for a better america

Here are eight things America can do to save its people and strengthen its great institutions:

• Distance Israel. America's support for Israel's expansionism makes a lie of everything America says it stands for. If America stopped trying to defend the indefensible it would virtually cease to be a terrorist target and save tens of billions of dollars. Israel has weapons of mass destruction and permits no inspections. Israel invaded neighboring countries, drove out the existing inhabitants, condemned most of them to live out their lives in refugee camps, annexed their land, razed their villages, denied them their human rights, destroyed their economy and brutally put down the slightest resistance. None of this could have happened without massive, unconditional and unquestioning American support.
• End censorship. America's media is 99% dependent on private and corporate funding. Nothing that is critical of the policies supported by the rich and powerful gets any meaningful air play. America needs a viable public broadcasting network modeled on Britain's BBC or Australia's ABC. It doesn't have to be perfect, so long as it has broad programming appeal and is independent of government and business pressuring. At present the primary role of America's media is to keep the public ignorant.
• End corruption. American democracy cannot survive without the reform of political campaign funding. The power of lobbyists has to be watered down and gerrymandering has to come to an end. The practice of electing judicial officials in some states is also highly questionable. If judges have to raise large amounts of money to be elected, and play to the crowd, the process is inevitably corrupt.
• Keep church and state separate. This was one of the founding principles of America and a distinguishing feature of its constitution. Jesus himself said "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." The government has no business interfering with people's individual moral choices. Different faiths have to live with each other and all beliefs must be respected. Political decisions must be based on reason and evidence not on voices from God or personal interpretations of the Old Testament.
• Take a reality check. American patriotism is blind. America continues to support some of the most questionable regimes in the world (like Israel, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia), as it has so many times in the past. American history has been sanitized. As long as we deny the past we will continue repeating our mistakes. It's no coincidence that Israel today is doing to the Palestinians exactly what America did to the Native Americans.
• Legalize drugs. At least 80% of America's crime is drug related. The devil in decriminalizing drugs will be in the detail, but any alternative has to be far and away better than what there is now. Safer streets and huge savings in public spending, not to mention human lives. Minimal effort should be sufficient to assist the drug dependent. If history is any guide, drug addiction is unlikely to increase. The repeal of Prohibition did not lead to an increase in alcoholism. Quite the opposite.
• Invest in child care. The best way to end endemic poverty is to provide universal child care for pre-school children. The research shows, almost beyond argument, that the benefits are enduring. It gets disadvantaged kids out of their deprived environment and teaches them essential life skills at the right stage of their development. The price is nothing compared to the price of having to deal with the problems when they emerge in adulthood.
• Reform, reform, reform! America is a world leader in technology but clings to antiquated institutions like it's system of weights and measures, and it's land title system. Not to mention it's health care mess. Time for America to become a progressive country once again. Go metric for a start. Other countries have shown that the transition brings profits as well as costs. And the long-term benefit is a more efficient, user friendly system. Why persist with a British anachronism which even the British have abandoned?

for a better world

Only five things are necessary to end poverty and hunger and solve most of the world's environmental problems:

• Go Veg! This will make the biggest difference and it's something you can significantly impact on your own. No governments have to be changed and no laws need to be passed. Simply cut your meat consumption by 80%. Or better still give it up altogether. It takes four times the land area to support a meat eater. If America were to give up meat tomorrow deforestation would come to a grinding halt, worldwide. Cut down on seafood too, or our oceans will also die.
• End agricultural subsidies in rich countries. America and the European Union in particular. That will make it economic for farmers in poor countries to produce sufficient food for local populations.
• Bring about land reform and land redistribution in poor countries. This has been the first step in achieving near miraculous economic growth in almost all previously impoverished nations. Examples include land reform under General Macarthur in Post-War Japan, through to South Korea and China in more recent times.
• Reform markets in poor countries. Let markets work and people will be free to improve their own lives. The distribution of all resources should largely be left to market forces, including water.
• Create wildlife corridors. We need corridors to link up existing islands of wildlife habitat. This will allow flora and fauna species to migrate and adjust to climate change. If wildlife is confined to isolated pockets mass extinctions are inevitable.