Welcome to
democracyparty.org

...where YOU can start fixing the United States - today!

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Hi-

My name is Andrew Papp, and I am declaring my candidacy for President of the United States of America in 2024.

It is time that the citizens of United States of America fix this country.  It is still the greatest country in the world.  I have had the opportunity to travel quite a bit, and I can say without hesitation that the US is my favorite country, has the most to offer... the most beauty, the most promise, the most opportunity, diversity, and the most freedom. But our freedoms are under attack.

While there have been many great achievements and advances since the 1960's, there have also been declines and areas of stagnation.  I believe that our country is stuck in a rut, and it is our job to fix it - your job and mine.  Together we can make enormous changes for the better in the United States in a short time.  One great thing we have is a Democracy.  So, the only excuse for why things are the way they are is that we have let them become this way.  There is no reason that we have to take "no" for an answer.  Let's get started right now and make the changes we need for ourselves and future generations.

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Here is the foundation of my platform, what I would like to do, and if you agree, how YOU CAN HELP:



Issues and Positions:

PRO:


ANTI:

Because I want to make a real difference to what is happening in this country, in the big picture.  Only the President has the power to direct national policy.  By having a President that represents the interests of the People, Congress will have to participate in the "revolution" as well.  If your congressional, state, and local representatives do not go along with what you want to accomplish, it will be obvious, and you will have the opportunity to replace them at the next election.  Our ideas and wishes will finally have a powerful voice.  Only by electing a President and Congress that is not Republican or Democrat will we be able to break the political gridlock.

Whether or not we agree with his policies, Arnold Schwarzenegger did.  He used his celebrity status to get elected Governor of the state of California as his first real political office.  He was not Governor because he needed the money.  He stated a clear agenda, and when California's state representatives refused to act, he was willing to go back to the people for direct support by putting the issues on a ballot.  Another interesting example is Ross Perot.  While he ultimately turned out to be a nutty person, he inspired America with the idea that we can get back to basics and through participation, fix our economy and political system.  He, as an Independent candidate, was able to get 18.8% of the vote!  We need a President with the right agenda for this country, and who the people are willing or even excited to support.


I was born and grew up in Michigan, in the Detroit area.  I was very smart as a little kid, very creative, logical, an independent thinker, and I was never afraid to speak my mind.  I was always an inventor at heart, and liked to build various gadgets and understand how everything worked.  As a Junior in a public High School, I entered the local Science fair.  I decided to build an electron microscope from parts I could make in electronics class, metal shop, and things I could borrow.  I ended up winning a Grand Prize from the Detroit Metropolitan Science and Engineering Fair, and they sent me to the International Science fair.  There, I won First Prize as well.  Though I wasn't a good athlete, I got 3 athletic "letters" from my High School for being the team statistician for Football, Basketball, and Baseball.  I enjoyed being part of the team, getting to call the newspapers with the highlights, and the aftergame parties.  I won admission to the Lawrence Institute of Technology Summer Science Institute, so I got to take college level science, math, and computer programming classes during the summer while I was still in High School.

I got my Bachelor's Degree from the University of Rochester, in Rochester, NY.  My major was Molecular Genetics and Computer Science.  I took a lot of graduate-level courses, got to participate in cutting edge DNA and Computer Science research, and installed the first DNA sequence analysis software on the U of R Medical School's computer when I was 20.  That work helped me get a full scholarship to Harvard, where I got a Ph.D. in Cell and Developmental Biology.  As soon as I started working in a lab, I noticed that a lot of the equipment is very overpriced and there are a lot of boring, repetitive things that the scientists have to do.  So, I started inventing my own lab equipment.  Other people wanted it, too, so, instead of becoming a Professor, I decided to start a company where we invent and manufacture equipment to help the scientists understand how life works, so they can understand the mechanisms of development, aging, and cancer, and help cure diseases.  I have learned to manage and care for employees, and built a company that has lasted 31 years and been profitable every year, without borrowing any money.  More recently, I invented the only FDA-listed device being used to inject stem cells into the spinal cords of people with spinal cord injuries and ALS.  My "secret" is to work hard for things I care about: talk, listen, get up early, stay up late, do whatever it takes.  If we all pitch in, we can make a HUGE difference in this country in a short time.

Some politicians have suggested that we have or should have a "faith-based" government.  That might sound good, until you think about it.  It is human nature to have faith, and we can derive great strength from it.  But, faith is personal and should stay that way, and not be part of the government.  Otherwise, eventually, we will have someone else's faith imposed on us.  Here is the kind of thing a Faith-based Government really says: "There is no evidence to convince a reasonable person, but we want you to support this anyway."  Don't forget that the United States was founded largely as a safe place of religious freedom.  People from all over Europe and all over the world came here to escape religious persecution, and our Constitution was set up to prevent the government, or the majority, from shoving their faith down anyone's throat.  This freedom sets the United States apart from many other countries.   It is a 240+ year history we should be proud of, and defend.  Democracy does not require "faith" except that we should, individually, have faith in the democratic process.  What it does require is knowledge, caring, and participation.  That is why WE can and will win.

