The Great American Reset

The Great American Reset is finally here! We can absolutely change our direction, and we will.  Regardless of our individual beliefs, it is critical we join together for positive progress.  We have been underestimated long enough. Together we will overcome the tremendous challenges we face and, channeling our very best angels, unleash the greatest version of both ourselves and our country.What in the heck have we been waiting for? Americans are the most dynamic and innovative people in the world. We are courageous, convicted and confident and we possess a unique sense of assertiveness and adaptability.  We have all of the necessary ingredients – unlimited talent and intelligence, unparalleled freedom of opportunity, and vast economic resources – to cultivate the strength and goodness of America that we all know exists but that, thanks to partisan politics, has been compromised.  We simply need to incorporate the final component: a way to harness unrelenting will.Challenging authority is our right, our responsibility, our legacy.  Since the two-party political dynamic in America has completely broken down, we will simply step in and fix this madness ourselves.  The most beautiful thing about living in America is that we have the freedom and power to create a better future for ourselves without waiting for some piece of elusive legislation to pass. We don’t need anyone’s permission to define our destiny. Is this not the greatest country on the planet?!?The exciting news is that once we take matters into our own hands, our future will be brighter than ever!  The American spirit is unmatched, and we can achieve absolutely anything we put our minds to.  It’s a good thing too, because the time has finally come to tackle the most important effort we will ever take as fellow citizens: Saving our country.The time has come for each of us to honestly question our commitment to the future of this nation.  Will our legacy be something we are proud of, or will we forever be known as the former superpower that recklessly relinquished our prominence because we lacked the will to protect it?  Deep down, do we really want to make the necessary changes or are we satisfied with accepting our political circus as some sort of perverse entertainment?  Support the show

A time will eventually come when Americans will demand better governance and true transformation will begin.  We say that time is now. It is abundantly clear that finding actual solutions to our problems is not the goal of most of our politicians, and it hasn’t been for a really long time.  Instead, it’s all about the game.The game of politics is being played by two ineffectual teams with nothing more in their arsenal than high-dollar lobbying, unconstitutional executive orders, self-serving earmarks, and despicable little tricks like gerrymandering and voter suppression.The game of politics is the reason that Russia was able to exploit our deep internal division and interfere in our sacred elections; why our total public debt is $32.3 trillion, our federal budget deficit is $1.4 trillion, and the reason we even know the term fiscal cliff; and why the U.S. debt rating was downgraded for the first time in history – now over a decade ago – because of “the gulf between the political parties”… then downgraded again in August 2023 due to “fiscal deterioration, a high and growing general government debt burden, and the erosion of governance that has manifested in repeated debt limit standoffs and last-minute resolutions.”The game of politics is why over 38 million Americans are trapped in poverty, why our inequality gaps in almost every category are massive, and why our Medicare and Social Security funds are virtually insolvent. It is why we still have broken health care, education, and criminal justice systems, and why our immigration policy is a complete cluster#*^#.It is why our checks and balances are completely out of whack, why governmental waste is colossal, and why lobbyists almost exclusively write our public policy. It’s the reason our early response to Covid-19 was a disaster – as was our exit from Afghanistan – and why our closest allies are still somewhat confused and concerned.The game of politics is why atrocities like “enhanced interrogation techniques” (i.e., torture) and Guantánamo called into question our national core values and threatened our global image; why Iran and China are resentful and resurgent; and why Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un are essentially shooting us the bird.It cannot be denied: The game of politics has brought this country to the brink, to the point where we literally have no choice but to make serious, significant changes.We're pretty sure most of us believe this to be true, but we always get stumped by the million-dollar question: How in the world do we do it? We are convinced there is only one answer to this question. To truly disrupt the game of politics, we have to fundamentally change the way it is played. And realistically, there is only one way to fundamentally change the way it is played: Add more players to the game.Support the show

