It has been almost 10 years since my last book. I recommend it to anyone interested in world problems and in the issues of the day. It's available online at Amazon Kindle in digital, paperback, and hardcover. It is also available at Barnes and Noble.

A Practical Guidebook for Real Political Reform-

What I propose in “On Our Way to Paradise” is a set of reforms based on the universal values of the common good, the common benefit, and civility.

The New Book is Out!

"One Our Way to Paradise" is a how-to book on revitalizing the middle class in the U.S. and the same formula can be used in other developed countries as well. Using the current political system a small groups of citizens can return the governmental, commercial, and cultural focus to building a vibrant middle class with worker and consumer protections as well. The book details specific proposals to enable average citizens to prosper again. At another level, the book is a how to guide on how to organize and implement real and specific change for human progress. It addresses the need to reach for the next steps in human development to end war, poverty, and hunger worldwide, along with providing developing people with the basics needed to survive. It interposes a fair social, legal, and economic system as well. It calls for the development of a worldwide middle class and provides the basics for living to all people and it does it without overburdening the working class in this change.

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

The Book is available on line at Amazon Kindle in digital, paperback, and hardcover. It is also available at Barnes and Noble. Free with Kindle Unlimited, $7.50 to buy and $12.99 in paperback.

Overview, “On Our Way to Paradise”

We know life on this planet presents a gentle struggle for survival. As humans we struggle against the elements, we struggle with each other, and we struggle within ourselves. We know the planet Earth is the only known inhabited planet in the universe. Humans can only live on a sliver of the planet and the climate is only ideal for a few weeks of each year. Whether rich or poor, humans are susceptible to illness and disease and that longevity is not guaranteed for any of us but living in more developed areas does help. It is a key factor in longevity and comfortable living.

We have always had a need for an organizational structure to regulate our interactions for reasons of safety and mutual benefit. We know that building on what others have discovered and built in the past makes life better for us now. We know that this type of cooperation with one another leads to a better life than trying to survive as a collection of individuals. While we do not empirically know why we exist, the only rational path is to work with one another to lessen the struggle that life presents.

Over the centuries we have used several methods of organization. We have had religious rule, strong rulers, and today we mostly use governments to organize and regulate both the public private aspects of our lives. They are suppose to be representatives of the public they govern but few offer a truly fair system in the minds of the many individuals who are governed. In thought it is easy to envision a fairer system than currently exists, but it is hard to change the status quo. When done, it must be in ways that leaves as many aspects of the society and culture intact as possible while ending things that have harmed people and impeded human progress.

We all recognize that dissatisfaction with the system is a leading cause of disruption. To fight this tendency we must be certain that any new system leaves no one behind. No one should be left out or exploited. Also, people are fragmented and divided along geographical lines. There are also other natural and artificial divisions like race, gender, and religion. We have divisions of social and economic class and of educational levels. Some of us are more civic minded than others. Some of us are opportunist. As a planet of people we must stop exploiting weaker and disadvantaged people in all its forms. Wealth is fine but it can not be allowed to exploit others by unscrupulous means. Currently, this occurs in virtually every part of the world. Unearthing this age old tendency will be a difficult aspect of achieving progress but it must be done to reach a higher plateau in human development.

With this understanding of the challenges ahead, “Jimism” is an arbitrary name given to a set of basic filters in which every social and culture code should pass that will indicate that it is just and fair. It is comprised of two universally accepted premises, that of the common good and the common benefit. The common good is an assurance for the community. The Common Benefit is an assurance for the individuals who make up the community. The stated goal is for all people to live peacefully and fruitfully among each other while enabling the most human progress possible. We need not always be altruistic for the system to work. Many people are familiar with the general theme of the common good but any successful system must have individual assurances as well. It is not enough that a society flourishes, the individual must recognize that they receive a direct, constant, and satisfactory benefit for their participation in the society. Given the world today, we can look at the entire planet as one big society as we are now connected by technology as well as travel. Anything that happens in any part of the globe will affect those in the other parts. Any people left behind any where in the world will eventually result it disruption.

The first goal in the development of a better world is too live in civility with one another. This is true on all levels from individual interactions to interactions between nations. We know that it would cost nothing for people to speak and interact civilly. We need only require it of each other. This is a base value as it requires a calm conversation to transact importation discussions where words and their meaning are the driving force not emotion or bluster. We would benefit from it is daily life but we must have it in discussions of war and peace with other nations.

Next, we must have fairness. The social and legal codes must be fair for both the group and the individuals who make up that group. When they are not fair they should be adjusted. Where people are being oppressed adjustments must be made for the system to be considered valid.

We need solutions to several age-old problems. We have several basic problems that must addressed as we shift to a new world view. We need to end human violence against one another. It is the most inhuman thing we do. We need to adjust our legal, commercial, and social system to end all forms of human violence and all forms of human exploitation.

On a more upbeat note, we need to develop a worldwide middle class. That is where most people should exist and creating a worldwide middle class should be the focus of the world economy. While we will still have plenty of individual wealth, it should not be the aim of economic systems throughout the world.

In casting out human violence we have positioned ourselves to reject war anywhere on the planet but we must also reject starvation, mass hunger and mass poverty wherever it exists. The rational for these things are discussed in my book, but it is not just for moral or charitable reasons, all people must benefit from our system to be peaceful and cooperative. If you can not be motivated by what is right and fair then be motivated to lend a helping hand up to others to better assure there will be no disruption in your way of life.

