The advantage for those of us between the ages of 78 and 60 is we have been witness to much of the recent history our kids and grandkids study in school. We have actually lived through each of the previous 19 election campaigns with all of the preelection promises followed by those promises often revoked postelection. We've seen this "show" already many, many, many times [different people, same sales pitch] and we're still waiting for true sincerity that survives the test of an elected official's time in office.
What has changed nationally or globally since the end of WWII, 1946? As a species how are we humans doing? Frankly, not worth a pile of cow doodoo, though in fact, that 'recycled-grass' is actually more valuable.
Returning, war-weary WWII soldiers had barely laundered their uniforms when those still in service were sent to fight in the Korean War. While that new conflict was taking more lives and traumatizing more civilian and military people, President Truman was convinced by General William Donovan and Head Counsel for the Office of Strategic Services to embrace the creation of an entirely new intelligence gathering agency - the CIA. On the surface post WWII not such a bad idea except the revised charter for the CIA no longer included any Oversight or Accountability to Congress as the [OSS] Office of Strategic Services had.
No accountability for anything - budget, staffing, intelligence gathering or reporting! None, zip, zilch, nada... [see: Working Without A Net: HISTORY IN AMERICA (workingwithnonet.blogspot.com)
Have most of our Presidents been compromised due to either domestic, global or personal circumstances? Yes... [see: Working Without A Net: ACCOUNTABILITY - IN AMERICA (workingwithnonet.blogspot.com)
Still, George Washington didn't subscribe to either liberal or conservative governing - he was for a free and fair self-governing society. [Owning slaves not withstanding]
PRESIDENT: *2021 White House Staff Budget $49.6 Million.--The office of the U.S. Presidency should not be partisan on any level, ever, because this office must 'serve' those who didn't vote for them as well as those who did. Leading by example the Presidency can unite [and keep united] this vast, diverse nation by, upon assuming office shedding any party affiliation -and- selecting qualified cabinet members from liberal, conservative and independent sources, including from the ranks of nonelected commerce. And - while we're at it why isn't half the members of each presidential cabinet an equal mix of liberal and conservative and independent? Why? Want to truly unify the country, let's hear from all the voices all of the time--huh?
**A cabinet is not mandated by either the Constitution or established law.
While there were sixteen cabinet level positions, George Washington’s original cabinet consisted of only four members.
In order to establish both credibility and balance, George Washington chose a cabinet that included members from different regions of the country.
Keep-1.]SECRETARY OF STATE: *2022 Budget was $58 Billion.--Should absolutely be an experienced diplomat and astute negotiator. That means someone educated in psychology, global history, and social studies. Not another law school graduate. Over the decades, the U.S.A. has managed to insult most other global cultures with disturbing regularity.
Keep-3.]DEFENSE SECRETARY:*2022 Budget was $722 Billion.--Certainly a national concern. However, well into the 21st Century, I see this position filled by someone who should work closely with the Secretary of State...Why are we as a species still fighting with each other? Do we truly have enemies - or only nations and people we have labelled as such? For what purpose? [Has anyone in the State Department or Defense spoken with Putin? What might happen if we offered Putin membership in NATO?] Isolation creates suspicion and distrust - of us. Russia was once an ally and fought with us in WWII. Germany and Japan are now allies - how did that come about?
Keep-4.]ATTORNEY GENERAL:*2022 Budget was $7 Billion.--This should cease to be a Presidential appointment and become a Congressional Appointment in order to remove any partisan favoritism. Justice can't be 'blind' when loyalties are biased.
INTERIOR SECRETARY: *2022 Budget was $17.6 Billion.--All federal government land, parks, resources, the Geological Survey and Indian Affairs is another obligation that should be returned to each State. Again, each State has unique mineral, water, vegetation, animal and indigenous reservation land needs. Far too many Native Americans still live without basic utilities. With state legislators their needs can be met faster, dealing with a closer, smaller bureaucracy.
AGRICULTURE SECRETARY: *2022 Budget was $26.55 Billion.--Here's another federal office that could so easily become the jurisdiction of each individual [sovereign] state.
COMMERCE SECRETARY: *2022 Budget was $11.5 Billion.--This is a department that should be working at the direction of each state depending on the needs of each state. Each state should be able to negotiate trade with other countries [especially in North America with Canada and Mexico] depending on the state's production of agriculture, minerals, manufacturing, etc...
LABOR SECRETARY: *2022 Budget was $504.5 Billion.--Here's one more federal agency that should be the dominion of each state.
TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: *2022 Budget was $88 Billion.--Except for our interstate highway system, the air-traffic control and our airport system, much in the way of transportation [rail, ports, trucking and most roads] could be better managed by each state.
HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT: *2022 Budget was $68.7 Billion.--So long as Congress monitors laws for fair and equal housing standards here's another federal department that can easily be managed by each state. Each state legislature is closer to the people of that state and each state's seasonal weather cycles has different housing needs. [Spring flooding, snow run off, tornados, hurricanes, mild winters, severe winters, extreme heat cycles - all require variations in housing design and construction.]
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: *2022 Budget was $133.8 Billion.--Since the Senate, Congress and all federal employees have had a comprehensive healthcare plan since 1959 - why not the rest of the country? There's something very - very - very wrong with those in elected positions who allow any of their fellow citizens to go bankrupt due to a severe health issue. [see: Working Without A Net: HEALTH-CARE IN AMERICA (workingwithnonet.blogspot.com)
ENERGY SECRETARY: *2022 Budget was $227.8 Billion.--This department could so easily be merged with a Department of the Interior in each individual state. Totally unnecessary...
EDUCATION SECRETARY: *2022 Budget was $188.16 Billion.--Yet another department that should be in the hands of each state 'with' a basic education minimum standard of curriculum set by Congress for continuity. American public school education has dropped in global standing from 6th in 1993 to 28th by 2016. [see: Working Without A Net: EDUCATION IN AMERICA (workingwithnonet.blogspot.com)
VETERAN AFFAIRS:*2022 Budget was $301.4 Billion.--Why not have this merged with the Department of Defense and managed by a [disabled] veteran staff?
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY:*2022 Budget was $11.2 Billion.--This too can be part of a state-run Department of the Interior.
HIGH PROFILE REUDUNDANT AREAS: 1.] NIA/National Intelligence Agency- 2022 $23.3 Billion; 2.] U.S. Trade Representative 2022 $73 Million; 3.] Council of Economic Advisors 2022 132 Million; 4.] Administrator of Smal Business Administration 2022 $1.06 Billion; 5.] Office of Budget and Management 2022 $98.5 Billion. **You can see for yourself where each of just these 5 samples could go. Why are they separate from Homeland or Commerce or Treasury?
WAR, WAR, WAR AND GLOBAL TERRORISM: terrorists aren't born they're created. They evolve after surviving trauma more often than not at a young age and then endure ongoing injustice year after year afterwards. With such rooted resentment against an offending government or foreign nation - there is no place for conquered, assaulted and displaced people to express their rage except by lashing back with same. Perhaps Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believes his scorched-earth approach to avenging the 1,200+ Israeli deaths of October 7 is justified - but after 11 months and 40,000+ deaths of Palestinian civilians - what he's actually doing, Fellow Travelers, is creating even more future terrorists. Netanyahu's policy has also placed the lives and future of every single Jewish person all over the globe at greater risk. So, will we see additional attacks against innocent Jews by another generation of terrorists avenging the 2024 deaths of their family members? I'm afraid so...
Sherrie Todd-Beshore is an award-winning novelist and former journalist.
Sherrie’s Substack | Sherrie Todd-Beshore | Substack