Donald Trump has done this country a huge favor.  We owe him a debt of gratitude because, in just four years – love him or hate him – he has exposed every single weakness within our government and brought to the surface the deep fault lines that have destabilized this nation for decades.Before him, it was like this slow drip, drip, drip.  We could feel in our hearts that things were off, but had a hard time identifying exactly what those things were.  Most of us assumed a day of reckoning was coming eventually, and it most certainly was. Donald Trump just accelerated the process.Some of the things mentioned in this podcast are subjective and, therefore, leave room for opinion. For example, topics like the size our government should be and the role it should play, or whether we should or shouldn’t have withdrawn from major international agreements.On the other hand, many of the things mentioned are objective.  We actually have the data necessary to assess things like Donald Trump’s trade wars and tax cuts. We actually have provable outcomes and can clearly track the relationship between cause and effect. After all, numbers don’t lie.We now know.Support the show

The Butterfly Effect is the idea that small changes in the early state of a system can cause significant and unpredictable changes to its future state.  For example, the flutter of a butterfly’s wings in Africa could possibly alter the atmosphere just enough to change a hurricane’s path from across the Gulf of Mexico to up the East Coast.  Although the butterfly does not cause the hurricane, it’s a small part of a larger sequence of events that causes a major change in the ultimate outcome.Most often The Butterfly Effect is associated with chaos theory, a field of study in mathematics.  But this profound concept can extend far beyond mathematical equations or weather patterns.  The power of this phenomenon is what Americans so desperately need to embrace to solve our national challenges and change the way our dysfunctional political system operates once and for all.Just as the butterfly and the hurricane are elaborately connected, our domestic and foreign policies are linked in intricate ways.  If we don’t pay close attention, a policy decision that we make today can have significant consequences down the road – in ways we may never have considered.The Butterfly Effect can work either for us or against us. Decisions can be altruistic and intelligent and therefore have a positive impact on our future. Or they can be self-serving and illogical and therefore lead this nation into chaos. Lately it’s been the latter, but that trend is about to end. This book will prove that even the slightest disruption can transform our severely broken political system.  Better yet, a large one can transform the world.Support the show

An honest, unflinching look at race in America.From the podcast: "To fully comprehend and appreciate the complexity of our social condition, the suppressed elements routinely involved in our decision-making process must be brought to the forefront of the conversation. This will finally uncover the fundamental roadblocks, both conscious and unconscious, that prohibit tolerance and compassion. Then we must all rise above – rise above our histories, our prejudices and our discomforts and just do the right thing.As we move forward, let’s take Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s advice and not be people who are more devoted to order than to justice.  Let’s not be people who prefer a negative peace (meaning, that, yes, there is a certain peace, but with the absence of tension) to a positive peace (which is peace, but with the presence of justice). Together, let’s prove once and for all Dr. King’s belief that “Although the arc of the moral universe is long, it always bends toward justice.”We hope you enjoy the podcast! ...learn more at www.1787forAmerica.org.Support the show

Hear Emily's personal take on the increasing influence of religion in politics and the absolute imperativeness of separation between church and state. Here's a preview of her feelings on the matter: "The only time Jesus got mad in the entire Bible was at the pious, greedy, arrogant Pharisees (yes, I’m drawing a parallel).  Jesus said of the Pharisees in Matthew 23: “They do not practice what they preach.  They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them...Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!  You shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces.”Buckle up! : ) We hope you enjoy the podcast! ...learn more at www.1787forAmerica.org.Support the show

We must completely reframe our approach to the U.S. criminal justice system because it’s expensive, unfair, ineffective, and has been a destructive force in many people’s lives for decades. In almost every category – including the apprehension, prosecution, defense, sentencing, and punishment of Americans suspected or convicted of criminal offenses – we are failing miserably. According to the World Prison Brief, the United States has the highest prison population rate – meaning, the number of prisoners per 100,000 of the national population – in the entire world. Followed by El Salvador, Turkmenistan, Thailand, and Cuba.  Does this sound good to you? We hope you enjoy the podcast! ...learn more at www.1787forAmerica.org.Support the show

