Letters to the People #3

Letters to the People #3

To my fellow Americans,

The win-win theory seems to be a lost idea these days here in the American culture. We the common citizens have followed our leaders down this path of kill or be killed politics. Media seems to be fanning the flames of this political battle in Washington. Yet, over the past few months something has started to change among the citizens. Many of us are tired of being the puppet and moods are starting to change. We are starting to see both sides of the extreme as be a big part of the problem…and the bickering needs to stop and agreements must be made. From the stands at this circus show, the world watches no doubt in stock…as the two powers in Washington fight for control…Like puppets pulling at each other’s strings while trampling the American citizen underfoot. Media isn’t helping, but rather creating more mayhem. Everybody wants to be the puppet master and nobody wants to be the puppet. Being either does not create a sense of accomplishment or gratification unless there are psychological issues. So, do we have a bunch of crazy people leading our country? It almost appears as if some may indeed have some issues or you would think they could see some simple truths. We all seek some sense of fulfillment or accomplishment wherein we feel some purpose to life. When ego gets in the way such as we are seeing in Washington the purpose is self-serving and NOT in the best interest of our country. The fulfillment of winning seems to be more important than saving our country from disaster. There is a third choice outside of the kill or be killed choice. Perhaps, our leaders don’t have a full understand of the word “Interdependency” or they truly do have ego issues. “UNITED” States of America isn’t that who we are?

So, now let us take a look at the players in this game of puppetry and then in future letters we will explore options available to end this silly game. The reason the players are important is because we must identify the sources of our demise. The players are many...there is corporate America, media, special interest groups, politicians, political parties, federal government, foreign interests and the American citizen consumer. Who is the American citizen consumer? Most like you fall into that group. Simply put they are American citizens and consumers of goods and services of corporate America and media. Let us go through the list one at a time starting with corporate America. Corporate America is the employers of America and for the most part we as citizens rely on them for our income. For the purpose here I want to focus mostly on the big boys that employ ten of thousand directly or indirectly. For example automotive manufacturing not only employs directly, but through many subcontractors many others are employed as a direct result of their existence.  If the automotive industry is slow it affects a huge portion of households across our nation. The importance of this industry doing well is such that our federal government will go to their aid in order to save the industry. We have witnessed this recently and it is not the first time it has happened although, it should be the last. So, in the case of big industry like the automotive and banking industry are they the puppet or the puppet master? It would appear that they are the masters because their failure puts the whole of the economy at risk of disaster. They seemed to have the government over a barrel just a few years ago leaving the federal government with no choice but to bail them out. That all sounds like the right thing to do if you think about the disaster of banks failing, people not able to get their money, pay bills, buy food…etc….or if the auto industry went belly-up there would be hundreds of thousands of people unemployed in addition to what we have now. But, was it the right thing to do? The answer is there was no choice…not after the fact…but could it been prevented? Absolutely! Fact being there was a lot of things that has happen to leading up to these most recent events. Much of which was or should have been controlled by our federal government. Corporate greed is a domestic enemy that must be regulated and in the case of the automotive industry the lack of control on lease residuals was a big and avoidable problem. Also the huge hikes in gasoline prices was a big factor as it resulted in a huge drop in the resale value of sports utility vehicles which caused big losses on lease returns of SUVs. A little government protect there would have been nice but the government seems too reactive, instead of proactive or preventive. In the case banks and mortgage companies where was the government when the rules of government insured loans were being broken. Why was there not a regulation against balloon mortgages and interest only for common home buyers? These type loans should only be used for builders, corporate real estate and investment real estate and never should they have been legal for home mortgages. But in the end the government bailed out the banks and mortgage companies being their puppet because the failure of the banking and mortgage industry was not an option….right? This story we have not nearly heard the end of. Both the government and the citizen consumer seem to be the puppets of corporate America in this case. But the American consumer was a willing puppet in that we willing signed these crazy mortgage agreements. Yes, there were problems with proper disclosure….but if it sounds too good to be true we need to do our homework. We must take responsibility for our mistakes citizen consumers. Okay, I got a little in depth on the first only so that you will widen your thoughts as you read the remainder which will be a bit more brief and direct. Now let us move on to the next which is media. Media is the superior puppet master and has been the biggest influence on culture and society above anything known to man. News, movies, television, radio, music, print, internet media even commercials influence us to a degree that transcends all other moral, cultural and social influences even our family unit. Media has more control over public opinion, politics, economy, social issues than any other group on our list. They have an amazing responsibility to our country and the success of the people as a whole. Yet, they are also controlled……by the public, because ratings determine their success. Next we have special interest groups which pull the strings of the public and politicians. Moving on we have politicians which are those seeking an office or reelection to an office.  Politicians are mastered over by many groups on our list to include the American citizen consumer, special interest groups, political parties, corporate America, media, and foreign interest.  Political parties get their strings pulled by all on the list also. Federal government I will expand on just a bit to explain the difference between politicians and federal government. When referring to federal government I am referring to the collective body of government which includes politicians. The major difference is that when a politician takes office with the federal government the draw strings change drastically until such time as they must start campaigning again to secure their position for another term. The federal government has all groups pulling at their string, but to no avail. It seems that only those in campaign mode or the freshman that are trying to make a public showing so as to better secure future terms are the only ones that truly care about public opinion or the American citizen consumer. It seems that they only they take any heed to those outside the operations of government and political parties when it is their furture term on the line. The truth is that those in government seem to be caught up in a war of string pulling among themselves…a partisan puppet competition. Public opinion doesn’t seem to matter much unless it’s an election year. Foreign interests have not yet come to full fruition as I believe it will as our economy lags and as the world’s economy suffers. Foreign interests are multiple and the current economic state of our country puts us…all of us…at risk of falling into the control of foreign nations, investors, and corporations. I fear that the average American citizen consumer is not fully aware of the dangers that are looming ahead of us if our recovery is too slow or the world economy gets worse. Last but not least is the American citizen consumer which is the largest group and should be the most powerful group but yet seems to have very little control.

