The Impeachment Vaccine for the Republic

Posted on by Ladmann

The Impeachment Vaccine for the Republic

To any Republican Senators who may see this message. I have watched the impeachment trial of Mr. Trump. The entire trial.

I am a life-long Republican/Libertarian. Above all, I am an American.

Political parties and activities are important part of governing our Republic. However, Party power should never supersede the support and protection of the Republic. There has always been and will always be political and philosophical differences of opinion. There will always be winners and losers. That is the nature of politics. And you know this.

Aside from political party philosophy and power in Congress, Mr. Trumps consistent behavior is unacceptable and impeachable.

You need to vote to convict Mr. Trump and bar him from any future office.

This is not a Republican or Democratic issue.  

This is a Republic issue.

The Media and Discrimination

Posted on by Ladmann

The Media and Discrimination

To address the issue of systemic racism and discrimination of all kinds, we need to start with the media.

Media stories and news continuously describe and identify the person(s) of focus based on religion, cultural background, race, or sexual preference.

The more we promote, describe, and embellish news and stories on some discriminatory basis, the more we sub-consciously promote those differences for malevolent intent.

Why is a person’s race, religion or sexuality important to the purpose at hand?

In reporting on a criminal act, what difference does it make if the alleged is black, white, Jewish, or gay?

It is time to stop promoting all this divisiveness.

Common Sense

Posted on by Ladmann

Common Sense

This website is based on the premise that using common sense, enables a person to perceive the difference between facts and truth and falsehoods.

However, “a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of right…”  Apparently “time makes more converts than reason”. 1

No society can police everything all the time, least of all a democratic society. A healthy society rests on a consensus about what is a deviation and what is normal… Society renews itself as common sense evolves. This requires trustworthy, transparent, respectful institutions of social discourse, especially when we disagree… Social media is not a public square but a private one governed by machine operations and their economic imperatives, incapable of, and uninterested in, distinguishing truth from lies or renewal from destruction. 2

“The ultimate good desired is better reached by free trade in ideas… The best test of truth is the power of the thought to get itself accepted in the competition of the market.” 3

My concern is whether my belief in common sense is already outdated and too late, and do we have enough time to save common sense and our democracy.

 

 

  1. “Common Sense”; Thomas Paine, 1776; Prometheus Books 1995.
  2. “The Coup We Are Not Talking About”, Shoshana Zuboff, [A version of this article appears in print on  31, 2021, Section SR, Page 4 of the New York edition with the headline: The Knowledge Coup.]
  3. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes’s 1919 dissenting opinion in Abrams v. United States

Government Waste vs. Investment

Posted on by Ladmann

Government Waste vs. Investment

Though I am a Libertarian, I believe we are at a flexing point in our country where we need to invest in basic foundations, that solidify the freedoms we believe in. A sample of these investments are:

  • Physical infrastructure; roads, bridges, dams, water, climate change, housing,
  • Reduction in regulations that overburden all aspects of our society,
  • “Green Energy” technology,
  • Job training and education for the new economic realities.

Obviously, these all require spending from funds not available, except through additional debt. So additional sources of funding are required. A sample of these are:

  • Reducing unnecessary spending in government programs and departments lacking the urgent priorities facing us,
  • Eliminating tax subsidies no longer necessary and counter-productive such as tobacco, oil, coal, agriculture, etc.,
  • Closing multiple military bases overseas, and returning troops home,
  • Reducing NASA budgets for space exploration, living on Mars is not the answer,
  • Reducing international interference and involvement in other countries.

It is not governments job to solve all problems and fund all projects. By trying to do too much, we lesson the benefits to all.

It is not our country’s job to be the policeman of the world. We continuously spend vast sums in blood and treasure in short-sited, inappropriate, and incorrect activities.

We require a small and more focused government at all levels.

True False Information

Posted on by Ladmann

We have long known that we make decisions based on emotion versus facts.

It is difficult to convince someone that the “facts” of the situation should rule our decisions and actions under “normal” circumstances. With the worldwide onslaught of emotionally biased statements, we are challenged as to what to believe.

As was stated recently by the Chinese Media “…It is necessary to strengthen screening and identify what is true false information …”1

We have all become too accustomed to believing what we want, to support our own conclusions, regardless of the basis of that conclusion.

  • How about we get off the roller coaster of emotional exchange and reset our preconceived perceptions?
  • How about starting with the use of “timeout” before responding to and attacking the other person and/or message?
  • How about showing others the same degree of respect we wish others to show us?
  • How about after some thought, we use some common sense?

