Platform

Short link: http://goo.gl/7cmlZ

1) Debt and Taxes

a) Debt to China - this debt is immoral and unconstitutional. No country or non-citizen should ever own any part of America, either real property or debt.

b) Consumption Tax (sometimes called a National Sales Tax) - sales taxes are naturally an insupportable burden on the poor and middle class and will be paid at a higher rate than those with money. Additionally, they hinder free-market interactions between consumers and businesses.

c) Inflation Tax

i) Inflation and dollar devaluation pose both immediate and long-term risks. In the short term, dollar devaluation causes citizens to pay more for goods and services. This becomes increasingly problematic since wages do not increase in the same time frame, resulting in a net loss of income for citizens (for a clear and detailed discussion of this effect, see The Mirage of Inflation, the last section provides an eloquent description how inflation is a tax that is unfairly targets the poor and middle class, as well as those on fixed-incomes). Therefore, the Federal Reserve must not devalue our currencies by flooding the market and the Federal Government must not spend into deficit. The Federal Reserve causes an inflation tax every time inflation occurs (even Fed Chairman Bernanke agreed when interviewed by Congressman Paul - see below). For a good measure of inflation, see the graphs listed in 18e below.

ii) The Federal Reserve, a Federally created organization, virtually beyond control of the electorate, has been given enormous control over the U.S. economy. They have the ability to change interest rates, print currency, etc. These abilities effectively regulate the value of the American currency. This is in direct violation of the Powers of Congress outlined in Article 1, Section 8. Incidentally, the original controlling case, McCulloch v. Maryland did not legitimize a national bank such as the Fed. This case was more about expanding the reach of Article 1, Section 8 to include the Federal use of power that went beyond what was absolutely necessary and proper. The Federal Reserve is just one example of the problem with expanding Article 1, Section 8. If there is nothing the US Congress can do that is beyond the reach of this Article, then we have a system that has limitless power. Recently, a Rasmussen poll found that 80% of Americans supported Audit the Fed legislation (that 320 representatives and 33 senators sponsored). Why then, did 117 democrat co-sponsors vote against it? There is clear consensus nationally that the Fed should be audited. However, our elected officials are ignoring us.

iii) The long-term risks are emerging in the global economy. The devaluation of the dollar has some global economists discussing a potential change in the global trade currency (The U.N. has recently suggested a move to another currency). This may have unthinkable consequences to our country’s economy. True fiscal conservatism must be at the forefront of any federal platform to ensure that citizens earning potential is not infringed upon by inflationary government mechanisms.

d) Flat tax - probably the fairest way to assess for government services, based on income only - no deductions for any reason. Start paying taxes at the income level of, for the sake of argument, the average starting salary of a local police officer (e.g., $35,000/year for a couple filing jointly). Below that, no taxes are paid. For a discussion of the Flat Tax, click here, or for a video description click here. For example, a couple filing jointly would list their wages, salary, and pensions (for discussion, let's assume they earn a total of $62,547). Notice that taxes on savings, investments, etc. are not levied on individuals. They would receive a $35,000 personal allowance for filing jointly, and then would receive a $6,000/child allowance (assume they have two children). This couple would have $47,000 in personal allowances, bringing their taxable income down to $15,547. If the tax rate is 13%, then they would pay $2021.11 in taxes. If you are interested in determining whether or not this system would raise or lower your tax burden, please click on the Flat Tax discussion above and view Form 1 for individuals and Form 2 for businesses (for an Excel file that does some of these calculations for you, using our suggested allowances, click here, or you can look at spreadsheet below). If you filed singly, take a $17,500 personal allowance. If you filed single, head of household, take a $22,750 personal allowance. No deductions, loopholes, credits, or exemptions would be allowed. For additional discussion of how this tax reform would impact America in the global economy, click here.

e) Capital Gains - completely irrational tax because it penalizes saving and investment and rewards "spend-it-all-now" philosophies. This undermines the free market principles that drive the economy. For a video discussion, click here. To see how these gains are adversely affected by inflation, click here.

