(No, I have not been asked. Really, would you ask me? But if I was, this is what I would say along with the side remarks in parenthesis.)
To my fellow conservatives (I am a fiscal conservative), let me say congratulations on being a part of the political process. Thank you for doing something. Thank you for caring enough to use your energy to be a part of this great democracy.
As a former TV Host, journalist, author, and political analyst, let me say that I was one of the few people who predicted the rise of Donald Trump as the nominee of the Republican Party. I wrote a column citing the anger and the needs of this country back on August 14, 2015 and how Mr. Trump would appeal to them.
So, you’re welcome.
But I have not come to praise or denigrate Mr. Trump. And I have not come to praise or denigrate either Mrs. Clinton or Mr. Sanders.
No, I have come to talk to all of you. You are the people who realize things are not right today. This is not the America our parents signed up for.
But we are the people who were born from the same folks who got us out of the Depression, who won World War II, who took down Soviet-style Communism, who put a man on the moon.
They did things. They solved problems.
And so are we. You are the solutions – if you want to be.
Do you want to end the income inequality in the US?
Do you want to end the violence in our inner city neighborhoods?
Do you want to end the killing of citizens by police?
Do you want to end the killings of police by angry citizens?
Do you want to help end the war on terror?
Do you want to give all Americans a bigger opportunity at thriving?
Do you want your kids to have a better future than you have?
Well, join me in the real solutions.
But first, you need to know the real problems facing us.
Many of you don’t know the real problems. Why? No one has told you.
Why? Because they think you are too stupid to understand and too lazy to do anything about it.
And they encourage your stupidity and laziness, because it keeps our special interests profitable.
So what are the problems?
First, we have an aging population. Too many of us are going to be retiring, contributing less to the economy, and taking more government pay-outs.
Now, I know we all think as we age we are entitled to our Medicare. We paid into it. Right? Well, that is wrong. You have only paid in 1/3rd of what you will use. Do the math. The rest will be paid by taxpayers who are younger than you, who are now trying to find a good paying job.
The second problem is technology. Although it is great, technology is destroying jobs, not creating them. It is much easier for a business to buy more software rather than pay a salary. Robots will be taking over many jobs that would normally go to people.
So, if those are the problems then what are the solutions?
The first is tax reform. We need to wipe out all deductions since most are given to special interests with lobbyists and big coffers to pay off lawmakers. Once we get rid of the deductions, a couple of things will happen. We will know what are real tax rate is. We complain about higher taxes. But those higher taxes are a result of having to compensate for too many deductions. Next, we will have a real free market. Too often, government give backs have rigged the system so innovation and entrepreneurship are stifled.
The second solution is Second, we need entitlement reform – – – especially Medicare. That means old folks and Baby Boomers need to give back. The eligibility age must be raised to 70. And Medicare contributions must be made on all incomes. If we don’t then our economy will collapse in the next ten years as we fail to pay for things like the military.
The third solution is we need retraining for workers to survive in the 21st-century digital economy. These are the people who are going to support us in the decades ahead. Let’s give them a great chance to help us as they thrive in the new America.
The fourth solution is investment in infrastructure; such as roads, bridges, and Internet. This will propel us into the new digital age. This will help us work better and be able to move about this great country while creating job immediately for lots of workers who need the paycheck.
The fifth solution is immigration reform. We need to limit the people we don’t want and encourage the people who will make America a better place. That means offering entrance to people with knowledge and expertise that will help grow our economy. There is a solution in there, but neither party will take the steps forward because of special interests.
What do these solutions do?
They will reduce our deficit while growing our economy – at the same time. Think about it. We can cut excess spending while also investing in the future.
Will it require sacrifice from all of us? Yes. But that is what we do as Americans. We come to each other’s aid.
Will these solutions stop the anger and violence we have seen in Baton Rouge and Dallas?
It will certainly help.
Let’s look at why we have the problems we are seeing so graphically here.
The first is people are out of work. Or if they work, they see little future. They are angry. They feel, for no fault of their own, they are denied the American Dream. As a result, they lash out. But if these people had an opportunity at a good paying job with some worth those feelings might change. Will it solve the entire inner city problems? No. We need better healthcare and mental healthcare too. But how do they get that? With a chance at opportunity.
The second is our local and state municipal budgets are strained. The federal government takes so much – thanks to special interests – that there is little left for the states and local governments. The states put the squeeze on local government which causes local governments to raise property taxes which forces a lot of people to move elsewhere. Those budget shortfalls then translate to lower-paid cops who get less training. At the same time, those cops are asked to be less trained but “go out and solve the problems in the community.” No wonder they want to be militarized. Wouldn’t you?
What about overseas?
We can’t solve other nation’s problems. But we can help while also keeping ourselves safe and not being part of the problem.
But we won’t be able to – if we have to cut our budgets for Defense and the State Department.
We need more Special Forces to help countries that are trying to find democracy or a stable economy. We can’t withdraw from the world. But we don’t need to put our boots on the ground. No, we need helpful troops and advisors to keep these countries as allies no matter how unstable they might be. We can’t do that if we can’t pay for the military. We can’t do that if we don’t have entrepreneurs creating new innovations to make those countries economically successful.
Another thing you all need to do is to figure out why you are here.
If you are here because this is the way to a good paying job, that’s great.
If you are here because you have been paid by someone or some special interest, then I applaud your ability to be a salesperson and spokesperson.
However, if you are here solely for those reasons than you are the problem too.
It is not entirely your fault.
You have been surrounded by a news media hungry for entertainment dollars. So they give you a reality TV approach to our problems.
You have been influenced by special interests that make you think they are for a better America.
The reality is this. None of them wants you to address the real problems and make real solutions.
The only way to defeat them is to stop being a Republican or a Democrat, a Conservative or a Liberal, a moderate or an independent – first. And start thinking about America – first.
(As I leave the stage, these things could happen: I am arrested; I am shot; I am applauded; people come back from the restroom and say, “what did that moron have to say?” Which one do you think?)
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