To make progress, we need to replace superstition and fear with logic and concern.  Why is it that people who question things like whether concentration camps really existed, whether astronauts really went to the moon, etc. are ready to believe that they should kill people in the name of God, or that the positions of constellations have relevance to people's behaviors or propensities, without requiring evidence?  The cure for this irrationality is for each person to take responsibility for what he or she thinks and what he or she spreads to others. For this, the top priorities are education, free speech, a free press, and sources of news that are unbiased. There needs to be a clear distinction between Editorial (which is free speech / opinion, and can be biased) vs. News (factual information in context with an effort made to be unbiased).

As citizens, we elect and hire federal, state, and local governments to administer things - mostly to keep us safe, so we can concentrate on our own lives and earning a living.  We hire police, firemen, judges, a military, teachers, legislators, etc.  They are our employees; they are supposed to work for us; we are not supposed to work for them!  One key to fixing the current situation is to pass a Constitutional Amendment stating that laws must be applied equally to all government employees just as laws apply to every citizen.  This will make Congress think carefully when they propose new healthcare legislation, or any other law.  It will also make them think more seriously about breaking a law.  The other thing we can do is participate in our community and society - we can have a smaller, less expensive, less invasive government if we are willing to do more ourselves.

I think it is easy to tell if most traditions are good or bad for our country.  If they are inclusive, inviting, cooperative, and open to discussion, they are good; it they are used to exclude, segregate, or split one group of people from another, they are bad.  Is there a tradition, festival, or belief that you think has value? Then share it with your neighbors and add something to everyone's life - and be ready to examine your own beliefs if they have other ideas.  On the other hand, if you think your ideas, religion, non-English language, beliefs and traditions are right, and everyone else's are wrong - you don't belong in the United States.  I want to be clear about my position on language.  Language is incredibly important and powerful.  We all need to be able to communicate, learn, and express ourselves clearly in English - otherwise we cannot function as citizens of a country.  Any resources spent to make sure everyone in America can communicate well in English are well spent, and essential for our Democracy.  People who want to go over and above, and learn other languages and traditions from their heritage.... great!  But, so as to be one people, a nation united, not divided,  all our schools and commerce should be conducted in English.

The Iraq War was mishandled badly, to say the least.  First, giving them the benefit of doubt, President George W. Bush, and the rest of our Federal Government, sent us into Iraq based on faulty information.  The American People were told that we needed to attack Iraq to fight the terrorism responsible for the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center in New York, and because Iraq had amassed, and was ready to deploy Weapons of Mass Destruction.  But, we soon learned that Saddam Hussein, though he was a ruthless dictator, had no connection to Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaeda, or the 9/11 attack, nor did Iraq have any Weapons of Mass Destruction.  There are a variety of theories why Bush rushed to attack Iraq, rather than waiting for better evidence from UN inspectors or deeper support from the International Community.

Let's pretend that Bush did have a good reason to attack Iraq and liberate it from Saddam Hussein... it was still badly mismanaged.  Our goal was to get rid of Saddam, and make an ally of the Iraqi People.  The way to do that would have been to go in with enough force to cleanly take over the country, and start making things better for the people than what they had previously known - to show them a shining example of the US and democracy.  Instead, our government did the opposite.  We destroyed their power plants, water plants and homes, leaving them much worse than they had been before we got there.  We didn't improve most lives, and we ruined many.  We accidentally killed many civilians.  The Bush / Cheney government awarded huge government contracts to Haliburton, the company where Cheney was the CEO - a clear conflict of interest.  Even if Cheney did not stand to personally profit millions of dollars due to the increase in value of his stock options, Haliburton should have been barred from receiving the contracts simply to prevent the appearance of a conflict of interest.  Those contracts should have gone to smaller US companies and companies all over the world... and especially to Iraqi companies when possible.  Then everyone would know that we really cared about the issues of Iraq and were not there to make a profit.  We could have given every single man, woman and child in Iraq $10,000 (or spent that on making their lives so much better) and still have spent less that we have on a war that has severely tarnished the US reputation all over the world.  Bush had a chance to earn their love, but he blew it.

Out of the destruction and pain, many Iraqis have steeled their hatred of America, and out of their increased poverty and chaos, they have turned to religious and political violence against each other and against US troops.  Now that we have stuck our nose into their business and created a bigger mess that we found, it would not be appropriate for us to simply leave, as much as we would like to.  We have to make sure that the country is stabilized and set on a good course.  I believe that this is still possible, if the US begins to operate with clear integrity.  By changing our own government and leadership to one that is respectable, the International Community and the Iraqi People will once again come to respect America as the shining beacon of Democracy.

