Marlin Thompson
Worth a Look — Ideas for Trump Against the Deep State
The premise of this book is that a dictator is the most efficient and effective form of government, if you get a good one. Examples are King David in Israel in the Old Testament and General Douglas McArthur in post-war Japan. While I do not agree with this premise, the author does outline what a successful Trump Presidency might look like, assuming an honest Congress living up to its Constitutional responsibilities, so I definitely recommend the book.
Specific changes are suggested to US laws and government structure so as to restore the United States to primacy and prosperity in one year. The federal budget would be balanced in one year, and the national debt eliminated in 10 years.This would be done by cutting the federal workforce in half, eliminating most foreign aid including all military subsidization programs for dictators and Israel, and eliminating the government role in Social Security and health care.
Some of the tenants of the book are being implemented or proposed by the Trump administration but from where I sit, the Trump Presidency has been captured by the Deep State and is not serious about down-sizing the government and putting it back in service to We the People. Still, the ideas are sound and could be helpful to future candidates willing to stick to their campaign promises.
He would abolish the IRS and replace all federal taxes with a national sales tax (the FairTax). The federal workforce would be slashed by 50%, and cabinet positions would be reduced to 5. There would be term limits for all elected officials, with most limited to 8 years. No federal employee could ever serve as a lobbyist. Social Security and health care would be privatized. Voter rolls would be scrutinized to make sure only legal registered citizens vote. E-verify would be mandatory, with severe penalties for employers who hire illegal aliens. The Constitution would be strictly interpreted as written, not a living document, subject to the whims of modern times.
The author, whom I have met and with whom I have discussed the book, says that Trump Administration proposals in the book are mandatory E-verify, making sure only citizens vote, term limits, changing the revolving door of lobbyists, elimination of the Federal Reserve, curtailing the EPA and other regulatory departments, reducing taxes on corporations to bring trillions of off-shore money back home.
He recommends a giant auction of all federal land (excluding national parks) and limit federal government role to only specific provisions enumerated in the Constitution. All other powers would revert to the States. I personally believe the federal government should not own or earmark land — that should be entirely at the discretion of the individual states.
The book includes a sprinkling of short humorous stories and relevant quotations by world famous persons, past and present. It offers insight into the out-of-control bureaucracy that is our government.
Robert David Steele
INTELLIGENCE FOR EARTH: Clarity, Diversity, Integrity, & Sustainability
