by Rick Fontes

Created on: January 02, 2011

What America needs, what Americans need, is to come to the realization that there are really no complicated solutions, only complicated reasons to not employ the simple solutions.  This nation began with a grand, but simple idea; that a group of sovereign states could band together under a central authority and, while maintaining the greater part of their autonomy, rely on the synergy of the central authority to address issues of common good.  Chief among those common issues were protection from foreign invasion and maintaining a level playing field when it came to commercial dealings between the states.  The full list of those common issues entrusted to the central authority are known as The Enumerated Powers and can be found in article one, section eight of the United States Constitution.

America's problems began many decades ago when the first of our elected politicians and their appointed bureaucrats began to view the restrictions placed on them by the Constitution to be a challenge to circumvent, rather than as rules to be obeyed.   But now the toothpaste is long out of the tube and it would be unrealistic to expect a complete return to that glorious nation envisioned by our founding fathers. But this is not to say that we should throw up our hands in despair and cede victory to the opportunistic in office.  The power to change still resides in we, the people.

The answer lies in having each citizen realize that complicated solutions to our country's problems are being proposed, not for their ability to solve those problems but, rather for their capacity to advance the true agenda of those proposing such solutions.  We have to come to the conclusion that the maxim expressed in Ockham's Razor, that the simplest solution to any problem is usually the best solution and then demand that our elected officials adopt that model as their mode of operation. 

A few examples to illustrate the point:

The problem: Corporations are leaving the country, and taking jobs with them, to avoid high costs and taxation.  Simple solution:  Remove all corporate taxes, taxes which are merely passed to the consumer anyway, thereby giving manufacturers a tremendous competitive edge for locating in the USA.

The problem:  Undocumented workers.  Simple solution:  Issue work permits to all adult undocumented immigrants, good for a limited period of time, and require that if they are not working at the end of that time, they go home. 

The problem:  Illegal drugs.  Simple solution:  Legalize, decriminalize and control.  View chronic drug addiction as a public health issue and mandate that addicts be treated 'for the common good'.

Challenge yourself.  List any situation that you consider to be a 'national problem' and see what simple solution for that problem occurs to you.  Then ask your legislators why the solution you envision cannot be implemented.

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