I'm Running For President in 2020. And Yes, I'm Serious.

Submitted by Steven D on Mon, 02/20/2017 - 12:11pm

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hX66tt_onvE]
(More below)

This video is my official announcement that I am a candidates for the office of the President of the United States in the 2020 Election. Here are some of the reasons I discuss as to why I chose to take this step now.

I supported Bernie Sanders in 2016, and I favor many of the same policies he backed, such as a Single Payer Healthcare System, or Medicare for all, but I support or a number of things as well, including:

A Guaranteed Basic Income for all US citizens, for example, in which every American is guaranteed an income equal to an amount necessary to provide them and their families adequate food, shelter, healthcare coverage and other amenities necessary to sustain a lifestyle in excess of the poverty level.

Breaking up our too big to fail banks and eliminating the fraud and abuse they commit, which would include regulation of derivatives markets, and strict criminal liability for the executives of banks who commit fraud and rig markets such as occurred in the LIBOR Rigging Scandal, the FOREX exchange rate scandal, and many more.

Antitrust actions against industries that have become so concentrated that small entrepreneurs are essentially shut out from competing with the companies that dominate their sectors, such as High Tech, Telecommunications, Big Oil, etc. I favor increased competition and easier market entry for small firms, which numerous studies have shown lead the world in innovation. In essence, I favor leveling the playing field so that entrepreneurs, who generate more jobs than large corporations can compete fairly with those firms that currently dominate the marketplace, drive prices up and stifle innovation.

An end to the War on Drugs and mass incarceration.

No more subsidies for the oil and gas industry.

A Manhattan style project to create a sustainable world both economically and environmentally, including research and investment in renewable energy and sustainable agricultural practices.

Future videos will lay out my platform in greater detail regarding a decrease in economic inequality, addressing racial, religious and other forms of discrimination, and my views on foreign policy (Short version: I'm anti-war and anti-interventionist except when the interests of the people of this country - not corporations - are in imminent danger) and other issues of interest, such election reform, getting big money out of politics, etc.

I'm not asking for any money at this time, but I would appreciate that anyone who likes what they hear share this video on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit and other social media.

I welcome any questions or comments and will be happy to address them in future videos about my candidacy.

Thanks everyone for your time.

Steve

Tags:

#Politics #StevenD4President 2020

Vote

Comments

Submitted by TheOtherMaven on Mon, 02/20/2017 - 12:17pm

Got a name for your Party yet?

Or are you running totally Independent Of Everybody?

If you want to get on any state ballots for 2020, now is the time to start work on that. Seriously.

—

There is no justice. There can be no peace.

Submitted by Steven D on Mon, 02/20/2017 - 12:56pm

Haven't decided

@TheOtherMaven Could run as Green or Democrat. I have no illusions about what I'm doing but at the moment it's important for me to highlight issues and policies and problems that no one else is talking about, and to hopefully build momentum behind the things I'm advocating to get other candidates on the left to support the same things, whether they run as Dems or third party.

—

"You can't just leave those who created the problem in charge of the solution."---Tyree Scott

Submitted by earthling1 on Mon, 02/20/2017 - 2:27pm

@Steven D I applaud your decision

@Steven D @Steven D I applaud your decision and commit my support. An idea for your consideration; Since the majority of todays voters define themselves as independent voters, seems to me, the obvious best name would be " The Independent Party".
Furthermore, focusing media rollouts or public events around the 4th of July, or Independence Day will provide maximum relevancy to your message.
Got a hundred other ideas.
Your welcome.

P.s. Seizing Independence Day (the holiday )for the Independent Party would really piss off the other two parties and leave them scrambling for their own holiday.

—

Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

Submitted by aliasalias on Mon, 02/20/2017 - 7:17pm

Go for it! I found an interesting list of proposals recently

@Steven D ...and coming from Russians for a blueprint for Syrian Society that would be great here as well. Here are just a few from the document but I hope people check out the whole thing.

" Article 11

• In Syria the freedom of economic activity is guaranteed, and private, State, municipal and other forms of property shall be recognized. Property may not be used to infringe on human and civil rights and freedoms, public and State interests, and human dignity.

• Developing the economy on the basis of different forms of property is aimed at improving the people’s wellbeing. The State shall use market principles to bolster economic development, guarantee freedom of entrepreneurship and prevent monopolization and unfair competition in economic relations. …

• Natural resources shall be publicly owned. The law shall regulate how utilization rights for natural resources or concessions are granted. …

• No discrimination by gender, origin, language or faith shall be allowed. …

• The State shall provide women with all opportunities enabling them to effectively and fully contribute to the political, economic, social and cultural life, and the State shall work on removing the restrictions that prevent their development and participation in building society. …

Article 14

• Protection of the environment shall be the responsibility of the state and society and it shall be the duty of every citizen. …

• The National Bank of Syria is owned exclusively by the State. …

Article 18

• Everyone shall have the right to life, security and freedom and the State shall guarantee these rights. No right can be restricted or denied to a person unless otherwise provided by law and following the decision by the appropriate judicial authority.