We the American citizen consumer are puppets…they take our money they, spend how they like, they give themselves pay increases, nice retirements for just a few years of service and the list goes on. The sad thing about that fact is it is only because we allow ourselves to be to be puppets that we are puppets. For some reason we have felt we could only do so much….but the truth is we have done very little to change the path. At this point I would like to make it VERY clear that I include myself in that statement, but I am tired of being the puppet…and I will no longer sit and do nothing. Okay, so how do we take back control and stop being the puppet? We must first change our point of view and see things as they truly are and how they truly should be. Our country was founded and the constitution so written to give the citizens as a collective control over their lives and future. That control is through the power of the vote, self-government and yet that power in current times gives little to no control to the citizens of this great country. The two party system does not work and has never really worked well and if you want true change there must be a strong third party. The party cannot be to the left or to the right nor can it be a moderate party. What? Continue to read my letters and I will explain.

John Commoner

25JUL2011     

          

Who's the puppet?

Monday 25JUL2011 I will be posting letter #3 which may give some shocking enlightenment to some. It will be interesting and I look forward to getting feedback on this. Now the letters are going to start getting really interesting.

Next Letter

My next letter is coming very soon and it is going to be a good one so don't miss it!

No New Taxes?

Okay, but how are we going to pay off this debt? What if there was a plan wherein we could pay off the debt, have more money coming into the Federal Government to do so, while at the same time decrease the amount of Federal income taxes most people pay, eliminate Federal income tax over time, keep social programs, reduce the Federal Government’s spending and increase economic growth all at the same time? In upcoming letters from John Commoner you will learn of a new way to look at the big picture. Be sure to follow along and you will see things that seem to be eluding most.  