2) Sovereignty and Independence

a) Free Trade

i) Most efforts promoting “free trade” are not - see 2.B. Truly free trade can be identified by low tariffs. We do not need to consult and enter into contracts with other countries to ensure that trade is truly free.

ii) Regulatory compliance of American businesses and industries places undue burdens on their own “free trade” because businesses and industries from other countries are not held to these same standards. In effect, the American companies are placed at a competitive disadvantage when trading in their own country.

b) World Trade Organization, NAFTA, CAFTA - to the extent that other countries can in any way control the actions of the United States, these agreements must be unconstitutional violations of American sovereignty.

c) The United Nations - see 2.B (this is not to be seen as advocating United States withdrawal from the UN, but the United States must not lose one ounce of sovereignty by continuing membership.)

d) NATO - see 2.B, 2.C - The absurdity of these alliances is evident in the attack on the Turkish ship by Israel. Turkey is a NATO member, while Israel is not. According to the NATO charter, we are now required to go to war with Israel. These types of alliances are unnecessary and lead to paradoxical situations for this country.

e) Armed forces of the United States under foreign control - the United States must never allow any member of the armed forces of any service or rank to be subject to any order from any commander from another country.

3) War and Foreign Policy

a) Terrorists and Terrorism - to the extent that countries have the ability and the will to harm the interests of the United States, this country has the inherent right to defend itself, including pre-emptive action under the condition that such action is approved of, in advance, by a majority of both houses of Congress. Under the circumstance of an imminent attack, approval for pre-emptive action must be granted to the Executive Branch, by a majority of the Senate and House Committees on National Security or National Defense.

b) Foreign interventionism - Our founding fathers' humble foreign policy has morphed into a policy of haphazard intervention. What determines where or when we will intervene? To illustrate this, please click here to read how President Obama's understanding of the Constitution changed after becoming President. As many neo-conservatives have stated, President Obama is now aligned with neo-con interventionist principles. These views have consistently ended in protracted engagements, as well as unintended consequences or "blowback". Don't take our word for it, read the history of our foreign interventionism...For example, we armed Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein before deciding they were presenting problems. A humble foreign policy buffers us from these types of alliances.

c) Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons - the United States must act with the consent of Congress to take all necessary diplomatic and economic measures to discourage the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and work both diplomatically and economically to encourage the reduction of existing nuclear arsenals around the world. Military action to accomplish this violates the direct threat mandate.

d) Gas Prices - should be the exclusive domain of the market not subject to control by any government agency or by any agent or agency of another country. The United States should take no action except diplomatic or economic to procure or secure any natural resource outside our borders under any circumstances. It is important to note that from 2010 to 2011, the price of a gallon of gas FELL in terms of silver, even though the price increased in terms of dollars. This is yet another example of the dangers of inflation in a fiat monetary system.

e) Alliances of Convenience - the United States stands for truth and justice. Alliances with or support of any country or entity in violation of these principles cannot be sustained under any circumstances.

f) Military Bases Abroad - the fundamental and only purpose of the armed forces of the United States is direct national defense. Maintenance of military bases in other countries violates this fundamental purpose unless this maintenance can be shown to clearly advance direct national defense. The executive branch must get active approval from both houses of Congress for these bases as a condition of the War Powers Resolution of 1973. What this means is that Congress must actively approve the bases, not just the resources to maintain them, every 60 days or else American forces must be withdrawn.

g) Military Spending - Spending has risen uncontrollably in recent years. Granted, national defense is important, but the spending practices of the Pentagon and other agencies drive costs up, making us less safe. Many politicians have stated that the high-water mark that should raise "red flags" would be a one-trillion dollar defense budget. This figure is considered too high even by the most hawkish neo-conservatives. However, we are already at that spending level (go here for more info).

h) Iraq - To the extent that the War in Iraq was predicated on an inaccurate assessment of the threat Iraq posed to the national security of the United States, there is no choice but to withdraw all forces of the United States military, or any other agency besides the Diplomatic Corps of the United States from Iraq. (See 3.E)

i) Afghanistan - Nation-building is not the role of the American military or of American taxes. At this point, the most important role of the military there is to open a road of trade between Europe and Asia through Afghanistan. This should occur while simultaneously drawing down our Afghan forces.

j) Middle East Protests - It is fundamentally important that we track the development of protests in the Middle East because they seem to drive our Administrations' haphazard foreign policy. The Guardian has an indispensable site that we've included below. It contains clickable links which have a wealth of information on the various countries' progression of protests over time. If you would like to access the page directly, click here.