• All persons shall be equal before the law without discrimination among them on grounds of gender, race, nationality, origin, color, religion, personal convictions, beliefs or views, and economic and social status. …

That is a small sample but here is the whole thing....http://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2017/02/17/russia-now-runs-peace-p...

Submitted by Hillbilly Dem on Mon, 02/20/2017 - 3:00pm

There's not a plank in your platform that isn't stellar.

—

"Just call me Hillbilly Dem(exit)."
-H/T to Wavey Davey

Submitted by riverlover on Mon, 02/20/2017 - 3:54pm

Stephen D, may have a nit to pick: (and fine if you cannot answe

r). Current SS recipients, many of whom are scraping the bottom, would probably be happy with a universal income, cradle-to-grave. As long as it were enough. So for higher-earners, a reduction of universal income to recognize their elite status?

Good luck! You must be feeling loads better!

—

Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.

Submitted by ngant17 on Mon, 02/20/2017 - 6:41pm

you'll probably be in the independent-candidate.org list

and you'll be in good company: Pastor, Water Treatment Operator, Bus Drivers, assorted Working Class, and a dozen more.

I'm okay with lawyers for POTUS. Really, like muck-racking journalists, they are a necessity in civil society. In fact I'm looking for one right now to assist in a class action lawsuit against a local public university.

Dem, Rethug, Green or Libertarian. Outside of those, you are going to be absolutely marginalized.

Submitted by The Aspie Corner on Mon, 02/20/2017 - 7:15pm

You'll have my vote.

—

Modern education is little more than toeing the line for the capitalist pigs.

Guerrilla Liberalism won't liberate the US or the world from the iron fist of capital.

Submitted by Tony Wikrent on Mon, 02/20/2017 - 9:03pm

I applaud your commitment to

I applaud your commitment to political activism. But I would urge you to run for Congress, not President. I stand by what I wrote at Dat Udder Place in December 2013:

The plain fact is that a small number of very wealthy elites have achieved a chokehold on economic policy making in the United States. We can no longer delude ourselves that the United States is a government of, for, and by the people. The harsh truth is that the American polity is no longer a republic; it has degenerated into a plutocratic oligarchy, with political power based on the ability to finance political campaigns. In simpler words: political power in America is based on wealth. And this is most true at the highest levels of our political system. The institutional and cultural arrangements of political and economic power in the United States are such that it is foolish to think that the President of the United States represents all the people in any real sense other than figuratively.

And those arrangements are not going to change, even if somehow, some day, someone like Senator Warren becomes President.

But this does not mean that progressive change is impossible in the United States. It simply means that hoping to elevate one good progressive to the White House is a dangerous diversion from the job we need to do. The federal structure of government designed by the Founders – with political power diffused at the local, state, and national levels, overlaid with an institutional superstructure of three branches of government intended to check and balance each other – offers fissures and pressure points in the political system in which dominance by the rich is not complete and total. This reality is what progressives need to understand thoroughly, and use ruthlessly, to leverage political power where it can do the most good.

This has been demonstrated repeatedly in American political history: Focusing on the White House race is a huge waste of time, money and effort for progressives.

—

- Tony Wikrent
Nation Builder Books(nbbooks)
Mebane, NC 27302
2nbbooks@gmail.com

Submitted by mimi on Tue, 02/21/2017 - 3:41am

thx for linking to your essay on 'da udder place'

@Tony Wikrent
from 2013. It's long and enlightening. I try to finish it. Am half through.

Who are all those people here, who constantly read, write and make smart comments? Don't you have to do something else to make a living? Oh lord, tell me where is the 'working class' these days? I feel so disadvantaged doing errands outside the 'blogging world'.

—

https://www.euronews.com/live

Submitted by PriceRip on Mon, 02/20/2017 - 9:07pm

For a Fairer, More Egalitarian Society

I am sure your comments will resonate well with my future friends of SouthWestern Oregon. Renewable and Sustainable are a constant theme with the people I have met to date.

So, as you produce more of these "talking points" videos, I will let people know they exist.

Thanks for "putting yourself out there".

Submitted by Strife Delivery on Tue, 02/21/2017 - 2:33am

Slogan

Every Pres needs a slogan.

Steve 2020:

The Eve of Steve