This is a wedge issue, meaning many people use it to divide us.  We cannot allow this! It causes massive damage to our country and prevents smart, sustainable solutions. So, let’s reframe the debate. This is a really tough one. It’s tough because there are so many levels of emotion involved.  It’s tough because there are so many highly personal issues tangled up in the topic – everything from Constitutional rights to mental health to polar opposite lifestyles and traditions.  It’s tough because people die.  It’s tough because the people who die have people who deeply love them. Innocent children get murdered in cold blood just for going to school. Innocent people in Las Vegas get murdered in cold blood just for going to listen to their favorite music.  Innocent families get murdered in cold blood for shopping at Walmart on a beautiful Saturday morning.  It’s tough because we all want to get this right.  It’s tough because we all want these tragedies to end.But here is where we must be really, really careful.  For us to get this challenge under control, the comprehensive strategy we design must be based on facts, not on emotion.  After a murderer uses an assault rifle in a mass shooting, for example, it is understandable that the conversation turns to banning automatic assault weapons.  After all, the shooter used an automatic assault weapon to kill these innocent men, women and children, so it stands to reason that, without him having access to it, these people would still be alive. But is that actually true?  We hope you enjoy the podcast! ...learn more at www.1787forAmerica.org.Support the show

1787 takes a hard, honest look at the United States' successes and failures in Afghanistan - from the moment American boots hit the ground (again) on October 19, 2001 to our disastrous withdrawal in 2021.We hope you enjoy the podcast! ...learn more at www.1787forAmerica.org.Support the show

Although it sometimes seems there is an avalanche of problems in America, let’s begin this podcast from a place of profound gratitude.  Yes, we face challenges. But in the whole scheme of history, we’re in pretty great shape!The United States of America is NOT a flimsy, fragile country. America has overcome horrific atrocities, from the horrors of slavery, to brothers fighting brothers in the Civil War, to the nightmare of the Depression, to the unfathomable murders of Kennedys and King. Our incredibly resilient country survived two horrific World Wars, one very hot war in Asia, and one very cold one.Above all, every single one of us should be profoundly grateful to live in this extraordinary country.  The fact that we have unlimited freedom to even suggest a new political party with the comforting knowledge that not one single person in this country can stop us is remarkable.  It’s just awesome!Please don’t get the wrong impression. We are in no way minimizing the struggles and stress that American families feel on a daily basis, nor downplaying the magnitude of the problems we need to fix.  But it’s really – really! – important that we all remember exactly what we are fighting to save.We are incredibly fortunate to live in the United States of America.  Above all, let’s be profoundly grateful to live in this exceptional, one-of-a-kind place. We are the country that welcomes the poor, the tired and the huddled masses.  We are the country that celebrates life, liberty and justice for all.  We are the country that perfected the right to peaceful assembly, freedom of speech and the free exercise of religion.And just look at what a collaborative, compassionate, and supportive America has achieved around the globe. We are the country that initiated the Lend-Lease policy, which helped defeat Germany, Japan and Italy in World War II by providing weapons, food, oil, and other supplies to the United Kingdom, China, the Soviet Union and France. We are the country that enacted the Marshall Plan, which enabled Europe to rebuild after years of devastating war. With our support, South Korea evolved from an extremely poor, vulnerable autocracy to a vibrant, healthy democracy – as did Japan. China was able to integrate into the global economy, which helped reduce poverty for billions.Around the globe, our security and support have provided countries the opportunity to foster democratic governments and strong economies. We were instrumental in creating international organizations like the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank. We crushed the Cold War and stopped communism in its tracks.  We spent billions to fight HIV in developing countries, which provided almost 10 million people antiviral drugs and prevented hundreds of thousands of babies from being infected with HIV at birth.  Yay, America!Lately, there have been evil forces that have tried to divert us from these ideals, but we will not allow them to win this battle.  Our greatest responsibility as Americans is to preserve and protect the very reasons that America is so great, and to make sure America’s light shines far beyond our shores once again.We hope you enjoy the podcast! ...learn more at www.1787forAmerica.org.Support the show