4) Life and Liberty

a) Abortion and Roe v. Wade - abortion at any time in the pregnancy and for any reason violates the first of the natural rights that the Founders recognized and accepted without question. Human life begins at conception and ends at natural death. Roe v. Wade was a decision reached in error of law and precedent and was conceptually contrary to the Framer’s intent. Since the Framer’s intended that the Supreme Court exercise the power of Judicial Review, Roe v. Wade must stand until such time as the Supreme Court sees fit to overturn it. With this in mind, any Deming Platform president would nominate prospective Justices that demonstrate the understanding that the natural rights of life, liberty, and property are sacrosanct. To see our Open Letter to Mr. Obama, click here. For a shocking admission that shows the eventual "logic" applied to this issue, click here.

5) The Second Amendment

a) Security and Liberty - the second amendment is an individual right. Persons have the right to be secure in their homes and property. Without firearms, people cannot secure that right. The most important purpose of the second amendment is to secure their rights to life, liberty, and property from all threats, including threat from any government entity. The recent experience of gun owners in New Orleans after the Katrina catastrophe is a chilling reminder that governments will, if allowed, abuse citizen’s rights. In their most extreme need for personal protection, government agents (or private companies contracted by the government) forcibly disarmed these citizens in direct violation of their rights. A free citizenry can be demonstrated best, not just by adherence to freedom of speech and press, but by the extent to which their government understands their right to protect themselves, their families, and their rights.

b) Assault Weapons - can not be defined.

i) The generality of the Second Amendment was purposeful by the Founding Fathers. They did not see fit to regulate which “Arms” were necessary to protect, and left to the individual the number and type of “Arms” to procure to secure his or her home. The Deming Platform does the same.

6) Health Freedom

a) If one of the natural rights is the right to property, citizens have the right to be free from the threat that other’s decisions negatively impact their property. Under this rationale, the Deming Platform advocates that states adopt universal health care plans for their citizens on the Washington and Wisconsin state plan model. Further, no person can be made to pay for the health care of another who chooses not to participate in that plan. No person shall be required to purchase any form of insurance. The Obamacare plan requires everyone to purchase health insurance, and his recently-appointed healthcare czar has already indicated that healthcare rationing will be prevalent. The Florida Medical Association has now openly questioned the ability of the American Medical association to protect patients: "The FMA has 'no confidence' in 'the ability of the AMA leadership to effectively protect the Profession of Medicine in America'." For one doctor's account that includes this quote, please click here.

7) Border Security

a) The United States must completely secure its borders from any and all illegal entry.

8) Immigration Reform

One of the founding principles of this nation is the rule of law. Any violators of the laws of the United States must be subject to immediate and unquestioned arrest and conviction, and if applicable, deportation.

a) Visa Rules - Our economy continually provides hundreds of thousands of low-skilled jobs, and yet the government does not provide an adequate method for those workers to legally enter the United States. We need to dramatically increase the number of work visas so that lawful immigrants can fill the necessary role they play in the labor market. Additionally, we need to develop visa rules that welcome high-skilled personnel, such as immigrants who obtain advanced degrees in the U.S., to stay here. These individuals create jobs and wealth in the economy, and would likely stay here instead of moving to another country (creating wealth there). For an audio description of these ideas from the CATO Institute, please see Using Work Visas to Control the Border.

b) Amnesty is, by definition, a violation of the rule of law.

c) Birthright Citizenship - is part of the 14^th Amendment and as such, the Deming Platform defends this as amended. Illegal aliens should be deported regardless of the legal status of their children.

9) Privacy and Personal Liberty

a) Patriot Act - is an unconstitutional violation of many Amendments. This is especially true because the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act allows warrant-less searches for 72 hours. It is the Deming Platform opinion that the FISA Act is, in itself, a violation of the 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, 13th, and 14th Amendments. The Patriot Act must be repealed, and citizen’s rights restored. Additionally, the writ of habeas corpus should be granted as it is such a fundamental right that it is found in the body of the constitution and not in the bill of rights. Please follow this example:

A man named Omar is listed as an enemy combatant by the U.S. government. He is taken from his family by force and whisked away to a remote location for initial “interrogation”. He is then transferred to Cuba. His family is not told where he is, and no one in the United States knows he is there, what he is charged with, etc. He is not allowed to speak to an attorney, see the evidence against him, face his accuser(s), etc. Over time, he is interviewed using “advanced interrogation techniques.”

