Making America Great - A Practical Handbook for Improving our Society

Making America Great is a handbook and practical guide for ordinary citizens to make improvements in their communities. Based on a decade of research and talking with experts around the country, this book provides practical tips on how to make our communities better.

In this book you will learn how changes are made in a society, including the sequence of events and the key players in any successful movement. You will understand the types of people in any major societal shift, and how to work with each type of person to get the most out of your movement.

You will learn how to deal realistically with politics, economics, bureaucrats, and the criminal element while persistently developing your vision. You will learn how to lead people effectively, including managing teams and getting the most out of discussions. You will learn how get people to perform small easy tasks which will collectively result in large scale changes.

You will also be inspired as you read the reasons we should continue to make changes, why we should continue to act, and why we should continue to care. You will also be shown that making large scale changes are indeed possible.

This book also provides a series of targets for America – who we are, and where we should be headed. This book also provides role models of great Americans – people for us to emulate, people who embody everything discussed in the book. (If millions of Americans would follow role models such as these our society as a whole will develop closer to the ideal America).

Making America Great also provides a brief summary of practical tips for improving the most important areas of our society. These include education, government operations, and business practices.

And because humor is so important to our lives and our practical achievements, an entire chapter is devoted to humor in the workplace.

The original book was published in 1998, with subsequent editions. The book is landmark book - unique when first published - with very few comparable books since that time.

Making America Great is just as relevant and just as practical today as the initial edition. In the many years since the book’s first publication, the concepts have been proven again and again. Unfolding events such as the 912 movement, the Occupy Movement, major corporate fraud, and the results of the terrorist attacks have all been “predicted” by the original book. The themes and principles remain as truthful as ever.

Furthermore, in the last 10 years, the original book has spawned an entire series of books, collectively known as the Making America Great series, numerous blogs and websites, and at least two political movements. This is in addition to inspiring the many readers who have used the information to make changes in their own sphere of influence.

Making America Great is written as a handbook, with summary points and short chapters. Read this book and understand the practical tips for making real changes in our society...and in ways that are easy for any citizen to do.

During My First Term as President I Will…

If elected President, by the end of my first term I will do the following:

a) Secure our borders with an effective physical barrier, and deport at least 25% of illegal immigrants.

b) Prosecute at least 60% of financial criminals to the fullest extent of the law, and return all stolen money to proper owners.

c) Create a Small Business and Middle Class Task Force, which will evaluate the effects of all laws and regulations on those two key segments of society, as well as make recommendations to the appropriate officials.

d) Make the financial summaries of government operations easier to access, obtain, and interpret, along with an extensive set of links for more detailed information on each topic.

e) Persuade Congress to pass a series of legislative reforms which will:

1. Provide more oversight of the financial sector.

2. Establish significant restrictions of allowable financial transactions.

3. Restrict foreign ownership of federal, state, and municipal government operations, including infrastructure, security, and bonds.

4. Return authority of most government activities to state and local regions.

5. Increase personal freedoms and allow more personal choices for individuals.

These are the goals I will achieve in my first term as President of the United States.

List of General Demands for Occupy Wall Street Movement

Introduction

One of the common complaints the elite make about the “Occupy” movement is that the people are not able to articulate specific demands. Therefore in order to aid the movement it is called upon individuals like myself to offer such a list.

The following is a List of Demands, created on behalf of the people.

We desire that the federal government and the financial elite take appropriate steps based on these demands to bring economic justice back to our nation.

General Demands

In general terms, the people demand the following:

1. The financial criminals who obtained their wealth through fraud and theft must be brought to justice. All stolen money must be returned to rightful owners. All criminals must be punished according to existing law.

2. Government agencies in all jurisdictions must do whatever is necessary to return stolen money to proper owners, to bring the financial criminals to justice, and to protect the people from any future financial crimes.

3. The financial elite must put the needs of the businesses before personal gain. Executives and investors must be dedicated to gradually growing the business over time, rather than being focused on quick profits and large paychecks.