Here is our promise to you: We will always fight hard to make sure 1787 is fiscally responsible – exhibiting transparency, leveraging assets, and exercising discipline.Our goal is to enhance the quality of life for every American by greatly improving federal programs and the way our government operates while, at the same time, significantly reducing our debt and closing the ever-widening gap of our deficit.Initially, 1787 has a two-part fiscal strategy and we will live by it faithfully.Fiscal Strategy: Part OneNo New Non-Emergency Spending, Just a Reallocation of Existing ResourcesAll of 1787’s non-emergency policies will be cost neutral for at least two years, then we will reevaluate.  No new money is necessary, just a reallocation of existing resources. Don’t worry!  None of our important federal programs will suffer – they will just be run much more efficiently. Without a doubt, we can make serious headway in our national funding crisis – full stop – if we:  stop wasting resources and get a bigger bang for our buck by taking a comprehensive approach.Fiscal Strategy: Part TwoSignificantly Reduce Our Debt and Close the Gap on Our DeficitWe will begin to reduce our astronomical debt and deficit in two steps:Step One: End the massive inefficiency and waste that infects every level of our federal government and use these found funds solely for the purpose of reducing our debt and closing the gap on our deficit.  The 1787 initiative that leads this effort is called Operation Overhaul. Step Two: Fairly readjust the tax code. Good times!!We hope you enjoy the podcast! ...learn more at www.1787forAmerica.org.Support the show

Here is our promise to you: We will always fight hard to make sure 1787 is fiscally responsible – exhibiting transparency, leveraging assets, and exercising discipline.Our goal is to enhance the quality of life for every American by greatly improving federal programs and the way our government operates while, at the same time, significantly reducing our debt and closing the ever-widening gap of our deficit.Initially, 1787 has a two-part fiscal strategy and we will live by it faithfully.Fiscal Strategy: Part OneNo New Non-Emergency Spending, Just a Reallocation of Existing ResourcesAll of 1787’s non-emergency policies will be cost neutral for at least two years, then we will reevaluate.  No new money is necessary, just a reallocation of existing resources. Don’t worry!  None of our important federal programs will suffer – they will just be run much more efficiently. Without a doubt, we can make serious headway in our national funding crisis – full stop – if we:  stop wasting resources and get a bigger bang for our buck by taking a comprehensive approach.Fiscal Strategy: Part TwoSignificantly Reduce Our Debt and Close the Gap on Our DeficitWe will begin to reduce our astronomical debt and deficit in two steps:Step One: End the massive inefficiency and waste that infects every level of our federal government and use these found funds solely for the purpose of reducing our debt and closing the gap on our deficit.  The 1787 initiative that leads this effort is called Operation Overhaul. Step Two: Fairly readjust the tax code. Good times!!We hope you enjoy the podcast! ...learn more at www.1787forAmerica.org.Support the show

Here is our promise to you: We will always fight hard to make sure 1787 is fiscally responsible – exhibiting transparency, leveraging assets, and exercising discipline. Our goal is to enhance the quality of life for every American by greatly improving federal programs and the way our government operates while, at the same time, significantly reducing our debt and closing the ever-widening gap of our deficit. Initially, 1787 has a two-part fiscal strategy and we will live by it faithfully.Fiscal Strategy: Part OneNo New Non-Emergency Spending, Just a Reallocation of Existing ResourcesAll of 1787’s non-emergency policies will be cost neutral for at least two years, then we will reevaluate.  No new money is necessary, just a reallocation of existing resources. Don’t worry!  None of our important federal programs will suffer – they will just be run much more efficiently. Without a doubt, we can make serious headway in our national funding crisis – full stop – if we:  stop wasting resources and get a bigger bang for our buck by taking a comprehensive approach.Fiscal Strategy: Part TwoSignificantly Reduce Our Debt and Close the Gap on Our DeficitWe will begin to reduce our astronomical debt and deficit in two steps:Step One: End the massive inefficiency and waste that infects every level of our federal government and use these found funds solely for the purpose of reducing our debt and closing the gap on our deficit.  The 1787 initiative that leads this effort is called Operation Overhaul.  Step Two: Fairly readjust the tax code. Good times!!We hope you enjoy the podcast! ...learn more at www.1787forAmerica.org.Support the show

