What is Your Manifesto?

  If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything.
Modern Proverb with origins in World War Two

Now more than ever each of us needs to know what matters, where our principles and values lie and what is wrong with the world around us. In this high tech social media age there is way too much propaganda and gas lighting flooding the airwaves and internet. We are supposed to believe that, unless we fully embrace the woke, vaccinated, politically correct cancel culture, we are racist, violent domestic extremists who must be marginalized, punished and, at best, re-educated. Rejecting all of that from the outset, with a strong belief system to back yourself up, is essential. All the more so for the much tougher times that are around the corner.

Many people capture some of this in a family vision and mission statement. God, family, country. Good vs. Evil. Right vs. Wrong. Work ethic and ambitions. Positive traits that are valued and encouraged. Weaknesses and risks which are subject to a constant improvement effort. Such a statement sets out your foundational convictions and provides a ready reference guide for everyone. It especially helps guide rapidly growing children in building good character as well as armor against malign influences. It is a very good exercise and it sure beats never discussing these things. Be deliberate. At least consider getting everyone together to draw one up.

Another useful exercise is drafting your own manifesto to cover the current state of society. Lay out all of the things you disagree with and what you would do to fix them. This is valuable as it gets you into the heart of the issues about which you care and, in the process, readies you to discuss them with others who may not have paid them much thought. It might prompt you to do your own research too to ensure you are on firm ground. The smarter you are, the more easily you can counter the enemy's lies.

There is an element of the "Magic Wand" required to write a manifesto to overcome the million reasons why some of your proposals would not fly in the existing environment. But here's the thing: the existing environment isn't working and is in grave danger of crashing into a very dark place. The country needs a reset, all right: a reset back to founding principles and some extra safeguards to rollback the corruption, elitism and perversion of the last 100 years. If only there were an existing political party which would stand for fifty percent of what you would like to see. But grassroots movements grow from individuals and it starts with each one of us working out what we stand for. And then Standing Tall on as many of them as possible.

So, tick some early boxes (small government? low taxes? balanced budget?) and then dive in to meaty specifics. To help you along, here is some food for thought:

Would We the People be better off with Term Limits in Washington DC?

How about single issue bills and not pork filled monstrosities?

Should Senators and Representatives have to pass a written test on each bill (one question per page of bill) before they could vote on it?

Should every new law that is passed require five old ones to be struck from the books?

Are property taxes evil, since you never really own the property?

Can estate taxes be justified, even if they do not apply to you?

Should income taxes continue to be progressive or would a Flat Tax be more efficient, reduce Congress' ability to meddle and remove the need for much of the IRS?

Are consumption taxes better than income taxes?

Should only taxpayers get to vote?

Should the IRS need a warrant to snoop in your bank accounts?

Should Congress be able to exempt itself from any of the laws it passes?

Should un-elected bureaucrats be able to define regulations on a whim?

Should the Supreme Court be expanded and packed by one party or the other?

Should Supreme Court nominees who swear they will follow the Constitution in their Senate confirmation hearings but rule a different way once appointed be recalled?

Should US senators continue to be elected in a popularity contest or revert to being sent to Washington by their state legislature?

Should National Public Radio and/or Planned Parenthood receive taxpayer funding?

Are open borders better or worse for the USA?

Should illegal immigrants be allowed to work and vote?

Should the standard for the Second Amendment be unhindered access for every law abiding citizen to anything and everything in service with state and federal law enforcement?

Should the National Firearms Act, the Gun Control Act and the Hughes Amendment all be abolished?

Should social media companies be classified as publishers or public utilities or both?

Should the same companies have to pay people for their data?

Should out of state money and out of state lobbying be banned from state elections?

Are school vouchers a good idea?

Should every federal department not authorized by the Constitution be disbanded?

To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, should people be made uncomfortable in poverty to encourage them to lift themselves out of it or should they be given whatever they need to stay happily poor and dependent?

Should biological boys and girls be allowed to share the same bathroom?

Should a biological man compete in women's sports?

Should the science ever be settled or always open to new research and discovery?

How can "my body, my choice" apply to abortion but not vaccinations?

If a vaccine does not prevent transmission nor infection, is it really a vaccine?

Should reparations be paid by people who never owned slaves to people who never were slaves?

Should there be a Convention of States to amend and reinforce the Constitution?

How true to original intent is the current interpretation of the Tenth Amendment?