After a period of years, the government decides to prosecute him in a military tribunal. As Eric Holder basically said, we can guarantee they will be found guilty. These words are eerily similar to Hitler’s, when he justified the formation of his People’s Court because even though the people charged with terrorism were found not guilty in criminal court, he knew they were terrorists, otherwise they wouldn’t have been charged and therefore they should be found guilty in the People’s Court. For a detailed discussion of Hitler's People's Court, click here.

This example is a direct violation of the 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, 13th, and 14th Amendments:

• • 1st - "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." The government may prosecute librarians or keepers of any other records if they tell anyone the government subpoenaed information related to a terror investigation (freedom of speech). Also, to assist terror investigations, the government may monitor religious and political institutions without suspecting criminal activity (freedom of religion).

    • As Judge Napolitano says, "...the Patriot Act makes it a felony for the recipient of a self-written search warrant to reveal it to anyone. The Patriot Act allows [agents] to serve self-written search warrants on financial institutions, and the Intelligence Authorization Act of 2004 in Orwellian language defines that to include in addition to banks, also delis, bodegas, restaurants, hotels, doctors' offices, lawyers’ offices, telecoms, HMOs, hospitals, casinos, jewelry dealers, automobile dealers, boat dealers, and that great financial institution to which we all would repose our fortunes, the post office. So FBI agents can write their own search warrant with just the permission of their superior, no judge at all, nobody at the main Department of Justice, and serve it essentially on any entity they want, and if they serve this search warrant on your doctor, lawyer, grocer, or mailman, and that doctor, lawyer, grocer, or mailman tells you they received it, then that doctor, lawyer, grocer, or mailman, can be prosecuted for a felony, face five years in jail. What part of the First Amendment’s “Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech” do they not understand? This creates a Soviet-style conundrum for the recipient, who can’t even tell his or her lawyer or general counsel about getting the search warrant. You can’t hire outside counsel to challenge it, you can’t mention it to your spouse on the pillow, to your priest in confession—not even to a federal judge in a federal courtroom where all language except perjury should be permitted. This is a conundrum the likes of which government has never visited even under the Alien and Sedition Act. If they prosecuted you for criticizing [President John] Adams you could complain about it to your heart’s content without being charged with another crime."

  • 4th - “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” It does not distinguish between citizens and non-citizens. For more detail, see here, or go to paragraph four of Mr. Justice Matthews opinion here where he states, "The questions we have to consider and decide in these cases, therefore, are to be treated as involving the rights of every citizen of the United States equally with those of the strangers and aliens who now invoke the jurisdiction of the court." It also says the government may search and seize Americans' papers and effects without probable cause to assist terror investigation.

    • As Judge Napolitano says, "It permits federal agents to write their own search warrants [under the name “national security letters”] with no judge having examined evidence and agreed that it’s likely that the person or thing the government wants to search will reveal evidence of a crime.

      • "Remember that the British government permitted its soldiers to execute self-written search warrants. They called them “writs of assistance,” and they were one of the last straws that caused American colonist to rebel. It’s bitterly ironic that 230 years later a popularly elected government would authorize its own agents to do the same thing that when a monarchy did it, we fought a war of rebellion in reaction—which we won!"

  • 5th - “No person shall be held...nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law...” It does not distinguish between citizens and non-citizens. It also does not allow indefinite suspensions or military tribunals. It also does not allow a President to target American citizens for assassinations without due process, even though Obama has already taken this approach. It is the first time that a President has adopted the stance that he has the right to murder an American citizen simply by issuing an Executive Order. That is clearly a tyrannical step in a fascist regime. For more information, watch this video. The ACLU has filed a lawsuit on this question, which you can learn about here.