Does no one in Washington understand the wise saying make hay while the sun shines?America’s fiscal course is unsustainable, and we all know it.  Year after year our spending has increased while our revenues have fallen short.  But instead of tackling this shortfall head-on and jeopardizing their re-election bids, our leaders have chosen to borrow enormous amounts of money to cover it.In July 2019, the United States economic expansion entered its 10th year, making it the longest on record. At the time, according to The Wall Street Journal, “more than 20 million jobs had been created so far in the expansion that started in mid-2009, and the net worth of American households – the value of assets such as stocks and housing minus debts such as mortgages and credit cards – had increased by $47 trillion.”Unemployment was low and job creation seemed solid.  In fact, the labor market had experienced an astonishing recovery from the 2007-2009 Financial Crisis.  In July 2019, the seasonally adjusted official unemployment rate was 3.7 percent. Although there is debate among economists about the magic unemployment target, this is a great number.  Some would even say that America had reached its full productive capacity – meaning we were finally at a point where almost everyone who wanted a job actually had one and that our workforce was producing at near to full speed.  By many measures, the U.S. economy looked strong.But, as always, here is where we got ourselves into trouble.  During our claw back from the 2007-2009 Financial Crisis, it was impossible to know how long the economic expansion was going to last.  After all, the U.S. economy looked great before the Financial Crisis also, to the point where practically no one saw it coming.  In other words, everything was great – until it wasn’t.Therefore, while we were fortunate enough to be in an expansion, the smart, responsible course of action would have been to use those critical years to solidify our financial stability; spend money on investment in our future through cutting-edge research and development and intelligent infrastructure projects; and finally tackle the root causes of the financial Apocalypse that is quickly bearing down on us (a.k.a. Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and pensions).Instead, Congress and the Trump administration drowned us in debt, passed extremely expensive tax cuts, started trade wars, restricted legal immigration, eviscerated regulation, and allowed our workforce to remain in denial and ill-prepared for the harsh realities of the 21st century workplace.While things like tax cuts, trade, immigration and regulation provide great one-liners at campaign rallies, taken together many of the Trump administration’s actions were incredibly reckless and devastating for our long-term economic outlook... and we are going to prove it to you in this podcast, with actual facts straight from the United States government, not cable news nonsense!We hope you enjoy the podcast! ...learn more at www.1787forAmerica.org.Support the show

At 1787, we know – with zero doubt – that there is a pathway to victory for new political players if we STAND TOGETHER.The destructive, archaic two-party structure has run its course.  It’s time to level the playing field in American politics by shattering this debilitating dynamic once and for all.If you think we sound naïve, we ask you:  Why not?  Why can’t a country of smart, innovative and empowered people unite to demand a larger voice in defining our future?  We have nothing to lose and everything to gain because the alternative is just not working.It’s understandable that we “ordinary” Americans feel as powerless as David as we face the Goliath of special interest groups and national party affiliation, but there is massive strength in even relatively small numbers. Consider the extraordinary power of special interest groups.  They have enormous influence in Washington and exert unparalleled control over our leaders. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is one of the most influential lobbying groups in Washington but has just over 100,000 members. The National Education Association (NEA), one of the top influences in the Democratic party, has only three million members but their efforts consistently obstruct a ton of educational proposals. There are reportedly just five million members of the National Rifle Association (NRA) – even in complete internal disarray, the undisputed master of the Republican Party – but they have historically blocked just about everything regarding gun control.Hey, “ordinary” Americans, don’t forget that there are over 255 million adults in the United States. AIPAC’s members are only 0.04 percent of the entire adult population. The NEA members are only 1 percent and the NRA’s members are only 2 percent.We're not completely delusional.  We fully recognize the uphill battle we face. For one, our current political system is designed to be an impenetrable fortress, purposefully constructed to protect the two-party system in every way. The Electoral College, ballot access and debate rules, and endless other hurdles combine to make the playing field extraordinarily inequitable for new players.There is also no question that those currently in charge will do everything in their power to try to stop us because this idea threatens their very existence.  It’s in their best interest to keep us alienated from one another because when we actually join forces, their Machiavellian gig will be up. Many people think money rules Washington, but the power created by financial contributions is nothing in the face of an alliance that can take their power away. Our success is their worst nightmare because, when we prove that we are a force to be reckoned with, we will literally change the way this country is run.That said, we also know – with zero doubt – that there is a pathway to victory if we STAND TOGETHER. There will always be people who fight to protect the status quo, but that’s really not even an option anymore. Clearly things can’t stay as they are, and we won’t change things if we are not daring, bold and brave.Times are changing and changing fast. A new political party will eventually win. We guarantee you that, fellow Americans.To The Establishment we say: Bring it on! Take your best shot and try with all of your might to stop us, but it won’t work this time. Your glory days are over.We hope you enjoy the podcast! ...learn more at www.1787forAmerica.org.Support the show

