Brown 2008 Platform

I have chosen to run as a candidate for President of the United States in the 2008 general election. I am running as a populist candidate with no party affiliation. Once elected, I will work with all parties and elected officials to effect the best change possible. I truly believe that all parties and platforms have some merit, and the winner should never call all the shots. I meet all the criteria for the presidency; I will be 43 years old when inaugurated in 2009, I was born in Santa Clara county in the great state of California in 1965, and I have never committed nor been convicted of a felony.

Planks (An Overview):

1.) An end to our illegal occupation of Iraq and an end to preemptive military aggression. I believe we can safely change the name of the Defense Department to the Department of Peace and World Welfare. Any time we declare "war" on something, you will note that it never actually gets rid of anything. Instead, the problem only appears to be exacerbated. So let's try waging peace for a change. This does not imply weakness, or lack of defense, or a lack of willingness to protect – quite to the contrary. Let's leave Armageddon to the realm of phantasy, shall we?

2.) Election Reform. Let's bring democracy back to the U.S.A.

3.) Monetary Reform. Abolish the Federal Reserve and put monetary control back to the people where the founding fathers and U.S. Constitution put it. Audit the Federal Reserve and make sure we still have the gold and silver to back our currency.

4.) Rescind NAFTA and other "free trade" agreements. Let's return to fair trade and bring our jobs back home where they belong. We can rebuild this country's infrastructure and create a full-employment economy.

5.) Universal Healthcare. Businesses should be allowed to do business and hire employees without the constraints of paying their employee's healthcare costs. We need a nationalized single payer healthcare system that is not for profit. Workers should be able to see their real incomes rise to the cost of living increases, and not allocated to higher and higher insurance rates. Healthcare should never hinge upon one's employment.

6.) Eliminate the IRS and the Federal Income Tax. Since our federal income tax goes exclusively to the interest on the debt incurred by the administration of the Federal Reserve, and since the Federal Reserve will be reincorporated into the confines of the government with all due transparency, such a questionably constitutional tax will be repealed and replaced with a Fair Tax on goods and services.

7.) Limits on Corporations and Break Private Monopolies. Re-amend the Constitution to allow the government to revoke corporate charters when deemed necessary, and place the power back into the hands of the citizenry where it belongs. Let's bring free market capitalism back to our country.

8.) The "New" New Deal. Public works on a large scale and retooling of existing industry to build a bright future here and around the world. We can once again lead the way by example, not through fear and intimidation. Primarily, we should be concerned with the environment, energy equity and a sustainable future. We can ease off our oil dependence, and look at renewable, clean energy and safer nuclear energy, as well as building infrastructure that conserves energy, such as high speed rail, car-free cities and more efficient use of land and resources.

Sound like Utopia? Why not? Nothing is impossible, except the impossible (of course). I will elaborate on each plank at later dates.

I have little doubt that if I should ever become president, as unlikely as that is to happen, that there will be many attempts made at assassinating me. But I promise to do my best at dodging those bullets!