

But even more than this is required: As responsible citizens, we must consider it our civic duty to maximize democracy (in the ways described above) and do the things that promote world peace and world happiness (as described above). We must also recognize that to know, love, and accept others, we must first know, love, and accept ourselves. Democracy, of course, can only work if its citizens are well educated. 

Roger Copple is 63 years old. He retired 3 years ago, in 2010, from teaching elementary school, mostly 3^rd grade, and high school special education in Indianapolis. Now living in Bradenton, Florida, he is deeply grateful that he stuck it out to get a teacher's pension and started getting his Social Security at the early age of 62. He now hopes to make a contribution to society through further study, reflection, and writing. Roger's website: www.NowSaveTheWorld.com . 

Authors Website: http://www.WorldWithoutEmpire.com

Authors Bio:

February 11, 2023

I grew up in a church that said you had to speak in tongues to get saved and go to heaven. I often prayed fervently starting at the age of 5 for the experience in the prayer room at church, where people would cry and wail, and roll on the floor. One 80-year old lady would sometimes get happy in the spirit and run laps around the church during church services. That was always entertaining.

About my sophomore year in college, I became transformed by the protest of the Vietnam War, the anti-nuclear movement, Eastern philosophy, the study of psychology, smoking reefer, and democratic socialism, which I started believing could save the world. However, the Covid crises that began in March 2020 caused me to become disillusioned with the Left, so now I would say I am more an anarchist or a libertarian, but I don't support corporate or crony capitalism. Many libertarians think it is perfectly fine to aspire to be a millionaire or billionaire, but I think incomes above certain amounts should be taxed at much higher rates. Libertarian capitalists, like socialists, are against imperialism, and I will always resonate with that.

Here is a definition of anarchy that I have always liked: Anarchy: a self-governed society in which people organize themselves from the bottom-up on an egalitarian basis; decisions made by those affected by them; direct democratic control of our workplaces, schools, neighborhoods, towns and bio-regions with coordination between differing groups as needed. A world where women and men are free and equal and all of us have power over our own lives, bodies and sexuality; where we cherish and live in balance with the earth and value diversity of cultures, races, and sexual orientations, where we work and live together cooperatively.

Two times in my twenties and thirties, I had brief periods where I went back to being a Christian fundamentalist or an evangelical Christian. Later going to a liberal seminary, where I studied the New Testament like a scientist, caused me to doubt believing in the virgin birth, the trinity, and the literal resurrection of Jesus in the way that evangelical Christians believe. Now I believe that Jesus could have been a highly evolved yogi to achieve the various things he allegedly achieved.

Growing up in an anti-intellectual home, I had the most trouble with high school courses like U.S. history, which seemed like a boring subject that was a waste of time. Later in my life, European history would become an important and fascinating subject. Lately I have been interested in studying the history of Christianity again using the excellent textbook I read in seminary.

Fascinated with yoga and meditation, I starting reading many of the books written by Swami Rama. When I later met him in person and was initiated and given a mantra (which I never did repeat over and over as suggested), I remember that being in his presence was the most powerful spiritual experience I have ever had in my life: I felt rapturous love and indescribable bliss. So I became convinced that meditation and spiritual disciplines can transform a person. My ex-wife, by the way, thought there was nothing special about Swami Rama.

In my mid 50s, I started advocating the integration of the Perennial Philosophy (that's the term Aldous Huxley used; it is also referred to as Ageless Wisdom, describing the nondual, mystical experience) with a democratic form of socialism as a way to save individuals and the world. I created a website called www.NowSaveTheWorld.com because the website name "SaveTheWorld.com" had already been taken by somebody else. I created this website in 2010 right before I retired at age 60 from teaching. I was a high school special education teacher of Algebra, English, and Social Studies, but during the last 6 years of my career I taught general elementary, mostly third grade. In March 2020, I changed the name of my website to WorldWithoutEmpire.com.