It is abundantly clear that finding actual solutions to our problems is not the goal of most of our politicians, and it hasn’t been for a really long time.  Instead, it’s all about the game.The insidious game of politics is being played by two ineffectual teams with nothing more in their arsenal than high-dollar lobbying, unconstitutional executive orders, self-serving earmarks, and despicable little tricks like gerrymandering and voter suppression.The game of politics is the reason that Russia was able to exploit our deep internal division and interfere in our sacred elections; why our total public debt is $31 trillion, our federal budget deficit reached $3.13 trillion, and the reason we even know the term fiscal cliff; and why the U.S. debt rating was downgraded for the first time in history – now over a decade ago – because of “the gulf between the political parties.”The game of politics is why over 37 million Americans are trapped in poverty, why our inequality gaps in almost every category are massive, and why our Medicare and Social Security funds are virtually insolvent. It is why we still have broken health care, education, and criminal justice systems, and why our immigration policy is a complete cluster#*^#.It is why our checks and balances are completely out of whack, why governmental waste is colossal, and why lobbyists almost exclusively write our public policy. It’s the reason our early response to Covid-19 was a disaster – as was our exit from Afghanistan – and why our allies are still somewhat confused and concerned.The game of politics is why atrocities like “enhanced interrogation techniques” (i.e., torture) and Guantánamo called into question our national core values and threatened our global image; why Iran and China are resentful and resurgent; and why Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un are essentially shooting us the bird.It cannot be denied: The game of politics has brought this country to the brink, to the point where we literally have no choice but to make serious, significant changes.1787 is certain that most Americans believe this to be true, but we always get stumped by the million-dollar question: How in the world do we do it? We are convinced there is only one answer to this question. To truly disrupt the game of politics, we have to fundamentally change the way it is played. And realistically, there is only one way to fundamentally change the way it is played:  Add more players to the game. We hope you enjoy the podcast! ...learn more at www.1787forAmerica.org.Support the show

1787 is a new American political party. Nice to meet you!Our mission has three parts:Part One of the 1787 Mission: To find smart and sustainable solutions – with common sense and little drama – so we can create the America we all know is possible. To best tackle this, 1787 views our challenges as two paths that can be navigated at the same time, equally successfully. The Path of Policies is a straightforward path that we will take to address our most pressing policy issues. The Path of Politics is a more twisted one!  This is the path we will take to end the glaring corruption in our political system. Part Two of the 1787 Mission: Obliterate the game of politics so we can actually get these smart and sustainable solutions across the finish line – and actually do something! Imagine that!Part Three of the 1787 Mission: Have a great time doing all of it!! Aren’t you tired of everyone being mean and cranky because of politics? We need to chill out and start having fun again, America!We hope you enjoy the podcast! ...learn more at www.1787forAmerica.org.Support the show

The Butterfly Effect is the idea that small changes in the early state of a system can cause significant and unpredictable changes to its future state.  For example, the flutter of a butterfly’s wings in Africa could possibly alter the atmosphere just enough to change a hurricane’s path from across the Gulf of Mexico to up the East Coast.Although the butterfly does not cause the hurricane, it is a small part of a larger sequence of events that causes a major change in the ultimate outcome.  Most often The Butterfly Effect is associated with chaos theory, a field of study in mathematics.  However, this profound concept extends far beyond mathematical equations or weather patterns.. The power of this phenomenon is what Americans so desperately need to embrace to solve our national challenges and change the way our dysfunctional political system operates once and for all. Just as the butterfly and the hurricane are elaborately connected, our domestic and foreign policies are linked in intricate ways.  If we don’t pay close attention, a policy decision that we make today can have significant consequences down the road – in ways we may never have considered.The Butterfly Effect can work either for us or against us. Decisions can be altruistic and intelligent and therefore have a positive impact on our future. Or they can be self-serving and illogical and therefore lead this nation into chaos.Lately it’s been the latter, but that trend is about to end. 1787 will prove that even the slightest disruption can transform our severely broken political system. Better yet, a large one can transform the entire world!We hope you enjoy the podcast! ...learn more at www.1787forAmerica.org.Support the show