For the system to work, for humans to live in peace, harmony, and progress, all the people on the planet must have the basics needed to survive, including a shelter and food to eat. When people complain about helping others at this level I say, “do not worry no one is asking you to pay for it.” The working class shall not be overburdened with the expense of helping those who live in the poorer parts of town and in other lands as they struggle for life. It will fall gently and in small portions on those who make super incomes way above the average income of the working class. The only blanket fee for human progress I can recall is the consideration for a one percent tariff on all good in international commerce. I truly think an well organized presentation would cause people to pay what I call a voluntary tax. That is another possible way to raise funds.

What Should America Look Like:

The American Dream should be restored and America should be number one in the issues important to a vibrant middle class. We want both government and commerce to focus on middle class ideals.

America should be among the countries with the highest standard of living for it's people. The government should also protect the citizens from the elements of the society that would oppress or exploit citizens. As the richest country ever to be on earth, America should not have a underclass of people.

America is a capitalist society, but the ultimate goal of our society should not be to achieve a perfect free enterprise system but to achieve human progress. Therefore companies must also be good citizens and must have a social conscience in partnering with workers, treating customers equitably, and not ruining the earth or overly consuming our natural resources. Worker incomes should be among the highest in the world in relative terms where citizens enjoy a wide margin of disposable income.

In the modern era, individual citizens can not represent themselves adequately against well organized business with vast corporations so the government shall need to protect the people as workers, customers, and general citizens.

Workers need to be assured of receiving a living wage and have disposable income. There should be caps on borrowing rates and caps on other items where free enterprise has not keep costs down and wages up.
In other areas, housing and other basics items should be available and affordable. Quality healthcare must be universally available and at a cost in line with what of the other countries in the world. This can be done through government, quasi government, or by private providers. Learning should be an important part of daily society and higher education should be affordable and competitive in terms of both quality and price when compared to other countries in the world. These are just some of the things that America should reach for in a changing world. Having a land of millionaires is not enough to sustain the country in a modern world. Other countries are making great strides toward human progress and America can not afford to be left behind.

Moving Humanity to the Next Level in Human Development

1-The Basis of Human Cooperation. There are three philosophical foundations to for modern people to life by: The Common Good, The Common Benefit, and Civility.

2- A Less Commercial Society. The object will not be individual wealth, but building a robust middle class, although there will continue to be those who are exceedingly prosperous. We will start this is the USA but it is planned to be a worldwide event.

3- Socially Responsible Capitalism. Highlights are minimum wages at two times the poverty level. In the U.S. there will be a cap credit rates. In the US a private universal healthcare that receives government funds till it is self sufficient in exchange for providing care for Medicaid and the traditional non insured. Stocks will be taxed at 2 percent to pay for higher education. We should also have fewer TV commercials on television reducing with two break periods that last no more than five minutes per half hour. Companies, particularly large chain stores and industries, will be offered a tax incentive to bring their employees into company ownership at 25 percent of the company. It will help with retention and increase quality as well as offer the employees more benefits.

4-Methods to Move People Out of Poverty and into the Middle class. I offer several programs from company incentives to hire those in welfare and other forms of assistance to helping people become self-sufficient.

5-Limitation on Taxes. The working class will not bear the burden for change. New programs are not paid for with income taxes. No individual will pay more than 33 percent in actual tax on income. The Ultra rich may be taxed or asked for voluntary contributions of 10 percent.

6- A New Political Arena. Elected officials have to record all conversation's and correspondence with any person, group, or company that has made a political contribution. We must, bring back the Fairness Doctrine. It will resolve many current divisions. To exchange views we must be able to communicate. We should have coast to coast internet and phone reception. This should be true worldwide. It may seem a better or for worse proposal on some days but in the end it is essential part of arriving into the new world.

7-The Big Picture- Based on the three foundations of human organization I listed above, we must place all emphasis on becoming a non-violent people, a non violent human race. We will need to urge third world countries to jump forward from culture tendencies that have prevented human progress for their people. There should not be any mass poverty or mass hunger. All individuals must be equal in the eyes of the law. In this day and age all children, all people in fact, must have a shelter from the elements, food to eat, and the other basics need to survive. Helping others is what makes us human. Certainly in America there should not be any homeless.

8- We shall also tackle the age old problem of war. Restricting countries through public and commercial pressure, countries should no longer have ambitions beyond their own borders. All military should be defensive in nature and we should keep pushing for denuclearization as well as a a removal of all WMDs including landmines mines.

9- Ecology. It is time to return to preserving the planet for future generations. Our children and future generations will need cleaner water, clear air, and land to continue to flourish as a species.

10- Animal Rights. I have been of several minds on the subject of urging people not to slaughter animals. For me there is not question. I have been a vegetarian for half a century. But most humans are so socialized to consider eating animal meat a essential and a point of status. For them eating meal is not complete without it. I do not want to jeopardize the other important changes that must be made by tie in this requirement to forgo animal slaughter, but it is not civilized and it is not necessary. In fact, it cost more in energy and is more harmful to the environment to do so.

Progressive People Must Get Involved

As destructive power increases it is essential that we become a more reasonable people. Currently too many able people sit on the sidelines and while the governments around the world are directed by special interests, by fear mongers, and by alarmist. Modern and forward thinking people need to become more involved and more outspoken. If you cannot do it to raise others out of the great struggle then do it to keep backward thinking people from directing our governments. After all, we are but one suitcase bomb away from self destruction. It does take some effort but you will be surprised how few people it takes to make a difference.

All About the Money- How to Pay for Human Progress

In summary, new programs are paid for through combining or replacing current programs. There is a proposed 10 percent tax on billionaires and multi millionaires as well as a proposed optional one percent tariff on international trade to resolve problems in developing countries such as providing all humans with the basics needed to survive and and creating a world wide middle class. In the USA a simple tax structure indicates no real burden for working people. For federal income taxes a flat rate on income :

10 percent tax on incomes to 100K
15 percent tax on incomes of 500K
20 percent minimum tax on incomes above 500K