1. REFORMATION OVERVIEW

The world is a mess ... messier all the time. Daily, most institutions have larger and larger problems--family, employment, education, taxation and politics. Human beings are suffering everywhere. Before the suffering will stop, we must reform our institutions. And, before initiating reforms, we must establish clear guidelines. One such guideline consists of the actual reasons for the reforms. For example, the rate at which problems are increasing is surely the best reason for reform. It also acts as a guideline for developing and implementing reforms to solve these problems.

First, we need a new Constitutional Convention. To generate new forms for the nation, this convention must re-present the concerns and the consensus of the people. This book, along with others, outlines a national referendum using telecomputation. It is the beginning of a modern Constitutional Convention.

These Reforms are not a one-shot, short-term efforts. The following descriptions and prescriptions are guides to creating a self-sufficient, national problem-solving process. This process will challenge and replace the politicians in Congress. Telecomputation is the means by which the problem-sufferers can prioritize their concerns and establish a consensus.

The NUSA/AESOP writers have envisioned many reforms. These books list only a few. Unless the people initiate and approve them, there are no reforms. In other words, unless there are democratic institutions whereby the affected people can express their concerns and consensus, no reform will occur.

The reforms offered in Reforms are the crucial ones. They are intended to enlighten, motivate, and organize people for additional reforms. Among these reforms are

  cutting taxes by cutting the problems behind taxation,
  eliminating unnecessary public and private bureaucracy,
  establishing an anti-inflationary financial network,
  creating a commodity-based social security system, and
  compressing the workweek with no buying power loss.

Reforms as Constitutional Convention

Modern telecomputation and the written word can initiate a grassroots Constitutional Convention. A groundswell of solutions will rise and swallow the pirate ship of inflationary suffering. As awareness and support for the issues grow, the size of a new political party will grow. That party is the Democratic Capitalists*. This center-of-the-road, policy-making body will rapidly replace the present moribund, major parties. After all, the Democrats are not democratic, and the Republicans * are not truly capitalistic. These conclusions about the two major parties will become increasingly clear to the reader, if that is not the case already. The Democratic Capitalists will be a union of concerned citizens that crosses existing boundaries of allegiance.

The Democratic Capitalists will be an organization of the underpaid problem-sufferers, both rich and poor. Who is the common enemy of this new union? The overpaid are the enemy of all productive individuals and industries. Who are the overpaid? Primarily, they are individuals and companies that manipulate the legal problem-solving process to get inflationary returns. These inflationary returns are the main source of inflationary losses and suffering for others.

Democratic Capitalists is not a political party per se; it is a policy-making process. There is a big difference. The former depends on allegiance to the incumbents who promise a higher policy-making position for you via their reelections. This is despotic teamwork. Despotic teamwork is rampant within the Democratic and Republican parties. It accounts for why no new, fresh solutions or policy-makers rise to the top.

Democratic Capitalism, however, is allegiance to regular, optimal elections of new policy-makers. The process is democratic from the grassroots up: democratic teamwork. The existing major political parties perpetuate the "Peter Principle" and the cloning of poor problem-solvers. This stagnation will not do.

A Constitutional Convention has begun, and you are a part of it. In reading these pages you are one of the new founders. You will like what you find--unless, of course, you benefit from the inflationary loopholes of the present system. You will find issues upon which you can vote as in a Constitutional Convention localized in one city at one setting. Is it not time to use modern telecommunications to bring democracy to the people on a more frequent basis?

This Constitutional Convention will occur throughout the land. Increasing numbers will join and fuel it each day. The convention will be of, by, and for all Americans, not just the inside few.

You may vote upon the issues raised herein and summarized on the back. Contact your place of purchase. A NUSA account will record your contribution in time and dollars standardized to the value of the human lifehour*, the new currency.

Benefits

Why will people join Democratic Capitalists and promote a New United States of America? Being right and better is not enough. For many, the deciding factor will be some specific benefits that will result from the reforms. Would you give four hours each week to reduce your interest, insurance, inflation, tax and violence costs?

Even without the tax credits for solving public problems proposed herein, it would be a profitable venture for most Americans. Would you give two hours a week if you knew that your efforts would build a New United States of America? Think about just the interest that you pay on your mortgage, car and other loans. To have an America without inflation, unemployment, overtaxation, or violence requires a democratic, capitalistic organization of Americans. The Democrats and Republicans do not meet this requirement. They attack problems with only taxes or deficits. You must get involved.

Would you give a few hours a week to gradually reduce the work week to twenty-four hours WITHOUT with a loss of disposable income? Would you like the same buying power working only sixty percent of your present work schedule? First, you must invest a few hours to promote democracy per diem and capitalism per capita. America will solve its problems when it has a national process in which people participate on a regular basis and get compensated for it.

This promise of a shorter workweek without a loss of buying power is not a political promise of "something for nothing." Reducing the workweek can actually increase buying power. This is especially true if people use their new, additional leisure time to participate in the national problem-solving process. By helping to solve problems, the costs are lower and, through NUSA, you will receive tax credits.

The current recipients of our tax dollars (politicians) will not or cannot solve problems. The direct cost of political corruption and incompetence is great. However, the indirect cost is even greater: inflation, unemployment, taxation, and violence. Would you give a few hours weekly if your efforts helped eliminate the cost of political corruption and incompetence?

NUSA will give tax credits to private citizens based on their efforts to solve problems. America needs a new policy-making process whereby problem-solving performance determines pay.