shifting the national dialog; why america needs to talk about fairness

8/6/2019 Shifting the National Dialog; Why America Needs to Talk About Fairness

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Shifting theShifting the

National Dialog:National Dialog:Why America NeedsWhy America Needs

to Talk About Fairnessto Talk About Fairness

Copyright 2011, All Rights Reserved


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2Copyright 2011 The Fairness Coalition

An Introduction

Over the past several decades, American Politics has

drifted further and further away from the concerns and

issues that effect the vast majority of its citizens.

While global issues and the needs or desires of big

business are important so to are the needs anddesires of middle class Americans.

Where once there was a balance between the interests

of ordinary folks and a power elite now there is little

or none. The dialog has become totally one-sided andnow only those who can afford to play the game are

heard. Free Speech has never been so expensive.

With balance gone, were rapidly losing Fairness too


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Politics is more than a popularity contest it is the

mechanism which defines the nature of our society.

Failure in the operational aspects of politics is simply not

an option. There must be balance.


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Critical Questions

1. Do we want a country where every voice is heard ?

2. Do we want a country where the value of free speech is

measured in dollars rather than merit ?

3. Do we want the same or greater opportunities for our

children as we had ?

4. Do we want a society where 95% of the people have to

sacrifice to satisfy the greed of the other 5%?

5. Do we want a country where American workers andsmall business are valued less than cheap overseas

alternatives?

6. Do we want to be able to decide our own futures?


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What is Fairness?

Some will claim that Fairness is too subjective to build

a political philosophy around we disagree.

We can attribute certain characteristics to Fairness

which allow it to be accurately identified and agreed

upon.

More importantly, we can apply those characteristics or

principles to any political issue or policy. The concept

of Fairness can significantly increase accountability in

governance and politics. We contend that Fairness is both the foundation upon

which this nation was built as well as the primary

mechanism for all its later successes.


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Characteristics of Fairness 1

1. Fairness is merit-based.

2. Fairness is rooted in the notion that hard work and

honesty are always superior to privilege or power.

3. Fairness is a national good; in other words, our focus is

our society, our nation The United States of America.No global trend should persuade us to relinquish our

rights or principles.

4. Money is not Free Speech and never can be.

Corporations are not human beings and never can be.

5. Fairness involves both shared sacrifice and shared

prosperity without special exemptions.


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When presidential debates become contests betweencandidates trying to sound ever more like one another -

its a sign that the dialog has shifted away from the

interests of ordinary Americans.


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Characteristics of Fairness 2

6. Fairness is ethical. Fairness applies a new canon of

ethics to politics.

7. Fairness is not Liberal orConservative, not Republican

or Democratic it is transcends all and serves as a

guidepost for all.

8. Fairness respects and promotes Democracy; Free

Speech, 1 person 1 vote, Majority Rule.

9. Fairness promotes the public good for everyone not

just a few.

10.Fairness promotes long-term solutions, as opposed to

knee jerk reactions which create more problems.


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Fairness & Politics

There are three core dimensions in Politics:

1.A Personal Dimension

2.An Economic Dimension

3.A Political Dimension

Fairness can be applied to each of these

dimensions:

1.A FairChance (for the ordinary American)2.Fair Economics

3.Fair Government


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Fairness 1 - Personal

This dimension addresses how people view Fairness

in their personal lives or in their relationship togovernment or society.

The story of America is the story of the individual

the average person who betters themselves and hasthe opportunity to do better than their parents did.

The difference between America and the rest of

world was that our society provided opportunities for

upward mobility. America gave ordinary people a chance A Fair

Chance. Fairness, the political philosophy,

recognizes the need to protect and promote this.


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Power without conscience is morally bankrupt andfundamentally contradicts the principles of Fairness


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Fairness 2 - Economic

This dimension addresses Fairness in the context of

economic policy.

Fair Economics involves refocusing on the American

Workforce and the American Standard of Living.

Fair Economics is not anti-business; quite the

contrary, it recognizes the importance of small

business and open competition in the marketplace.

Fair Economics contends that business growthcannot be sustained if the American workers are

discarded and mega-companies are allowed to

monopolize entire industries.


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Fairness 3 - Political

This dimension addresses Fairness in the context of

political policy.

Fair Government is not concerned about the size of

government but rather who the government

represents. Any sized government that fails torepresent the rights and interests of the overwhelming

percentage of its citizens must be considered a failure.

Contrary to the popular dialog today, ordinary

Americans did not create the economic crisis and theBudget deficits or debt. Ordinary Americans should not

be held responsible or forced to suffer for other

peoples mistakes.


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One thing that both sides ought to be able to agree on is

Fairness the need to protect it and the need to promote

it. We dont have to agree on every issue to work together

to make this country stronger


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Changing the Dialog

So, how does someone go about changing the national

dialog / debate? How can we introduce the topic ofFairness ?

It starts simply enough if political leaders and pundits

decide to talk about issues that arent important and

create new problems instead of solving the old ones

first then ignore what theyre saying.

Disregard what they say and change the subject ask

them why they ignored the real issues.Ask them whythey havent created new jobs ask them why they are

promoting policies that will hurt you and reward the

people who created the crisis. Get engaged


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Who We Are

The Fairness Coalition consists of ordinary Americans

who are tired of the direction the country is going in.

We began this effort from the Heartland, outside the

beltway, because we know that true change cannot

happen inside of Washington.

We represent the countless Americans who no longer

identify with existing parties or activist groups. This is

not about remaking America into some new Liberal or

Conservative vision it is about restoring America to

the successful formula it employed in the latter half of

the 20th Century. That America respected and

supported Fairness and as a result became the most

powerful, prosperous nation in the history of mankind.


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Conclusion

At the close of Summer 2011, the approval rate for the

US Congress stands at 13%. The Presidents approvalhas also sunk to its lowest level yet.

Why has this happened ? Ordinary Americans are

telling our leaders that they havent listened.

Government and politicians are now creating problems

rather than solving them.

This is what happens when balance is lost, when the

interests of ordinary Americans are discarded andwhen the principles of Fairness are traded-in for

political deal-making. Before we can change this

though, we must change the discussion, now

shifting the national dialog; why america needs to talk about fairness

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