Global Citizen Patriots examines the current state of the American system of constitutional values, democracy and capitalism. After four years of study, the author concludes that our system is badly in need of reform and change. In fact, most Americans sense that change is needed. However, legislative corruption and citizen disengagement have allowed partisan groups and well funded special interests to block progress. If the United States is to secure its future and act as a globally positive influence, both government representatives and citizens need to do their jobs.
This book catalogues the root causes of representative and citizen dysfunction. Failure to address these problems diminishes our democracy and promotes crony capitalism. These outcomes are contrary to the values of America’s founders and impedes our willingness and ability to be a global leader. The rest of the world looks to America for principled leadership. The United States will lead either in an implicit or explicit fashion but it is only explicit and principled leadership that will secure our legacy. If we are to create a better world for ourselves and others, significant changes to our system are necessary. Well informed citizen and representative leaders, acting with patriotic altruism and with a global perspective are the needed instigators of change. These are global citizen patriots.
The roles and responsibilities of global citizen patriots are described in detail. In addition to reforming the corruption and cronyism of the present system, global citizen patriots need to lead debates, discussions and reforms that will refresh and update the values of our founders. Currently, too many of our representative leaders are lackeys to special interests rather than leaders of positive change. Changing representative roles, responsibilities, and reward systems are essential to ensuring that our representatives work for us. But this is not enough. We also need to reform the election and re-election processes to significantly reduce the bias of private money. Specific changes are suggested. We need leaders, not lackeys.
In the short term, all citizens have the ability to influence change (for example, during the 2016 and future election campaigns). We the people need to hold our representative leaders and ourselves accountable to an agenda that adds value to our society while ensuring effective management of America’s five capital resources (that is, our natural resources, our infrastructure and production systems, the capabilities of our people, our financial strength, and our social capital). This book offers suggestions on ways to protect and augment our capital resources while ensuring that they are distributed in ways that promote overall societal stability.
If you are mad as hell about the present state of America, Global Citizen Patriots is designed to channel that anger into action.