On the plus side, Obama seems to be a more intelligent person than Bush Jr., but that is not saying much.  I hear many people, who were hopeful, asking, "Where is the Obama I voted for?"  Unfortunately, I think the Obama presented in the democratic party's multi-million dollar media blitz was largely a fictional character.  He campaigned against the "Patriot Act", but then stood by as it was renewed.  He funneled hundreds of billions of dollars to bail out the banks and other corporations that squandered their money at the expense of others (and the people who bought more house than they could afford).  He created a "stimulus package" that stimulates (with more billions of dollars) the growth of predominantly government programs rather than small businesses.  I must say I was embarrassed when he was given the Nobel Peace Prize after less than a year in office... for what?  We'd be proud of an American President who received one, but we'd really like to see him earn it, first.

Obama's hypocrisy about standing up for Freedom has became clear.  On December 31, 2011, while we were celebrating New Years, Barack Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) into law.  This gives the government the right to say anyone is a terrorist, and make them disappear into a Military Prison, and make them disappear without any legal rights, such as the right to an attorney - including US Citizens!  This means that if the government doesn't like something you say or do, they can brand you a terrorist and send you to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (the prison Obama promised to close, but didn't).  Click this link to read about it on Wikipedia.  On March 9, 2012, Obama signed H.R. 347 into law.  This gives the government the right to throw citizens in federal prison for 1 to 10 years for protesting at or near sites where the President (or anyone protected by the Secret Service) is or may be, and at locations or events of "national significance".  Click this link to read about this and get a link to a pdf file of actual text of the new law.  It's only one page - read it!

While he was a great speaker, Obama failed to get rid of human rights violations and civil rights violations related to Homeland Security rules imposed under Bush, and then authorized and signed bills for even more of the same violations of our Constitutional Rights.  He has taken up right where Bush left off, signing legislation into law that potentially abolishes our 1st, 4th, 5th, and 6th amendment rights.  Click here to read the rights we're supposed to have.  Read them before they are all gone.  Fight against anyone and any branch of government that tries to take them away from you or from anyone else.

This wording is specified in Article Two, Section One, Clause Eight of the US Constitution:
Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

How long had it been since we've had a President who upheld that oath and preserved our rights rather than signed laws to trample them? I honestly believe that for the USA to survive as a democracy, we need to get the Democrats and the Republicans out.  These parties and their candidates are not of the people, by the people, or for the people... they are bought, paid for, and run by "special interest groups".  The Founding Fathers of the United States of Americ a foresaw the need for a peaceful revolution from time to time, and they gave us a way to do it - the power to vote.

I have one good thing to say about President Trump: The fact that he won the election for President of the United States proves that you don't have to be chosen by the Republicans or the Democrats to win. Both parties hated him, and he didn't have the support of Main Stream Media.... yet he won! He spent only 1/5 of what the DNC and Hillary Clinton spent.... yet he won! That means the the country is ready for change. Now it is time for the citizen of the USA to de-polarize and come together again as one community. We can heal our environment and our reputation as the shining beacon of freedom without sacrificing capitalism or our booming economy.

The United States needs a President who is sharp, up-to-date, and truly competent, not an embarrassing figurehead that speaks for one of the two corrupt parties.

I'm glad you asked - yes I do. I would create competition between Medicare and the private health care industry by allowing all people to buy into Medicare, at any age, on a sliding price schedule based on their income. This would give everyone basic coverage. Very wealthy senior citizens who have retired can keep paying a Medicare premium - they don't need it to be free. This will help pay for those who can't afford basic coverage. However, the private insurance and healthcare industry is free to compete with Medicare and offer better coverage if they can. This compeition will keep Medicare more efficient, and private insurance costs competitive.

As Thomas Jefferson said, "A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have..." So, let's take control of our government, downsize it, and let responsible citizens take care of all that we can ourselves.


  democracyparty.org 
The first thing you can do, is share your comments:

If I am taking positions you think are wrong, tell me why they are wrong and what we should do.

Tell other people about this grass-roots movement.  Send an e-mail to your friends with the URL of this website.  Talk about what you would like to see change in this country with your friends and family - see what comments they have to offer.  If you're brave and want some fun, start talking about it to people who are not your close friends... people at work... people waiting in line at the store.

If you want to help me, please do!  You can help write my "position papers."  You can help write ads.

You can put a link to this page on your own website, which will help this move to the top of search engines like Google and Yahoo and Bing.  The URL is:
http://democracyparty.org
You can make a website or animated movie.  The key is to do SOMETHING and do it NOW.  Send me an e-mail just to say Hi.  Send it to:
Andy@DemocracyParty.org

Thank you!

Andrew Papp

*** The courage to begin is what separates dreamers from achievers. ***

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