PRESIDENT

I have decided that I will run for President of the United States. My reasons include, (1) I am certainly no less dumb, stupid, incompetent, unqualified, or addicted to lying than any current incumbent in a high position of government, (2) I, hopefully, have some sense of integrity, community responsibility, and public service, which is more than can be said of most occupants of current high offices, and (3) I have a program that will address three major areas of interest for most Americans, which are both fundamental and simple to understand. With these three bases of my program, I would be unique and, perhaps, even unbeatable. The only apparent vote-getting attribute I do not have is that I am not a convicted felon.

      Wait a minute, I hear you cry. You can’t run for President because you’re not a U.S. citizen. My answer to that is simple. Donald Trump has shown than illegality is no impediment to what he wants to do, and he has received the tacit, and sometimes explicit support for that position from all forms and levels of public servants, including the Supreme Court. Further, not being a citizen means that I can’t be a republican or a democrat, so I will not be bound by partisan positions and historical antecedents that are often severe impediments to progress in improving the lives of the American public. Remember, we are supposed to be a country that is governed by the people for the people.

      You’re too old, I also hear you cry. That’s why the three bases of my program – please notice I have said “program”, not campaign platform, because I know full well that what is said on campaigns bears almost no resemblance to what happens after you win for almost all politicians in the U.S., or everywhere else for that matter. I intend to be different. As an aside, senility is certainly not an impediment to running for president as the last two incumbents have amply demonstrated.

      Enough of my credentials, such as they are. What am I going to do for the American people that is different from my predecessors?

      The first, equal in importance to the other two, is to implement a flat-rate tax system for the Federal Government, combined with a strong suggestion that the individual states do the same for state tax. A flat-rate tax system that is a sales tax on everything bought; that includes your favorite Snickers bar up through your new Gulfstream private jet or donated $400 million dollar, used, “747”. No exceptions, no deductions, a total flat rate for all individuals, and businesses that are subject to Federal tax. The actual rate will be determined by a simple formula: What does the Federal Government need to provide services to the people and the country, divided by the number of people and the number of businesses. Anyone with half an understanding of computers, or even handheld calculators, should be able to work that out if they really want to. It’s much more complicated than that, I hear screams from almost everywhere. But I ask you, seriously, is it really that complicated if you take all the vested interests out of the picture and have the guts to implement such a system. Let’s say the rate is 10%. If Boeing buys components for a jet at $30 million, they pay $3 million in taxes. If Donald Trump is gifted a $400 million 747, he pays, personally, $40 million in taxes. If you and I buy a Snickers bar or an ice cream for $4.00, or a car for $30,000, we pay $0.40 and $3,000 respectively. Simple, and much more importantly, equitable. Additionally, if the Federal Government and the states adopted this program, they could severely reduce the size of their offices responsible for collecting taxes. A tremendous additional advantage is that it would considerably reduce the number of lawyers in the country – remember, the U.S. has over 70% of the world’s lawyers, and that number is inherently ridiculous and dangerous.

      The second base of my program will be a healthcare system for all Americans that actually works; a basic, free (paid for by taxes), medical coverage for everyone with an optional private healthcare for those who want, and can pay for, faster service. As the richest country in the world, I strongly feel this is a moral obligation, let alone one that is based on “government of the people for the people”. Why almost every politician in the U.S. seems to think it has to be one or the other, exclusively, is totally beyond me. It makes no sense whatsoever. Add the imperative that the comprehensive healthcare system would have free-rein to negotiate drug prices with the pharmaceutical companies, and the cost to the tax payers of the system would be considerably reduced.

      The third base is the immediate elimination of Donald Trump’s tariffs. How he has been able to convince, or intimidate, a supposedly educated population, let alone professional economists and business-people, that tariffs are a win for the country is also beyond me, except for one simple explanation which relates solely to rich people; he has sold it as a way to fund their massive tax cuts. For everyone else, tariffs simply translate into higher costs for the consumers. Admittedly, he has mitigated the immediate effect of the tariffs by (1) postponing their real implementation until after the 2028 Presidential election – provided, of course, that he allows any more elections in the country, and  (2) by intimidating business into adsorbing the increases rather than pass them on to the consumers, but that won’t last. Eventually, and probably sooner than later, those costs will be passed on, and the consumer will pay higher prices. It’s a simple game of “smoke and mirrors” perpetrated by someone who doesn’t understand tariffs, doesn’t want to understand them, or doesn’t care as long as he finds a way of providing tax cuts to his major supporters – take your choice, the result for the consumer is the same – higher prices.

      My Presidential bid, as you can see, is based on a simple program that is easy to understand, even for me at my age and intellectual level, and one that gives direct and immediate benefits to the American people. See you at the ballot box.