RALPH  KENYON
EXTRAPOLATOR
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This page was updated by Ralph Kenyon on 2018-03-25 at 13:33 and has been accessed 3451 times at 46 hits per month.

The Renewed Commonwealth Based Democratic Party

I propose a renewal of the Democratic party that is both conservative and liberal, both democratic and republican, that balances capitalism and socialism principles in order form a synthesis of opportunity and support, of freedom and responsibility, of strength and compassion, of courage and safety, of individuality and the common good, and thus revitalize the values that the United States of America was founded on and has matured to become, a true commonwealth that enables anyone to realize his or her dreams as a member of our unique and common heritages.

Commonwealth is what allows individuals to develop their potentials and exercise their abilities. Commonwealth does not inhibit or detract from individual wealth so long as the individual does not inhibit or detract from the commonwealth.

What comprises commonwealth today? Social services, police, fire, infrastructure, Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid, public education, emergency medical care, the National Guard, Coast Guard, the Judiciary, elected officials, the military, all government, and more, are all social(ism) structures that make up the commonwealth we all pay for with taxes.

What comprises individual wealth today? Industry, businesses, large and small, banks, stock markets, venture capitalists, private ownership, and even charities are all capital(ism) structures we all work for to realize our dreams and aspirations and that we pay for with our earnings from our realized potentials.

Private wealth is a zero-sum concept, due to the nature of a medium of exchange, governed by quid pro quo. Commonwealth, is a non-zero-sum concept, due to the nature of sharing inherent in the definition of 'common'. Commonwealth is supported by involuntary social transfer in the form of fees and taxes, and, less commonly (pun intended) voluntary capital transfer in the form of contributions and philanthropy.

The capitol mindset thinks of taxes directly in terms of immediate quid-pro-quo exchange as "what's in it for me" and "I should not have to pay for what I don't use". The social(ism) mindset thinks of taxes as supporting all the social structure together as benefiting everybody.

Pure capitalism allows the more effective competitors to exploit the less effective competitors. "Winners" get much more than they need, "losers" get much less than they need.  The massive wealth and income disparity in the USA today is the result of Republican control moving the country toward the chaos of "pure" unregulated capitalism.

Pure socialism inhibits motivation and innovation. No differences are allowed, because everybody gets exactly the same things. Workers have little motivation to work hard or well. The collective workers gravitated towards working no more nor better than the least productive worker. That lead to the poor performance of the Soviet economy and ultimately the failure or the USSR.

To the capital(ist) I answer what is in it for you is the entire commonwealth structure. If you don't have children, you don't want to pay school taxes, "because you don't use the schools"? Rubbish! You went to school! Your workers went to school! The only way you don't use schools is if you were raised in the woods by wolves with no contact with society! You're a guy, so you shouldn't pay for pregnancy leave? Rubbish! You had a mother, didn't you?!

The idea that one does not use a commonwealth structure or service is a short term, immediate, perspective. Commonwealth supports us and our families throughout our entire lives!

The commonwealth renewal of the Democratic party will balance capitalwealth and commonwealth to insure that every citizen has adequate survival and development services and equal opportunity and that all that are able contribute adequately to the maintenance and support of commonwealth that every citizen has adequate survival and development services and equal opportunity.

Platform to be developed.

  1. Life is an inalienable right as specified in the Declaration of Independence* and the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States*.
    Without healthcare life can not be assured.
    Healthcare is an inalienable right that enables the right to life.
  2. Freedom is an inalienable right as specified in the Declaration of Independence* and the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States*.
    Without differences, there are no choices.  Without Choices, there is no freedom.
    Diversity and Choice are inalienable rights that enable the right to Freedom.
  3. The pursuit of happiness is an inalienable right as specified in the Declaration of Independence* and the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States*.
    Happiness requires income (employment) adequate to provide for basic needs and knowledge (education) enough become a productive member of society.
    Jobs and education are inalienable rights that enable the right to Pursuit of happiness!
  4. No right may be exercised in such way as to threaten or prevent others from exercising any of these rights.
  5. Basic healthcare must be commonwealth administered and funded instead of capitalwealth administered and funded.  No one should be denied inalienable right due to inability to pay because of the high cost of profit.
  6. Basic education must be commonwealth administered and funded instead of capitalwealth administered and funded.  To keep up with the growth of STEM K-12 must become K-16 free for all citizens, paid for by national and local taxes, operated strictly on a non-profit basis.
  7. Get money out of politics.  Establish public funding of federal and state elections.
  8. and more

Ralph E Kenyon Jr.
191 White Oaks Road
Williamstown, MA 01267
November 9, 2016,
Revised February 24, 2018
Platform sections added
March 25, 2018.