Reboot the Republic
A radical call to tear down the obsolete machinery of American power, and build a system that finally reflects the will of the people
I’ve realized that this system can’t be saved. It’s so corrupt and dysfunctional that it’s best to burn it all down and build something new on top of it. But what does it entail? How will that look? How will we govern “for the people, by the people, of the people?”
I have some ideas.
Step 1 - What needs to burn
Before we can rebuild from the ashes, we need to light a fire. We need to burn down the processes and institutions that are destroying our country. We need to dismantle the systems that no longer serve the people, and do so with precision, accountability, and a vision of what comes next.
First, get rid of the Electoral College. It’s undemocratic and gives disproportionate power to white rural voters. Twice in two decades, it’s overridden the popular vote. Alex de Tocqueville was worried about the Tyranny of the Majority, but in fact it was the Tyranny of the Minority. Burn it down.
Second, allow more than one party. The two-party system breeds extremism. Burn it down and replace it with ranked-choice voting or proportional representation.
Third, get rid of lifetime judicial appointments. Lifetime seats breed ideological extremism. Implement term limits and ethical oversight for federal judges. Then enforce them.
Next, ban corporate donations. Enact public campaign financing and abolish dark money groups. Overturn Citizens United and destroy the corporate capture of Congress.
Then, get rid of Gerrymandering and Filibuster abuse. Take redistricting power away from politicians and put it in the hands of independent citizens’ commissions nationwide. Kill the Filibuster because it doesn’t protect democracy, it strangles it. Kill it, or radically reform it to force transparency and accountability.
Destroy the militarization of the police and do away with qualified immunity. The police state, propped up since Reagan, is incompatible with a free society. Demilitarize, disarm, and retrain or replace departments entirely. Don’t give bad cops qualified immunity just because they’re “protecting and serving.” Racists and white supremacists are infiltrating police ranks and killing people of color using flimsy excuses.