  • 6th - “...the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime was committed...to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation, to be confronted with the witnesses against him...and to have the assistance of counsel for his defence.” This one is particularly difficult because if an attorney attempts to represent an enemy combatant, he or she can be listed as an enemy combatant himself/herself by associating with and assisting the enemy. Also, it is difficult to imagine that a military tribunal is impartial, given that Eric Holder said that he guaranteed they would be found guilty. In fact, there have been so many Constitutional problems with the detentions of people in Cuba that 38 out of 53 of the people’s petitions have been granted. Obviously, the government doesn’t seem to be very successful at following the Constitution. For a detailed record of this, click here. Americans may be jailed without being charged or being able to confront witnesses against them. US citizens (labeled "unlawful combatants") have been held incommunicado and refused attorneys. The government may monitor conversations between attorneys and clients in federal prisons and deny lawyers to Americans accused of crimes. The government may jail Americans indefinitely without a trial.

  • 8th - “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” There is no word excluding non-citizens of this right. It is a human right, not one reserved for Americans. Strangely, our government has vastly expanded the definition of “advanced interrogation techniques” to include methods like waterboarding (and worse), even though these are clearly both cruel and unusual. It would be impossible for a prison guard in Wisconsin to subject a prisoner to waterboarding without being put on trial himself/herself for that crime. Additionally, indefinite suspensions without any hope or plan for a trial, could be considered cruel and unusual. The government is currently holding 48 detainees in Cuba without charges or trial, because “prosecution is not feasible in either federal court or a military commission." If the government does not have enough evidence to prosecute the case, it must allow the person to go free immediately.

  • 13th - “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” Our military base in Cuba, as well as any “black site” around the world, are under our jurisdiction. It is therefore unconstitutional to hold detainees against their will without being charged with a crime. Notice that the Amendment requires conviction, so our 48 detainees in Cuba must either be charged and prosecuted in criminal court or set free immediately.

  • 14th (section 1)- “All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” This is the clearest example of the unconstitutionality of your current position of allowing military tribunals for non-citizens. Most neo-conservatives say that non-citizens don’t have the same rights as citizens, and therefore the detainees can be treated differently. In effect, neo-cons say we have superior rights simply by being American. However, the 14th Amendment uses both terms, citizens and people, to describe who is protected by our laws. The first half of section one describes the rights of the citizen. However, it then goes on to include any person within its jurisdiction. Once we have detained a suspect, anywhere in the world, he or she is within our jurisdiction. The 14th Amendment affords that individual (citizen or not) the equal protection of the laws. This means that the non-citizen has the same right to trial in criminal court as the citizen. Any neo-conservative misinterpretation of that is simply unconstitutional.

  • Lastly, keep in mind that the Patriot Act authorizes everything in this example to occur simply by listing a person as an enemy combatant (the government makes the decision, with/without cause). The Patriot Act also does not forbid American citizens from being listed as enemy combatants. Any politician who says that Omar couldn’t be an American citizen is simply ignorant of the current law. The Patriot Act systematically dismantles our Constitution and destroys our rule of law. When talking with neo-cons, the standard response is, “So what? If I don't have anything to hide..." However, the government now doesn't have to get a warrant to search. They don't have to follow the Constitution. And, if they list you as an enemy combatant and send you to Guantanamo, you have no right to a trial. You have no right to an attorney. Your family has no right to know what happened. You might be saying you have nothing to hide, but under the current regime you wouldn't even be given the opportunity to defend yourself. Most Americans don't trust their government enough to submit to that treatment. Take a moment to look back at history. A generation ago, who would be on that list, Martin Luther King Jr.? Who knows?!

b) National ID Cards - to the extent that national ID cards allow the government to access information about citizens without their consent, and without probable cause, the ID cards are unconstitutional.

c) Domestic Surveillance - is to be carried out by domestic agencies only and only under warrant issued by a judge legally with probable cause and before the search.

10) Property Rights and Eminent Domain

a) Property, being one of the natural rights, is sacrosanct. It is only with direct community benefit that gov’t can condemn a person’s property. The Deming Platform believes that just compensation should be read to mean three times fair market value.

Also, no country or non-citizen should ever own any part of America, either real property or debt. For a shocking revelation of a progressive's view of "collective property", watch the video below.

11) Social Security - to the extent that taxpayers have paid into the Social Security program with the promise of a certain return, the United States has no choice but to fulfill its obligations. Social Security should, by an act of Congress, be revised to reflect the will of the people with regard to the future of Social Security.