Letters to the People #2

Letters to the People #2

To my fellow Americans,

In my first letter to you I wrote, “They have pitted us against each other in a battle….” and that my dear fellow citizens must be seen for what it is---futile. Now that is not to say that our individual ideas, beliefs, or convictions are futile. But rather that we all have right to our own diversities and fighting over them is futile. Unless someone would be insistent to force another to take on their same beliefs, ideas against the others will. Which seems to be the goal of the extremists, and that would be unthinkable in our country and is that of a fascist, dictatorship or communist ideology---that does not fit well even in socialism or democracy. To fight with such disregard of another’s rights and freedom to believe as they select and the freedom to live according to their beliefs is not reasonable nor is it American. The continued efforts of both extremes to force their agendas against the belief systems of others are to support the natural path of democracy leading towards fascism, dictatorship, and communist type governments, foreign takeover or complete destruction of such a union of states. Many of the extremist are such as I WAS and have no clue that their extreme insistence is leading us down such a path. If you think that we are on no such path or that it is a stretch on the extreme, then please, do tell me what has happen to every large union of diverse people under a Republic form of government such as ours. China and the USSR are the only current examples, although throughout history there were other large Republic type unions---hmm, what happened to them? They are no more with the exception of China which is a communist nation. There are smaller Republics which are more easily sustainable the oldest being San Marino, the diversities in such are not as extreme and the people of such respect the differences of others within smaller Republics. The United States was an experiment of sorts when it came to a Republic of such size---it had never before been successful. But after much argument and discussion our forefathers made a very risky but wise decision. They formed a Republic form of government in hopes that they in writing our constitution would write it in such a way as to preserve the Republic. They failed, but not out of a lack of diligent effort. So, why did they decide on a Republic form of government and why is that the best form of government for a diverse country such as ours. The reason is simple and yet eludes many liberals and conservatives seemingly not having an understanding of it. A Republic form is the only form of government that guarantees and protects that all can have it their way. That sounds real crazy but I am going to explain how this was to be and how it can be. Everyone getting their rights protected and nobody stepping on the other person’s rights is how it can and will be if we so choose. From the very liberal to the most conservative the right to act, govern and live out your beliefs. Now to make it perfectly clear that I am not writing in just one arena---far from it, but I am talking about everything from your person life to the operational politics of government, the type of government, type of economic system, taxes and on and on. Yes, we can have both socialism and democracy coexisting in our country---in a Republic form of government.

Before I get too deep into the subject of a Republic form of government and the difference between types of government I am going through a series of steps. First you must understand fully that I WAS an extremist to the far right. I am a Christian who has only after much study and prayer come to see things through the eyes of truth. I WAS wrong for being an extremist and as far from what being a Christian example is as I could be. In a future letter I will address those of faith and explain to them why I was indeed wrong. My past actions and opinions have caused many to the left to be set against me and as a result have been the cause of lost freedoms as a Christian. The steps I will take you through are the same steps in brief that I myself took in thoughtful study that lead me to truth and understanding I now have. How I came to know and understand is important to the point that it serves as a path to others that are like I once was. If you are an extremist or even more prone to one side or the other it is my hope that you will read all that I write without making any assumptions before the last of these letters. It is also my hope that you will do it without bias or without be drawn to make preconceived assumptions. Please, be open in your heart and mind as you continue.

My awakening came one day while listening to Rush on Big Talker out of Philadelphia. I must give some credit to my ex-wife for helping to establish contempt for rudeness and arrogance. Before this day I had cheered Rush’s rudeness to select callers and was a huge fan of conservative radio. I listened daily to Glenn, Sean and Rush. As I listened that day Rush was taking calls from listeners, as one of callers began to speak that day Rush rudely cut him off after just a few words, and started berating him--- the caller very nicely and calmly asked to be heard only to have Rush cut the call. It was like a light switch was flipped in my pea brain---it was then that I realized he and my then wife were the same. As nice as I could be with her I was always meet with rudeness, and when I was persistent to be heard as an equal of that union she asked for divorce. Although, I was extremist in my thinking I was never a rude person and perhaps that was why I never got involved before. Not that I was never rude, but rather not by nature. If I were backed into a corner as with my ex I would come out fight and could be very rude and nasty. Yet it just wasn’t in me by nature to be a nasty person and I thought that I would have to be nasty to be involved. Now let me make one thing clear that even though I am a nice guy that does not mean that I am a coward. On the contrary I can be bold to an extreme but nice about it. I have no doubt that I will face attacks from both extremes and their attacks will only prove to be futile acts of arrogance. It will also prove a lot of what I will say as I continue to write these letters that the extremes are destructive to all rights and freedoms we hold dear. On that day I as I was listening to Rush I made an ethical decision to stop listening to everything and everybody. I stopped read newspapers, stopped listen to news, stopped watch TV and stopped reading news, blogs, e-mails and news letters on the internet. Then I started on a journey that would change my whole thought process and that was shockingly enlightening. I began to read world history, American history, study various forms of government, the history of types of governments, how they came to be, how they failed to succeed, why they failed and most importantly I study our path and pattern in relationship to this knowledge. During this time I also spent a lot of time praying for wisdom and reading the Bible. Two things happened that were shocking, the first frightfully shocking and the second was an awakening to truth. The thing that was frightful was the path that we are on was leading us to an end result that neither left or right seems to be fully aware of--- because if they were aware they surely would without reserve be putting on the brakes. The fact is that it is their extremism on both parts that has set our path. The truth that was so shocking is what I will be sharing throughout this series of letters, but more importantly is I will share the truth of hope that I found. I will reveal the resolves to most of our disagreements and show you enlightening new ways to view our country. Everything has a resolve and I will tell you of ways to minimize taxes, resolve debt issues, moral issues, political differences, the war question, and much, much more.  

