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Diana Page retired to Blue HIll after over 40 years observing governments around the world as a Foreign Service Officer. Three countries where she served — Brazil, Bosnia and Chile — had new constitutions drafted during this time.
Hey fellow citizens! Stop screaming at each other. Anger and hate never settled any differences. We’ve got to talk.
But to solve our problems, we have to agree to the rules of debate, then respect the results achieved. Remember that phrase “everything I needed to know I learned in kindergarten”?
Think about political theory as game theory; politics is all a board game. First, you need to have rules. That’s what citizens call “rule of law.” But who is the one to set the rules?
Our states started today’s game by writing a constitution. The Constitution sets up the mechanism to write the rules, known as “laws,” by which we play the game of governing ourselves. A player could overturn the board in anger, but no one just decides that some of the rules don’t apply. If either happens: Game over!
Today we see one political party, led by a bully, breaking the constitutional rules. He’s smashing a lot of things, grabbing money, and causing people to cry. (As I said, this seems like kindergarten.) Some of the kids from the other party want to break the rules because he did it. Where’s this going?
Nowhere, because this way of governing doesn’t work. Our Constitution is broken; rulings by judges are being ignored; Congress has largely given up its powers. This situation is a danger to our economy, our health and our very lives.
To restore the democracy we want, it’s time to rewrite the rules. There is a straight path: the states, which formed the “united states,” call for a constitutional convention.
In the meantime, let the current government operate on a restricted “caretaker’ basis, with oversight by bipartisan committees of Congress, able to replace any official who does not obey the law.
Call elections soon! Who will be our Alexander Hamilton and James Madison of 2025? By the way, let’s include Dolly Madison, not just James. How about two elected representatives for each state — one male, one female? And Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia should be recognized as states, of course. That would provide 104 re-founding fathers and mothers.
We’ve seen a few changes since 1788 — such as the abolition of slavery, women’s suffrage, income tax and nuclear power, to name a few — so this time a more perfect union could be quite different from the old one.
Look to the European Union for a model where each country has its own kind of government, but all accept a framework of standards.
Could the U.S. legislature become a parliamentary system of multiple parties? It’s possible. Could certain states choose not to join the new union? Yes, Switzerland exists independently in the heart of Europe.
Maine, or Alaska, might decide that joining Canada was better for their needs. Hawaii might consider independence.
People want peace, prosperity and good governments, ones representing the will of the majority, not control by a minority.
It’s going to be a whole new game.