12) Health Care - Patients should be in charge of their health care (see 6 also). The best option is for market-driven care (e.g., cash-only doctors). For an example of a physician's practice in Minnesota that is cash-only, click here.

13) Education - the exclusive domain of the states. The United States government should discontinue the unconstitutional and arbitrary involvement with education.

a) Local Control - the exclusive domain of the states. Parents should be able to enroll their children in any school they choose, and their tax dollars should follow them to that school. This idea has been used to completely reform the New Orleans public schools in the wake of Katrina. Before Katrina, they had some of the worst achievement scores in the country. For a brief video describing this change, click here.

b) Unfunded Federal Mandates are unconstitutional violations of the 10^th amendment.

c) Federal Department of Education - should be abolished. A portion of the money saved should be transferred to states for civics education, specifically targeting the Framer's theoretical grounding of the purpose of government, the Constitution, Articles of Confederation, and the states' ratifying conventions

14) Environment - the United States has the fundamental obligation to protect natural resources. This is not to say that the obligation is to preserve them. When publicly held natural resources can sustain multiple use, the government has the obligation to promote this.

a) Respect of Property Rights - Johathan Adler (2008) described this policy reasonably well here. His discussion begins by saying that, "policy makers can...advance environmental values...to protect property rights from both government and private harm. Landowners should be free to make productive use of their property so long as they do not unduly infringe upon the rights of their neighbors. Government regulations should not restrain private landowners from engaging in non-harmful land uses, but legal recourse should be available to those whose property is actually damaged by industrial or other activity." This would clearly be a better policy for the BP oil spill than the current policies of government intervention and capped liability provisions.

b) Global Climate Change - The process of science must be preserved and protected if we are to make decisions based upon scientific evidence. The two camps in the debate are the pro-climate change (alarmists) and the anti-climate change (skeptics). At this point, it is very troubling that the alarmist camp has engaged in very unsavory and unscientific practices. These include altering or "adjusting" data to align with their model, modifying the peer-review process, excluding data that conflicts with their theory, actively pressuring journal editors to only publish pro-climate change articles, etc. For a detailed discussion of these problems and their impact on the process of science, click here. It is our position that the process of science has been compromised, and therefore the results of these "investigations" must be independently corroborated. In effect, independent researchers must start from the beginning and gather data which can be analyzed from a theoretical standpoint rather than from a modeling standpoint. For a detailed discussion of some of the flaws, click here. The problem with modeling is that if the model is fundamentally flawed, but used as the "right analysis", then any data which conflicts with the model will be disregarded or altered as flawed instead of questioning the model. For a good summary of the skeptics' perspective, click here. This article gives a few really good questions and pieces of information to keep track of when people begin talking about global climate change.

The main point the alarmists make is that carbon dioxide emissions cause global temperatures to rise. This is the main justification for Cap and Trade legislation, ethanol additives in fossil fuels, etc. However, if their hypothesis were correct, we would see carbon dioxide levels rise first and then temperatures rise afterward. Instead, temperatures seem to rise AHEAD of carbon dioxide levels. This can be easily explained naturally because when temperatures rise, less carbon dioxide can dissolve in water so some of the carbon dioxide dissolved in the oceans comes out. It is the same phenomenon that you see when you open a cold versus a warm can of soda. A cold soda barely fizzes, because the cold liquid holds much more carbon dioxide. A warm can fizzes all over the place because more carbon dioxide comes out. The same is true in the oceans. For a case against climate action, click here.

Additionally, the alarmists' theory predicts an atmospheric "hot spot" approximately 9 km above the earth's surface. This hot spot has not been found. For a reasonably simple discussion of this contradiction, click here. For a more detailed discussion of the hot spot contraction, click here.

The implications of all this for our platform is this: we must base policy decisions on the best available science. From the above treatment, it seems obvious to us that any public policy that addresses global warming or carbon dioxide emissions is at best premature. And, at worst, an agenda-serving waste of time and taxpayer money.