 

 

  1. “Twitter blocked the account of the Chinese Embassy in the United States, Hua Chunying : I hope that Twitter will no double-label”; World.huanqui.com: 1/21/2021; Global Times-Global Network Reporter Bai Yunyi.

The “Imperial Presidency” ¹ Revisited

Posted on by Ladmann

In the past, our country and political system became concerned about the alarming increase in presidential power relative to the Congress. Over time this concern has taken a back seat to the ongoing and increasing war of obstruction and destruction between the Republican and Democratic Parties.

As a result of the continuing lack of constructive attention to and resolution of our nations challenges, recent presidents have taken increasing and unbalanced power from the Congress.

This congressional power vacuum has allowed the Presidential power to amplify the degree of political polarization.

Executive actions taken by recent Presidents:

  • Bill Clinton 364
  • George W. Bush  291
  • Barack Obama 276
  • Donald Trump  206 [only 4 years]

The concern here is the degree of political extremism in Congress combined with wide volatility in the executive actions; created and vacated by each President as the political party changes.

Combine the above with the rise of social media and extreme emotional nonfactual broadcasting of extreme views and beliefs, you have the perfect storm.

In the eye of the perfect storm is the Imperial President.

 

  1. “The Imperial Presidency”; Schlesinger, Arthur, M. Jr. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1973

Clear and Present Danger

Posted on by Ladmann

Mr. Trump is a clear and danger to our democracy not just because of January 6th. He is dangerous because he has consistently sought to undermine our government by:

  • Continuously attacking the legitimacy of many departments of our government, including the Departments of Defense, Justice, FDA, Attorney General, CDC, etc.
  • He has undermined our country’s relationships with many of our allies.
  • He has continuously charged the election of 2020 as rigged and stolen. He and the Republican Party has filed 62 suits and had 61 dismissed for lacking any evidence. Making these charges when no evidence exists and continuing to excite crowds against the results undermines the most important element of a democracy, the vote.
  • He has attempted to have several states votes overturned using the “power of the Presidency” as a threat.

This President needs to be impeached!

We need to hold him and the Republican Party responsible and send a clear message that this will not be allowed by any future President.

Time for Multiple Political Parties

Posted on by Ladmann

As unfortunate as the attempted insurrection on January 6th is, we should be aware that this has been coming for a long time. The two primary political parties conduct, promote, require, and reward tribal warfare against the other party for the simple and primary purpose of obtaining and maintaining power. “Governing” then becomes the positioning and re-positioning, each election, based on the power politics of the extremes. Maintenance and financing of power becomes the norm, and little attention is paid to the needs of the country.

The corrective measure requires breaking the deadlock. As bad as recent events are, maybe this is what is required for the citizens to finally take control and create additional political parties.

  • Let us start with splitting the Republican and Democratic parties in two. This would create two new parties to allow the extremes to exist [freedom of speech must be maintained].
  • First eliminate the current names of the Republican and Democratic Parties to allow new allegiance without the baggage of the past.

An example could be:

Current Republican Party Becomes the:

  • ⇒ American Conservative Party
  • ⇒ Tea Party

Current Democratic Party Becomes the:

  • ⇒ Progressive Party of America 
  • ⇒ Socialist Party of America

We currently already have the Libertarian and Green parties. This would provide 6 parties and at least the start toward allowing voters other options as they believe and vote. This would break the log jam of the two current major parties we are and have been stuck in.

The new political parties could be:

  • American Conservative Party
  • Progressive Party of America
  • Libertarian Party
  • Green Party
  • Tea Party
  • Socialist Party of America

I recommend using a “ranked voting”¹ system for ballots [all paper, hand delivered or mail in] to allow for complete openness and full disclosure in all elections.

[1] “Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop”, Lee Drutman, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-091385-4

 

 

 

Dissolution of the Republican Party

Posted on by Ladmann

Like many, I had hoped and believed that the current Republican Party would realize the errors of their ways in continuing to support Trump solely for gaining and maintaining political power. Given the last 4+ years culminating on January 6th, those who continue to maintain their allegiance and support for this Party must recognize their complicity of the thus far unsuccessful insurrection attempt. If members of the party believe I am mistaken, please note the results of your “Sounds of Silence” for over 4 years. The Republican Party needs to be dissolved and replaced.

 

Republicans; the Party of Lincoln?

Posted on by Ladmann

The Republican Party has finally reached the point where its members no longer have license to identify themselves as the party of Lincoln. Continuing to undermine the right to vote and the results of an election by declaring the election rigged and stolen and then of all things, vote to not certify the electoral college, disenfranchise states rights and voters is a blatant violation of our Constitution. It is against everything Lincoln stood for and died for.

SHAME ON YOU!