We are a nation deeply divided, heavily in debt, faced with serious national security issues, and viewed by many partners in the international community as untrustworthy. In addition, under the guise of the nanny state, our governments (both federal and state), are striving hard to take control of virtually every aspect of our personal lives.

In a span of a few decades, we have transitioned from a government “of the people, for the people, and by the people” to a government against the people. This was not the intent of the founding fathers; so how did we get here?  Unfortunately, our naïveté, greed, and intellectual laziness enabled a tyrannical transformation; what can we do to reverse this downward spiral?

First, any and all solutions must comply with the framework of the Constitution—this is the seminal document. It is the bedrock upon which the nation rests, and makes us, as John Adams stated, “a government of laws and not of men,” which provides stability for the peace, prosperity and the common good of its citizens.

I propose several steps to reverse this downward spiral:
1. Set strict term limits for all members of Congress in order to eliminate professional politicians whose desire to remain in office often overrides their sworn allegiance as public servants. This returns control and representation to the people, and thus a government of the people and for the people, as the founders intended. 

2. Once elected to public office, all stocks and other financial instruments must be placed in a blind trust. I find it amazing that career politicians who are paid a modest income as a public servant retire from “public service” as multimillionaires.
3. The only individuals that may lobby a congressional representative are individuals that are a constituent of that respective member of Congress. If Congress or any committee wishes to hear from industry or special interest groups, then Congress should hold open hearings on public record.
4. All government entities should operate strictly on a balanced budget. Already, several states have enacted this requirement for fiscal responsibility, and those that have are seeing the dividends of not spending more than they have in their respective treasuries. Congress must address this head-on rather than skirt spending issues, and set national priorities based upon available funds to perform the duties of the federal government as strictly delineated in the Constitution. This will eliminate duplicative government and regulations that stifle private enterprise. Ronald Reagan rightly articulated the most feared phrase in the United States of America: “We’re from the government, and we’re here to help.” Government does not create wealth, it only redistributes it.

In short, America is on the precipice of an abyss of no return, and only by returning to the basic and limited form of government that our founders envisioned will we recover from the downward spiral in which we find ourselves entangled. For those of us old enough to remember the television show “Lost in Space” and the helpful robot guardian: Our nation has been chanting for years “Danger Will Robinson!” but yet we refuse to heed the warning.

Image: Public domain.