What is to be done? I borrowed this phrase from Vladimir Lenin, who used this question as a title for one of the books he wrote before the Russian Revolution in 1918; Lenin published the book in 1902. The question is most apt as we face the challenges confronting America at the beginning of the third decade of the 21st Century. America has reached a “point of extremis” in its history, in my opinion. We can either return to our foundational principles as a constitutional republic, which I would suggest is the correct course, or we can continue on our current path to becoming a socialist state or even a totalitarian one. I cannot think of a middle course, not given the mindset of the three generations after the Baby Boomers.
I have divided the remainder of this post into seven headings to make it easy to read and understand.
Perspective And Two Caveats
The purpose of this post is to publish a piece of writing I wrote in 2016. I have re-written and edited it extensively to bring it up to date, so that it reflects my current thinking regarding America and the political scene.
Forewarned is forearmed. The post is long (over 1,150 words), and it is not politically correct. I wrote the latter because I believe that political correctness does not represent human nature. Human nature is not that binary, or, to put it otherwise, not merely black or white or good or evil. There is undoubtedly evil in the world of politics; it just cannot be on only one side of the political spectrum.
Some Questions I Ponder
I have pondered these questions over the last few years since the first election of Mr. Obama in November 2008, who decided he wanted to “fundamentally transform the United States of America.” Sadly, no one challenged Mr. Obama and asked him two questions of great import: First, what did he mean by “fundamentally transform” and, second, and of even greater importance: Why did he want to do so?
I believe the following questions need to be asked as well, if we are to make sense of a reasonable way forward for America: What makes America, America? Is it possible to reclaim these ideas and communicate them to Americans so they can reconnect to their heritage? How does America renew herself? What will make America great again? What can American citizens do to help make America great again? What is the proper role of the Federal Government in the 21st Century? What future strategic vision for America is possible?
We have the technology to answer these questions. Here is the crucial point to understand, though: The American people should define these national priorities, not the political and intellectual elites.
Strategic Imperatives
I believe there are three strategic imperatives that America must undertake. I use the term strategic because these endeavors will take many years to implement.
- Revitalize our traditional American culture.
- Devolve power back to the sovereign states and restore the principle of subsidiarity, i.e., resolve political and economic issues at the lowest possible level.
- Downsize and re-engineer government at all levels, but especially at the Federal level.
I liked the “Contract with America” that the House of Representatives put forward in 1994. The concept was excellent, but poorly communicated and imperfectly implemented. America’s leadership team must identify the top 10 urgent priorities for accomplishing over the next decade.
Tactical Initiatives
I also see that the following tactical initiatives are required to support the three strategic imperatives outlined above:
- We should use small teams to study significant issues, formulate recommendations and options, and report back in 120 to 180 days. Set up a pilot program with McKinsey & Company, for example, and see how they handle one vital issue. I think teams of business people are better at problem identification and recommendations than politicians are. For example, the very last organizational entity I would have chosen to formulate a cost-effective healthcare program would be the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. These two entities politicize everything and make things more complicated than they need to be.
- The President should host quarterly or semi-annual conclaves of chief executive officers from around the country. Find out what their “burning platform” issues are. Pick their brains for good ideas.
- The President’s leadership team should evaluate divestiture plans for turning over government functions, best done by the private sector. Perhaps, we should privatize the U.S. Post Office, for example.
- The President should meet with senior leaders in the Senate and the House as often as possible. These meetings should focus on specific topics. Let the Democrats and Republicans have their say. Find out what everyone’s hot buttons are. Hint: Serve them breakfast or lunch because the sharing of food creates an unintended bond.
- The President should focus on bold ideas and order-of-magnitude change. Use incremental solutions when serious unintended consequences may arise, but bold is better in many cases.
- We must start downsizing and re-engineering the Federal Government. A ten percent reduction off the top (and more likely 15 percent) is easily achieved, as with any large organization. The Federal Government is no exception. Dust off the Grace Commission Report, for example, and use it as a starting point.
Communication Strategies
America’s leadership team must begin telling Americans the unvarnished truth. We can handle the truth. One way to get the truth out is to have the opposing parties debate every significant policy issue on television and let the American people decide which side makes the more compelling argument for change.
I assume President Trump will get a second term in November. If he does, he must continue to explain his strategic vision for America to the American people. And explain why these actions are required? President Trump must also continue to communicate directly to the American people regarding his agenda. His tweets are useful, but fireside chats on television and town-hall meetings are much more effective because he can connect to his constituents more directly. These fireside chats and town-hall meetings will take careful planning and execution.
President Trump should also open lines of communication to Generation X, The Millennial Generation, and Generation Z because, in short order, they will take their turn at running the country. Caveat: Their generational mindsets are not the same as the Silent Generation (mine) and the Baby Boomers.
Pitfalls And Warnings
I hope the President does not get bogged down in the political minutiae that the political elites love. The processes and systems used in the Senate and the House need to be re-engineered and simplified. Simple procedures and processes are required. Streamline the processes so we can legislate more expeditiously, and do away with what I call political theater, because it is a waste of time, energy, and money. After all, we are in the 21st Century.
The Overarching Strategy
I submit that the overarching strategy is quite simple: Always do what is right and what is in the best interests of America. We must not get stuck or sucked into the political nonsense that pervades Washington, D.C. The future belongs to freedom!
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