15) Energy

a) For a discussion of free markets, (see 18). Simply apply the principles found therein to energy policy.

b) The Federal government role in alternative energy development should follow the principles (outlined in 18). Beyond that limited role, the Federal government should allow the market to determine what alternative energies to develop.

c) For our purposes, no energy source should be disregarded. Coal, oil, nuclear, solar, wind, tide, geothermal sources must be allowed to develop under reasonable guidelines. (See 14)

16) National Defense - The armed forces of the United States has, as its fundamental and only purpose, the direct protection of the United States from all foreign threats (See 3.E).

a) Bin Laden - Osama Bin Laden has been and still is a direct threat to the United States. The United States armed forces have a duty to eliminate that threat as soon as possible. With the consent of Congress, military action must be undertaken immediately to capture and bring to justice or kill this direct threat. If Congress consents, our military forces have the right to pursue him or any other person or group that poses these direct threats, anywhere we have demonstrable reason to believe they are. This would include issuing Letters of Letters of Marque and Reprisal and limiting the President's War Power.

b) Federal Intelligence and Terrorism - The Central Intelligence Agency or any other intelligence-gathering arm of the United States must not carry out any military or quasi-military operation. This is the exclusive domain of the Armed Military forces of the United States 0 the Navy, Air Force, and Army. Further, the Federal Bureau is solely responsible for dealing with counter-terrorism or any other investigation within the borders of the United States. No other government agent or agency can under any circumstances or for any reason, investigate, arrest, or otherwise deal with any person in the United States, its territory, or possessions.

c) Torture and Treatment of Prisoners - Waterboarding and other enhanced interrogation techniques are torture. Detainees, prisoners of war, suspected or convicted criminals, or any person involuntarily under the control of the United States government (whether arrested or not), all have the same rights found in the body of the US Constitution and under the 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, and 14th amendments. In addition, the Deming Platform does not support the expanded definitions of "war crimes" used by both the Bush and Obama administrations. We do not condone Obama's three-tier justice system (federal courts, military commissions, and indefinite detentions without charges or trial). Virtually all of the current detainees should be tried in federal courts rather than by military commissions since their alleged crimes are not "war crimes" as traditionally defined. Finally there is never a valid reason for the government to indefinitely detain anyone without right or council or right to trial. Andy Worthington is the best investigative reporter on the treatment of prisoners since 2001, and his essays provide critical insight into the extent of the problem. His essay on the three-tier justice system can be found here.

17) Research and Development

a) National Science Foundation

i) R&D for basic science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is essential. In this increasingly global economy, science and mathematics superiority is fundamental to continued economic freedom as well as to national defense. Over the last decade, America has witnessed the ramifications of our reliance on foreign oil. This reliance is a direct assault on our domestic freedom. As such, it is essential that the government reduce our dependence on foreign oil–see 16.B.

ii) Block Grants to States. To ensure the right of each State to identify and target technologies and sciences that are economically viable within that State, the Federal Government should disperse funds as block grants to states. These block grants can then be administered directly by the State, without additional Federal oversight.

18) Economy (for data illustrating the link between precious metals and both the Dow and median U.S. home prices, click here).

a) Consistent application of Austrian economics. For a detailed discussion of economics and American history, click here.

b) Government spending should focus on protecting individual's rights. To provide a sense of spending estimates, the Deming Platform suggests that annual government spending should be between 10% and 20% of the GDP. For a video discussion of this, please click here.

c) Austrian economics has consistently been able to predict and explain the market swings we have seen throughout American history. The erroneous philosophy of "spend our way out" (Keynesian philosophy) has been the dominant philosophy in the last hundred years or so. For a description of Austrian economics, click here (be sure to watch how the Keynesians openly mock the Austrian philosophy prior to the latest collapse). For a comparison of Austrian and Keynesian economics, click here (note that Peter Schiff is arguing the Austrian philosophy against all Keynesians). For a discussion of Keynesian predictions versus American history, click here.

d) One of the critical points of contention between Austrian and Keynesian economists is the cause/effect of the Great Depression. Most Keynesians suggest that the conditions in the late 1930's (depression within the Depression) provide "bullet-proof" evidence that deficit spending "works". In fact, they argue that FDR's interventions had immediate effects. However, upon closer examination the argument falls apart. The deficit spending from Hoover to FDR didn't change much in the first few years of FDR. Additionally, if deficit spending saves economies from continued recessions and depressions, then wouldn't we have seen an unusually long depression after then end of World War II? These ideas must be explored to understand the complete misrepresentation andmisinterpretation of historical events by Keynesian economists. To begin the discussion, click here.

