1. COVID-19 is not the last virus we will see. A new, even more, deadly virus could emerge any year. We will probably not go five years without a pandemic. We must be prepared to meet the economic and health challenges we will face from the next pandemic and the one after that.
2. There is no place for racist or racism in this country.
3. The debate is over. The United States MUST have universal, free healthcare.
4. Traditional law-enforcement no longer works. We must invest less in aggressively enforcing low-level, non-violent violations of the law and more in community-led support and public safety delivered by mental health providers, social workers, and victim's advocates. Public safety should be about maintaining peace and reducing the social conditions that lead to crime.
5. Touchless and distance commerce is the norm. Amazon is the future. Shopping malls are the past. Telemedicine is the future. In-office doctor's appointments are the past. Streaming movies is the future. Movie theaters are the past. Meals to go, takeout, and cook at home is the future. Sit down restaurants are the past.
6. The Gig Economy is here. The days of a full-time, lifetime or near life-time employment are over. The average person will have 100's, if not 1,000's of jobs during their career.
7. We should have a guaranteed minimum income for all Americans of working age pegged to the cost of living and above the poverty line.
8. Sixteen years of free public education. A High School education is no longer sufficient to prepare students for good jobs in today’s economy much less tomorrow’s. All current student debt should be forgiven.
9. The Federal government should fully fund the expansion of 5G networks throughout the country. Every American should have free and reliable internet access regardless of where they live. Rural America cannot compete for jobs without reliable access to the internet.
10. The American system of government no longer works. We must write a new Constitution for the 21st Century that, among other things, provides for:
a. Popular election of the executive for a single six-year term. Candidates for the executive should be required to disclose their financial assets and place their assets in a blind trust during their term of office. Candidates should be required to take general intelligence; physical and psychological tests and the results of the tests should be publicly disclosed at least six weeks before the first vote is cast in an election. These tests must be repeated every two years with the results publicly disclosed.
b. Abolishment of the Senate.
c. A single legislature elected for a four-year term from non-gerrymandered districts. Districts should reflect contiguous geographical areas small enough that voters in the districts have a common community interest. Terms should be staggered so that 25% of the legislature is elected each year.
d. 12-year single terms for Supreme Court and other federal judges appointed by a 2/3rd vote of the legislature.
e. Formal provisions for recall of the executive, members of Congress, and federal judges upon petition of 10% of registered voters.
f. Strict and effective legislative oversight of the military and Justice Department.
g. Federal funding of all national elections ban on corporate/group contributions to candidates, maximum limits on individual contributions to candidates, strict limits on campaign spending, and full disclosure by candidates on campaign contributions.
h. Online voting and/or vote-by-mail for all elections.
i. Automatic, simple, and easy voter registration to ensure that every American who is qualified to vote can vote.
j. Tax and other incentives for voting.
Please feel free to critique each of these and add new lessons. We need a national dialogue concerning where we go from here.
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