As all politicians know and say, the national debt and annual deficit are crushing burdens. But the problem cannot be solved merely by trimming the fat in Congressional staffs, welfare programs, and foreign aid. Spending cuts must occur in entitlement programs; unnecessary military bases must be closed regardless of political consequences; many agricultural subsidies must be ended; higher capital gains taxes must be enacted; middle-class income taxes must not be cut; gas, cigarette, and alcohol taxes must be increased. The burden of balancing the budget must be borne by all Americans and especially by those most able to do so without sacrificing the necessities of life. People will pay taxes if those taxes are fair and used wisely.
Firing Dr. Jocelyn Elders for speaking the truth was a cowardly act. All cabinet officers should be as frank as this courageous physician. Probably every person in the cabinet believes that a single-payer national health insurance program is the best system. It will save money and provide good health care for every American. As a resident of Canada, I have seen how well such a system works. Every political party in Canada from the far right to the far left supports the national health program: because it works--pure and simple.
The physical inventory of American assets is deteriorating. We need to build more bridges, roads, sewer systems, and water treatment plants rather than more prisons. Crime is rampant because parts of the social structure-- particularly in the inner cities--are crumbling as much as the economic infrastructure. Make no mistake: criminal behavior must not be condoned and criminals must be punished not excused. The problem of crime is horrible and at present appears almost intractable. Phoney solutions like the three-strikes-you're-out laws, locking up more people than any other country in the western world, and capital punishment, are all short-term remedies that may cause more long-range problems. We must attack the social origins of the crisis: racism, the decay of the inner cities, the culture of violence, and mind-numbing poverty. We can begin by unequivocally denouncing the gun lobby and by enacting no-nonsense handgun and assault gun controls. We should decriminalize some categories of illegal drugs, re-direct tax monies from the suburbs to the inner cities, and frankly state that there is no quick solution to the crime epidemic. It took a long time to develop and it will take a long time to cure.
As I hope my candidacy and dual citizenship symbolize, the nation-states of the world are tied more closely together than at any previous time. We must abandon the lingering remnants of isolationist thought voiced by some ultra nationalists and economic protectionists. Diplomacy should support the vital interests of the United States but it should also reach beyond merely seeking military and trade advantages and promote issues of health, fairness, and morality abroad as we do at home.This will produce more prosperity and peace in the long run both at home and overseas. The Clinton administration has made efforts in this direction but as in all things has been halting and inconsistent. The United States should speak forcefully on violations of human rights in places such as China and Kuwait, it should support the United Nations more and NATO less, it should support the GATT not oppose it, and take the lead within trade negotiations to support environmental concerns. In general the United States should exercise more leadership within multi-lateral organizations -- these will constitute the true "New World Order" -- and not flex its muscles as often in bi-lateral relations. For example, instead of threatening sanctions against Japan over auto imports, the United States should have argued its case before the World Trade Organization.
President Clinton has stood by in near silence as the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Public Broadcasting System have been attacked by anti-intellectual bigots in society and the Congress. These relatively inexpensive organizations should be forthrightly defended as national jewels in our collective cultural life. Similarly, the Smithsonian Institute was terribly wounded because the administration lacked the courage to stand up to the veterans' organizations which attacked its display on the ending of World War Two. The federal government must not allow itself to be bullied into submission by self-appointed censors.
President Clinton showed extraordinary courage when he attempted to end discrimination against gays in the military. But he wavered when he met opposition and adopted a nonsensical policy: "don't ask, don't tell." This set the tone for his stands on other controversial issues: rush forward and then retreat under pressure. The president must be a moral leader; the president must have the courage of his own convictions. Of course politicians are sensitive to political currents but an effective president cannot be paralyzed by fears of momentary unpopularity. Leaders must have a core of values to anchor them to public life.