However, the end result of the top ten ideas is disappointing. Can we really not come up with something better than this, given such a unique opportunity to directly engage the new President? Here is what the people voted for, in order of importance:
1. Ending Marijuana Prohibition.
Marijuana? Is this the top priority of a nation that is stuck in a recession, engaged in two wars, in a health care crisis, and has an astronomical deficit - need I go on?? While the medical use of Marijuana does have it's value, it is hard to understand that the voters did not come up with something more pressing than that.
2. Commit to becoming the 'greenest' country in the world.
Okay, this is a noble goal. But needless to say, it is a far cry from where we are now given that the US is responsible for 25 % percent of the worlds carbon dioxide emissions for only 4% of the world's population. In order for the US to become the greenest country in the world, we would have to come up with immediate solutions to cover ALL of our energy needs by clean energy (wind & solar power), something that the oil, coal and gas industry would never allow without a prolonged and nasty fight even it was technically possible. We would have to stop polluting rivers, oceans, air and soil. This would mean an end to Big Pharma and Big Agriculture as well as they would not be able to dump tons of pesticides and drugs into our ground water and soils. It would mean building our homes differently (stones and bricks, anyone?) to strict energy efficiency guidelines similar to those that are being implemented in Germany. No more sloppy building where the wind pipes out of the outlets (!). Being the greenest country in the world would mean an end to warfare, too - for how can one align 'being green' with building nuclear bombs or even nuclear anything, submarines, warships, reactors, and so on? It would mean to stop dumping nuclear waste anywhere on the planet. In short, "being green" implies a totally different attitude and respect towards all life on the planet, and would mean a drastic change from where the US was headed so far. Drastic changes rarely happen, neither in nature nor in human consciousness. Nevertheless, I do believe this is a worthy and noble goal that should seriously be pursued.
3. An end to government sponsored abstinence education to be replaced by an introduction of age appropriate sex education.
Sex education? If it wouldn't be so sad, it would be funny that the only aspect of education to make it into the Citizens Briefing Book is sex education. So there is nothing else to worry about with the US education system? Are the kids learning enough to be competitive with other countries? Do the kids have a chance to be exposed to great art? Learn foreign languages? Have field trips? What about affordable college tuition? I worry about Education per se, never mind sex education! That should primarily be a private and family matter anyways.
4. Bullet trains and Light Rail.
Now here is another good idea. Yes, more public transportation would be a great idea to aid in the transition away from too many cars and therefore reduce carbon dioxide emissions. If I could take the train or bus to work instead of driving in rush hour traffic every day, I would be delighted. Less stress, less chances for accidents, less money spent on gas and car maintenance, better for the environment, and I may even get to read a book while commuting! What a concept.
5. The permanent closure of all torture facilities (such as Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib)
Absolutely. Facilities such as these are a disgrace to humanity. If the US wants any part in so-called 'moral leadership' it has to not only close all such facilities but actively promote and follow the Geneva Convention banning the use of torture.
6. Revoke the George W. Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest 1%.
This is a controversial topic but for the time being, I agree. What this means is that the tax rate on the wealthiest 1% will be rolled back from 35% to 39.6 %. Instead, Obama promises much needed tax cuts to the middle class (or every household that makes less than $250,000 annually). While the whole idea of taxation the way it is practiced now in the US could be up for debate (I for one sympathize with the idea of the flat tax), it is true that for a person making upwards of $250,000 to pay just a little bit more is less of a burden than for someone like me paying almost $10,000 on a taxable income of around $33,000 (that included self employment taxes but was a shocking blow nonetheless). I am still paying on these taxes and it truly is a burden for me. Considering how much I work and how much I have to calculate my money just to have enough to live on AND still pay all the taxes, the whining of the upper class about those 4.6% seems pathetic. Maybe one yacht less will do it - and it would be better for the environment too! And by the way, the taxes under previous presidents were much higher than 39%. The chart from the Washington Monthly as presented by Moveon.org demonstrates it nicely: http://pol.moveon.org/budget10/chart/?id=15734-6356194-5X8BVHx&t=1
7. Get the insurance companies out of health care.
Another controversial topic, however there is no doubt that the only ones profiting from the status quo in our current health care system are the pharmaceutical industry and the insurance companies! There are those who say that what we have is not really a 'health care system', it is rather a 'sick care system' - a system designed to keep the average person as misinformed, sick and broke as possible. The system aims at getting people sick and dependent on both insurance companies and Big Pharma, both of who will overcharge the individual as much as possible. The system is designed to manage, not cure disease. Heaven beware that people would actually learn how to cure or prevent disease; no one would buy drugs anymore or would pay outrageous premiums on insurance! This is really where Health Freedom comes in as well. We must have the freedom to choose the treatment of our choice, we must have the freedom to buy organic foods, we must have the freedom to buy nutritional supplements and so on. And yes, in the end there should be a system in place that should one need a doctor after all, one need not worry about bankruptcy. It was possible in Germany where I grew up - so why can't it be possible here?
8. Revoke the tax exempt status of the Church of Scientology.
And why exactly is this important enough to included in a precious and limited ten points to be presented to the President? While I admit that I neither know much about the Church of Scientology nor about their tax exempt status, I can't help but feel a sting of religious discrimination here. There may be truth in this, maybe they are overcharging their "donations", but it still seems odd that pointing a finger on a religious organization is more important than other items that seem much more of a national priority. Why not education reform? Health Care reform? Revoke the "Patriot Act"? I could think of a thousand things that seem more important than this.9. Bring back the Constitution.
Yes - and undo the Patriot Act. The Constitution and the Patriot Act do not go together. Restore free speech as it was before the Patriot Act, restore Habeas Corpus, and no more electronic eavesdropping on private conversations.
10. Boost America's Economy with Legal Online Poker.
Online Poker? It is almost an insult that given such a unique opportunity of directly communicating with the President, the American people would include something as dumb and unimportant as this in the Briefing Book. So Online Poker is more important than Health Freedom (remember: "The right to control what happens to your own body, choosing your own health path, making your own choices as you see fit"). More important than affordable college tuition. More important than universal health care. More important than ending the war in Iraq. The list goes on.
Really, while there are some worthy and notable ideas in these top ten, I find it sad and telling that out of only ten priorities, Americans wasted three on drugs, sex and gambling and one on what could be called religious discrimination. I hope that this was due to other factors and not due to the American society already so dumped down that they just couldn't come up with anything else.
On a more upbeat note, becoming a greener country, bullet trains and light rail, closing all torture facilities, and bringing back the constitution are goals worthy of our pursuit and creative energy. One thing to remember is that any and all positive changes in the outside world have to begin with positive changes inside ourselves. Some of the above listed goals, particular #2, becoming the greenest country in the world, would require a profound change in consciousness of a large group of people. "Green" would have to become mainstream. And ideally, the motivation for doing this should come from a realization of the sacredness of all life, rather than just from a desire to halt global warming or to keep the energy bill low. We are truly all connected in the web of life, and we have to come to understand cause and effect - that we cannot harm one part of this web without in the end harming ourselves. I would like to think that humanity is capable of learning this before it is too late.
Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/what_do_the_american_people_wa.php
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