e) In our opinion, there are two important numbers to watch. The first is the Gold-to-Dow ratio. This ratio provides the number of ounces of gold required to "purchase" the value of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. This ratio is critically important when deciding whether or not any gains in the stock market are real or are simply due to inflation. Most government officials and mainstream economists point to an increasing Dow as indicative of economic recovery. However, if the Dow increase is due to inflation, than that opinion is simply not true. For a graph of this number over time, see below:

The second number that is important to watch is the Silver-to-Home ratio. This ratio provides the number of ounces of silver required to purchase the value of the median American home. This ratio is critically important when deciding whether or not an inflationary cycle, and therefore a depression or recession, has ended or is ongoing. We suggest purchasing silver until the median American home can be purchased with 1,000 ounces of silver. At that point, it would probably be prudent to move the silver into other investment opportunities. Data for home prices can be found at here. For a graph of this ratio over time, see below:

f) Keynesian economics consistently distorts the market into boom/bust cycles, inflation, higher unemployment, and disaster. However, most pundits seem convinced that "the government must do something." Indeed, Keynes himself summarized his theory best in his own book when he said,

"Lenin is said to have declared that the best way to destroy the Capitalist System was to debauch the currency. By a continuing process of inflation, governments can confiscate, secretly and unobserved, an important part of the wealth of their citizens. By this method they not only confiscate, but they confiscate arbitrarily; and, while the process impoverishes many, it actually enriches some. The sight of this arbitrary rearrangement of riches strikes not only at security, but at confidence in the equity of the existing distribution of wealth. Those to whom the system brings windfalls, beyond their deserts and even beyond their expectations or desires, become "profiteers,", who are the object of the hatred of the bourgeoisie, whom the inflationism has impoverished, not less than of the proletariat. As the inflation proceeds and the real value of the currency fluctuates wildly from month to month, all permanent relations between debtors and creditors, which form the ultimate foundation of capitalism, become so utterly disordered as to be almost meaningless; and the process of wealth-getting degenerates into a gamble and a lottery. Lenin was certainly right. There is no subtler, no surer means of overturning the existing basis of society than to debauch the currency. The process engages all the hidden forces of economic law on the side of destruction, and does it in a manner which not one man in a million is able to diagnose." (Chapter 6)

The Deming Platform will never support the Keynesian philosophy that, even Keynes agrees, will overturn the existing basis of society.

19) Gold Standard

a) The money supply has been horribly distorted by the Federal Reserve. However, fractional reserve banking also results in monetary distortions. These distortions hurt the poor and middle class much more than the upper class. Therefore, the only morally acceptable monetary policy is one that is 100% backed by gold and silver. This would halt all inflationary policies, reign in government spending, and protect people's savings and retirements from depreciation. For an older video of the history of the Federal Reserve and the removal of the gold standard in America, watch below.

b) Congressman Ron Paul provided an excellent discussion of the gold standard and current monetary policy in 2006. His speech, delivered on the House floor, was titled, "What The Price of Gold is Telling Us." Looking back now, his descriptions have been prophetic. At some point, Americans must begin to pay attention to the price of gold and our inflationary monetary policy.

20) Gay Marriage

a) The Deming Platform recognizes that marriage is between a man and a woman. Anything else is not marriage and is neither encouraged, discouraged or sanctioned in any way by the state.

21) Unions

a) Neither the national or state or local government should promote unions, nor support unions. Any government entity should avoid 'excessive entanglement' beyond enforcing contracts between parties.

22) Earmarks

a) Earmarks are a poorly understood method of assigning a particular amount of money to a particular program. The fact that earmarks have been used to fund questionable projects in individual legislator's districts should not serve to indict the process. One of the most egregious examples frequently used in condemnation of earmarks in general was the Bridge to Nowhere. In fact, earmarks fund worthwhile projects around the country. Non-profit groups like the Close Up Foundation http://www.closeup.org/ and the Center For Civics Education http://new.civiced.org/ are examples of groups that are funded, at least in part, through earmarks. The main beneficiaries of these programs are students - our children and grandchildren.

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