Political philosophy examines the justification of government, justice, rights, liberty, and the distribution of wealth. It provides frameworks for how society should function. Key examples are categorized by their core beliefs about the role of the state and individual freedoms.  – Wikipedia

The following is my political philosophy.

I believe in individual rights:
– The right to voice opinions without fear of censorship or retaliation.
– The right to practice any faith or none at all without state interference.
– The right to adequate housing, food, and social security
– The right to privacy, including protection against unreasonable searches and seizure of property and personal data.
– The right to a fair, public trial by an impartial jury and protection against self-incrimination.
– The right to gather peacefully, to protest, or for community purposes.
– The right to own property and be fairly compensated by the government if needed for the greater good of the community.
– The right to know your body, learn about your body, sexual health, and relationships—the right to make personal decisions about your body, including sexual and reproductive rights for all.
– The right to affordable physical and mental healthcare. Healthcare is not a privilege; healthcare should be connected to Main Street, not Wall Street.
– The right to safe working conditions, equal pay for equal work, and the right to form unions.
– The right to free, basic, accessible education to develop an individual’s personality, passions, gifts, and talents.
– The right to know the ugly history of how the United States came to be and how a caste system of enslaved people created the foundation wealth of this country.
– The right to own a gun(s) – no assault weapons – with proper registration, training, accountability, responsibility, and insurance just like owning and driving a vehicle.

Issues that need to be addressed:

Political Leadership. I expect people who choose to become political leaders to represent We the People who elected them, not political action committees, corporations, or big money. They should not make becoming an elected official a career. There should be term limits.

I cannot and will not support someone who lies, mocks cruelty, threatens revenge, excuses corruption, attacks democratic institutions, dehumanizes immigrants, praises dictators, and treats decency like weakness. Stop empowering cruelty. This is a sign of incompetence, and incompetence is chronic.

A political leader has the responsibility to use community and societal resources for the greatest good of We the People. We the People deserve humanization. A political leader must be clear about their core values, hold themselves accountable to them, and walk the talk. They must be trustworthy by being sincere, reliable, competent (seek help where they are incompetent), and care about all people. They must have a clear, inspiring vision for creating a better world for tomorrow’s child. They must have strong emotional intelligence that demonstrates self-awareness, self-management, empathy, and solid interpersonal skills, especially with those that do not think or look like them. They must seek healthy conflict, not be conflict-avoidant, be adaptable, and be able to compromise. They must be good at communication and make principled decisions.

A political leader is welcome to have an opinion, but know the difference between opinion, facts, and evidence.

A political leader must have read and understand the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law as they take an oath to uphold them.

Diversity. There is a connection between the individual, community, and society. There must be shared life-enhancing values between the individual, community, and society. It is necessary to understand the power of diversity, including gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, ethnicity, ancestry, and heritage, to foster innovation, better outcomes when seeking solutions to problems, and promote fairness. Diversity makes us stronger, not weaker.

Impaired, incapacitated, and physically challenged. There are and will be members of our community and society who are impaired, with special needs, physically challenged, and neurodivergent who need help with their lives. They are not a burden, but a responsibility. This requires practicing equity: fairness in how people of different races, genders, sexual orientations, health statuses, incomes, etc., are treated. Those of us with the privilege of good mental and physical health, a good income, and a good education need to share with those who lack such privileges.

Taxes. We need fair taxation for social safety nets and sound infrastructure. Our Byzantine tax code needs attention and simplification. The current tax system is skewed against ordinary Americans. Billionaires and centimillionaires do not pay their fair share of taxes. Our government needs to build highways and schools, defend us against adversaries, lift children out of poverty, and support those who may be displaced by artificial intelligence. The greatest nations are built upon healthy and well-educated citizens.

“Taxes are what we pay for civilized society.”
– Supreme Court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes

Capitalism. Capitalism needs to strike a balance between social good and profits.
– Seek win-win welfare for producers and consumers.
– Seek the highest reward for goods, services, and wages. This means the minimum wage needs to be a living wage that keeps pace with inflation.

Government needs to facilitate the proper functioning of markets. This is why the Federal Reserve is, and needs to remain, a hands-off agency in setting policy. This is why we need consumer protection agencies like the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and state attorneys general

Housing. The major cause of homelessness is a lack of affordable housing. Safe, sustainable, and affordable housing is foundational to Americans’ economic security and expanding the path to the middle class.

Planetary environment. Understand energy, including fossil fuels and renewables, and their impact on the future of the planet. Understand how energy impacts our environment and our climate.

Planetary economy. Evidence of our planetary economy – look at your smartphone. Your smartphone requires contributions from 40 different countries on six continents, from raw materials to final product. Creating a smartphone requires a complex planetary supply chain.

Planetary health. Disease outbreaks impact the world, not a country. We actively need to work to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats around the world. We need to be more proactive and preventive. Learn the role science has, how science works, and challenge misinformation and disinformation by being curious and seeking subject matter experts to help in decision-making.

Social Security. SS is a vital federal insurance program that employees and employers each pay a 6.2% payroll tax on wages up to a maximum taxable limit. The U.S. Government pays nothing into Social Security, only administers it. The payroll tax must be increased, as looming shortfalls in the Social Security trust fund will deplete it unless Congress passes legislation to address its funding.

Immigration. We are a country of immigrants who stole land from the ancestral people of this country. (Some of the ugly United States history we ignore.) There are really only three legal paths to live in this country: applying for authorization through a family member, through an employer, or for humanitarian reasons. Stop the abuse of due process. Despite the Trump administration’s rhetoric about targeting the “worst of the worst” criminals, reports have found that its enforcement policies target many immigrants who have not committed crimes. Many entered the country lawfully, or, in the case of those with temporary protected status, had legal status that was later terminated by this administration. Even U.S. Citizens have been arrested and detained.

Artificial Intelligence. AI stands to be one of the most transformative technological advancements of our time, poised to reshape nearly every aspect of our lives. There is an urgent need for a comprehensive AI strategy that enables society to safely harness the opportunities AI presents while mitigating the multifaceted challenges and risks it poses.

The Supreme Court needs term limits and ethics criteria.

The Epstein Files – RELEASE THEM and deal with the aftermath.

This is a dynamic document that I will continue to work on as I learn more.