The Centrist Manifesto

Policy Based on Evidence, Reason, Constitutional Intent & Ethics

From the founding of the United States of America, through our civil strife and development, we remind ourselves we all deserve and have the right to demand, in the spirit of our Declaration of Independence, equal access to opportunity and equal treatment in justice and law. Further, that government ‘of the people, by the people, and for the people’ in the spirit of ‘liberty and justice for all’ is our goal.

As such, America was founded as a ‘Federal Republican Democracy’ – a group of States in which the supreme power is held by the people through the representatives they elect. There is no perfect democracy. By paying close attention to truth and justice, we can stand closer to ‘The American Way’ and the traditional values of fairness, decency, and justice, to which we aspire.

We require:

Transparent, free and fair markets, with safeguards to ensure the health of our economy and competition based capitalism provides/delivers value to buyers and sellers alike; and that responsibility for our economic and market actions, now and in the future, are accountable.
Quality, efficient, effective education be publicly available to ensure our future.
That the energy that drives America is sustainable, efficient, and does the least harm to our collective security and future.
Clean, safe, sustainable conditions to support economic health, while reducing short and long term costs as applicable in a changing environment.
That basic human rights in healthcare are made feasible and that protections are in place to ensure health and well being.
Well-reasoned evidence-based policy, not unduly tainted by special interests or corrupted by politicians beholding to those interests.
That our nation, our ‘United States’, and all it’s citizens, can rely on our government to operate in our collective interest in protecting our citizens and our nation, to ensure that America, and the world we interact with, remains safe and secure to the best of our ability.
Adherence to the highest possible standards of honor, honesty, and humility. We are committed to drowning the toxic effects of disinformation and fraud that enable the tyranny of the masses against these goals.
That policy must rely upon logic, reason and evidence considerate of current and future needs.
And, that all policy supports the ‘United’ States of America.

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It is up to the American people to determine if our Republican Democracy shall stand or fall, ‘for it is only a Republic if we can keep it’. Therefore, we must stand firmly against corruption to protect that which is precious: America – American principles, American Values, and the American Dream. We Are The Centrist Party.

The Centrist Manifesto (above) is supported by the following concepts (below):

This Centrist Manifesto deals with the following issues:

Economy: sustainable economics, antitrust, capitaEconomy: sustainable economics, antitrust, capitalism
Education: public, cost-effective, high-quality (TLC/PATH)
Energy: sustainable, safe, renewable (short/long term)
Environment: clean and sustainable (lowers healthcare & welfare costs)
Healthcare: support disease/disorder prevention and support Full coverage as able, (mitigated by debt loads)
Political Reform: get dark money and special interests out of politics, and gerrymandering reform
Security: constitutional obligation and global responsibility to protect America.

Underlying Precepts and Philosophy Constructs Incorporated:

A critical function of The Centrist Manifesto is to counter and avoid the toxic effects of populism and appeal to emotion arguments. Careful consideration and reason must be our guide and not simply what is popular. Aristotle’s academic approach combined with Plato’s considered approach give us a guide toward a balanced view.

Marcus Aurelius: “Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.”
Voltaire: “The perfect is the enemy of the good.” (effectiveness vs. efficiency)
Sir William of Ockham: Occam’s Razor (Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem)
Aristotle: “At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst.”
Plato: “One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors”
Xenophon: “No human being will ever know the truth, for even if they happened to say it by chance, they would not know they had done so.”
Machiavelli: “The lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves.”
Franklin: “Those who fail to plan, are planning to fail.”
Lincoln: “…a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that “all men are created equal”
Hippocrates: “First, do no harm” Oath CP interprets this to ‘Do the least harm’ and ‘Do the greatest good’.

Additional Important Underlying Considerations

Constitutional Obligation (intentions and spirit of Jeffersonian perspective combined with discussions and development of through the constitutional convention and the Bill of Rights).
Folk Devils and Misinformation/Disinformation (sociocultural-psychology).
The Precautionary Principle: ‘To err on the side of caution’.
James Grier Miller: Living Systems Theory (The Timer = relative system health through time).
Tragedy of the Commons (resource usage/economic stability).
The Health Definition: How to determine relative health in a system.
Political Corruption (money & power are the root of all political corruption).
Responsibility to America does not preclude global responsibility as they are inter-dynamic (American security is directly related to world security).
The Law of Unintended Consequences.
The Bystander Effect (Based on the 1968 Darley/Latane study)
Management of externalized/distributed costs.
Management of externalized/distributed responsibility.
Consideration of John Locke’s view and the Social Contract, balancing power & trust between the people and the government.
Protection of the ‘public trust’ to ensure elected leaders focus on the needs of the nation and the people as opposed to inappropriate special interest influence.
The Dunning/Kruger Effect.

Values, Principles & Ideals

Centrist Tenets: uscentrist.org/platform/guidelines/tenets

Ideals and balancing concepts adopted from: Jefferson, Lincoln, The Federalist Papers (Notes from the Constitutional Convention 1787) etc. Philosophers of old and new are guides and there are concepts included here that derive from philosophers unmentioned as well. Science and reason are the main focus but economic considerations along with physical reality are important. The Constitution of the United States provides and excellent foundation for why protection of the nation and the people are paramount to the security of the nation.

Note: the philosophical base is wider than that addressed in this document. The above gives a broad view of important concepts. Values and Principles for policy are based in many ideas from many philosophers.

Understanding Security & Responsibility

In Context of a completely inter-dynamic world.

One role for the CP is to expand and grow understanding regarding national and global issues as they affect America. A key component of the ‘Centrist Security Posture’ relies on ‘power balancing theory’, which points to the view of how to maintain American strength in the overall context of the global threat matrix. Thus, American security is viewed through the lens our our relationships with our partners around the world and the posture that ensures America can uphold our principles and protect our country. This goes hand in hand with upholding Federal Republican Democracy.

For example, global security enhances national security. History demonstrates that unstable regions and disorganized governments are more prone to corruption and failure than stable Republican Democracies. History also shows that unstable democracies have a tendency to reach for resources via power of influence; and in extremes this can result in war.

Thus, each nation has a duty to take part in national/global responsibility. Actions by Nations/States ignoring responsibility place stressors on others. That reflects back upon such nations (blowback). In the global arena, we all have a responsibility to evolve toward better solutions for all. Thus a more stable secure world means a more stable and secure America. Just as a more stable and secure America can mean a more stable and secure world. In the long run stability is a win/win for America, and the global community.

Unite America with The Centrist Party

Enough is enough. We must unite to reclaim our government. Join the Centrist Party. Work together to heal our nation and return balance in governance and common sense for the nation and the people.