Something really amazing happen doing my search for the truth and answers to my unending questions. As I began to read and study I found myself pulling out selected ideas that fit into what I believed. The more I read, searched and studied to find the answers, the more I realized how arrogant and ignorant I truly was and how my beliefs had been skewed by political extremism and media. Then it happened, something wonderfully amazing, an epiphany that completely transcended anything that I have ever experienced. In filling my mind with so much information at first it was overwhelming and the diversity of ideas seemed to be compartmentalizing as oil and water and they just didn’t mix or have a bond between them. Then as if a miracle I saw and realized the catalyst that pulled all these ideas of extreme diversity together as one remarkable fully functional unit. As I became aware of this remarkable bonding of ideas and diversities, and a resolve to our peril began to emerge. All that I had read started to recall in a very strange mix, diversities seemed to overlap each other become one of the same central thought or idea. These were no longer extremes but one of the same line of thought just on extreme ends of the same line. Then as I reentered into reality of the world slowly it became clearer that what I had discovered was indeed true and that reality proved it to be so. On both ends of the extremes of every subject all desired the same basic things. The problems was that most were lead to believe that in order to win somehow the opposite ideas had to be defeated and vanished. Yet the more this hardline of thinking continues the firmer the other extreme stands true to the idea of conquer or be conquered thus both being conquered by their own arrogance. It is a battle wherein freedom loses and the price is paid by us the common citizen.

John Commoner

12JUL2011

An Incomplete Thought Can Never Fully be Understood

I am just a common ordinary citizen just like most of you. My thoughts and ideas come out of a lot of reading, research, listening, and prayer. Yes, I do pray. But my spiritual life is for my personal strength and growth. In making that public I fear one thing. Many may dismiss me simply because I am a Christian and choose to pray. Yet, be it known that I firmly believe in the separation of church and state for many reasons. (To those fellow Christians that just cringed.. please, hear me out throughout the next many months and you will understand why that separation is so important to religious freedom) The major reason is because of the history of non-separation and/or countries that are or have been ruled by the church or some form of religious ruled. In those cases the church became corrupt and those governments failed to protect the freedom of religion itself. I do not want my freedom of religion vanished nor the church corrupted and so I firmly believe in that same wisdom as my founding fathers. In life I have found that it is neither wise nor prudent for me to dismiss a person based on any one thought, idea, or for that matter even for a general dislike for their overall character or person. I have found that it is enlightening to listen and arrogant to judge before doing so. With that I ask that you continue to read all that I write and not to dismiss the whole based on one thought or for my personal beliefs that have nothing to do with the political ideas I share. Feel free to response and share your ideas as I am always open to all ideas and suggestions. I know that there will be those that will discount me or judge me without full understanding…. They will come from the right, the left and some from the middle. (I fear even fellow Christians too) I WAS an arrogant hardline right wing Republican, now I am something so far from left, right, and the middle there is not yet a name for it. I am sure media will take care of that problem.

The arrogant hates any new idea other than their own……even if it is a great idea. That is not to say that all my ideas are great or even good ……..some I may completely trash after I get your feedback. It is not about me…….it is about us and our beloved country. So, share your thoughts please.

To answer the question

To answer a question that has been posed to me several times, “Are you going to run for an office?” The answer is, “Not planning on it and have no real ambitions to do such. Although, it is not beyond the scope of possibilities... if I truly felt lead or called or called upon to serve in that capacity.” I am a very private person and I am not sure that I would enjoy being in such a position wherein there is a public spotlight on me. Not that I have anything to hide, but rather I just can’t imagine being followed and spied on at every turn. I value my private alone time with my thoughts and writing. In such a position I fear that time would be lost. However the security of our freedom as a whole, is of such greater value than selfish purpose. If indeed it called for me to rise to a more active role it would be worth the sacrifice and I would humbly accept the price of my privacy and humbly answer the call.           

