Americans seem disposed to be rid of President Trump. What would you replace him with? This is not about Pence or some other solution to the conundrum. It is about what may be truly stopping us. We have little idea what we want after he is gone. We may wish him gone, but what do we believe would be better?
Three big words
I would argue that what we want or should want, boils down to three words. They amount to a pledge for all of us. If we cannot go with the words I am about to suggest, then I believe it will make little difference at all what we do.
Three universal values work together to create a better world. Tolerance. Helpfulness. Democracy.
Universal values
Tolerance combines strength with flexibility and means you do not insist on my way or the highway. Helpfulness means you gladly share what you know (education). It also means you enable others to achieve success. Democracy means a fair election and access to every right that is recognized as universal.
Trump’s score
On tolerance alone, there are grounds to say Trump fails, but in our polarized society, how prevalent is tolerance? Is Trump’s dominant motive to help all enjoy the same levels of education and social privilege? Or is he more interested in competing and otherwise obliterating competition?
When it comes to democracy, does Trump invest time and energy in ensuring fairness to all? Does he acknowledge that everyone is entitled to the same universal rights?
Extend this
Would more than half of Americans say yes to these questions, affirming tolerance, helpfulness, and democracy? There is considerable data to suggest that the country is divided at the fundamental level of values.
These values, I contend, have powered all progress. If we need a moment of truth to avoid merely fighting for my way or the highway these values are the place to start. How might these values translate into a short to-do list for the country? Tolerance could lead to an open immigration policy. It would help if people realized some facts which show this to be the best of policies.
Education
Helpfulness could result is a major reform of education. It would ideally provide all with the knowledge they need to follow their own personal stars in the direction they choose. With basic income ensuring that no one will go homeless or health impaired, we could create an enabling element as part of all schooling. This could even be done in cooperation with businesses and other enterprises.
Democracy would ensure that the narrow losses progressives have suffered would be reversed. Our population is diverse and there is no element within it that does not strengthen it.
If we moved away from a punitive and impractical criminal system, we might even point to the so-called dregs of society as the most convincing helpers in creating a crime-free culture.