Letters to the People #1

Letters to the People #1

To my fellow Americans,

For far too long I have sat lazily by and have not said or done anything as I should and for that I am ashamed and sorry. The lack of my action….although, I find is not unusual among common people and as with most common people I have felt helpless to a point. Still yet this inaction is largely the reason that we have the struggles that we now face in our country. I have voiced my dissatisfaction, ideas and thoughts only to friends, family, coworkers, and in other small social interactions. Although, many times others encouraged me in the past to get involved, I didn’t feel so inclined to do so. I voted, yet in voting felt forced to choose from preselected aristocrats whom I felt truly knew nothing of the common struggles faced by the common citizen. As a common citizen I believed that there was little that I could do; and that I was not adequately qualified to take any action myself. Ben Franklin said, “….if you can keep it.” Keep what? The Republic….Who was he talking about in saying, “…you…”? I believe it was the citizens….us. For years I have prayed, hoped and held out for someone else to do what only someone like me, a commoner could do. So, why someone like me and why a commoner? For throughout history such change as is needed came from a spark in the heart of an unlikely common man or woman. Remember Rosa Parks…….Martin Luther King Jr….even many of our founders were not political leaders prior to the movement towards independence. For many years I sat and did nothing, but then there came a day when something deep inside of me said, “You must!” I have no doubt that our forefathers heard the same voice from deep within themselves and in answering the call founded this great country. The corrupt and hyper-partisan politics has gone on for far too long. We see the corruption that is in our government from the local level all the way to the federal level…..but what about what we don’t see?

The aristocrat fears us and rightfully so because of the power of our numbers.  They have tried to convince us that a third party would defeat our purpose and have been successful. Turning us against each other with hyper-partisan politics causing a division of the one thing that they fear the most….the power of the vote unified in a third party. Now that we are divided so greatly they have little fear of a strong third party. But I for one believe in the people of this great land to answer the call. They the aristocrats are wise, educated and knew this could happen so they have played an illusionist’s game of distraction. They have pitted us against each other in a battle of extremes on issues that have little or nothing to do with the real truth of peril we face, and they don’t care about the cost to us the citizen. Thus they have distracted us from their actions on both sides of the extreme, while changing America into something that was not the hopes, dreams or plans of our forefathers.

To bark loud and yet never bite… makes you just a nuisance not a watch dog. Now is the time, if ever there was to take action as a citizen….each and every one of us. If we don’t take action we will be politically caged.

Today as I write is the fourth of July the day that we celebrate the signing of our Declaration of Independence. Today is a sobering day for me as I think about at the current state of our Union and fight tears of heartbreak over what we have become and the path that we are on. I cry tears of sorrow for those that will follow for the burden they will bear. I also think that surely they will curse us for our lack of action as citizens and be ashamed of us their forefathers for are lack of courage. I am regretful as a citizen that I have by my inaction and mislead beliefs been a part of the peril we and many generations hence will face and endure. I for one will not be known by my children, my grandchildren and great grandchildren as a failure. Sure a failure I will be if I sit idly by spending my time play video game, watching TV or finding some other diversion while my country falls apart.  I humbly ask that each of you that read this and the following letters that I will write to survey your life and heart. Have you like me sat idly by or been persuaded to the left or right and as a result been by simple passiveness or persuasion a part as I have? Have you been an active participant but yet in your participation found contempt of the other side and feel that the more you fight the more the other side hates you? It is time to explore ourselves and unite in our common goals as they the aristocrat make war against each other let us make peace among ourselves and reclaim our country. Our diversities although many, are the very reason we should be united. If you don’t understand how that could be then please, continue to follow what I will write to you. Let us put away our differences, sacrifice some of our TV time, our party time, our game time, to spend time socially through any means to share the news of hope. It is only by the means of be united was our country founded and only by this means can we preserve it.        

Only in keeping with the path of our founders will the security of our freedom remain guaranteed by our constitution. There is only one way to change the course of this country and that is to change the way it is and has been governed. There is only one way to do that and that is with a strong third party, a party of the people, by the people and for the people. Unlike any other party this will be a party that truly does represent the people as a collective. Yes, all of us….liberal, conservative, Christian, atheist, gay, socialist, republican, democrat….all colors, ethnicities, religions, and on and on. How can this be? Follow what I have to say with open minds and hearts and I will explain in a series of letters to you. I call to you today to join me as I will with you form a real people’s party.

John Commoner

04JUL2011