4. The financial elite are obligated to help ensure that communities are economically healthy and that the nation remains prosperous. Personal wealth must not be obtained by sacrificing the general welfare of the communities or the nation.

5. All elected representatives who assisted the financial criminals in committing their crimes must also be brought to justice. These individuals must be replaced with representatives who are more responsive to the people. These representatives may also be charged with crimes as appropriate.

6. The financial elite must never be given any preferences over other sectors of the economy and other economic groups regarding government policy decisions, legislation, or enforcement of existing law.

7. All government money (actually taxpayer money) which was given to businesses as grants, loans, or stimulus must be immediately returned to the government treasury.

8. Wealthy corporations and individuals must pay their fair share in taxes. Those who benefit from the system to the greatest degree are obligated to return some of their profit to that system. Therefore all corporations and individuals who earn a substantial income must pay all taxes at the existing tax rate, without using any of slight-of-hand accounting methods to reduce their tax obligations.

This is our list of Demands. We further add that every elected representative, every government agency, and every member of the financial community take appropriate action to meet these demands.

Class Warfare: It is based on Justice, not Jealousy

Introduction

There is indeed a class warfare going on today. But it was not started by the poor, middle class, or any politician pandering for votes.

The class warfare was started by the financial elite. The people are simply trying to defend themselves and protect what is rightfully theirs. The ordinary people of the country, the 98% who are not part of the financial elite, are engaged in a movement to protect their future.

Key Elements of the “class war”

There are a few things to remember about the class war of today:

1. The financial elite started the war, by attacking the American people and by looting established businesses.

2. The term “class warfare” was invented by the financial elite to disparage the people. The term has been used to deflect attention from the elite’s serious financial crimes.

3. The financial elite have been using the media over many years to lie repeatedly. This includes false accusations against innocent people so that the elite can deflect attention from their own very real crimes.

4. The 98% of the population who are not part of the financial elite are engaged in a movement to protect everything of value. These people are motivated by justice, not by jealousy.

5. The people are simply trying to defend what is rightfully theirs, to regain stolen assets, and to punish the criminals.

Financial Elite: Pillaging, Looting, Bully Behavior

The financial elite have been pillaging American communities and looting from the American people for decades. It is time that the people take back what was stolen from them. It is time that the people reclaim what is rightfully theirs.

The financial elite have been behaving like school bullies. Yet instead of the school principal telling the bullies to stop, the principal encourages the bully and rewards the behavior.

The authority figures should be the referees, they should be enforcing a fair playing field. Instead, these authority figures are giving the bullies bigger sticks. The referees are cheering the bullies onward as they beat their victims senseless.

Media lies and deflection from crimes

The financial elite have also been using media for their advantage. The financial elite have coined the term “class warfare.” The elite use this term to insult the people, and divert attention from those in power who have really been waging war against Americans.

These elite have always claimed that the rich are innocent, and that the people are selfish. Yet, these accusations are false. In fact, the opposite is true. The financial elite are selfish. The financial elite destroy businesses, destroy communities, and commit fraud, all for large amounts of personal wealth. 

The elite have also claimed that the people are acting out of jealousy. Again, another deflection tactic. The people are not jealous of the criminals. Rather, the people want to be protected from the criminals.

The elite claim that many people want to tear down the wealthy and redistribute the wealth in a socialist manner. This is another lie. The people do not want to steal money, they want the money stolen by the elite to be returned to their owners.

The elite claim that the people want free money for no labor. Again, a lie told by the elite through the media to deflect what is really going on. The people do not want free money for no labor. Rather, the people want honest investors and CEOs who care about the companies instead of just how to get more money. The people want executives who stay with a company for generations, and grow a company honestly. As a result, the free market economy will work. As a result, hard-working Americans can perform their work with pride and be able to support their families. As a result, our nation's economy will prosoper and continue to bloom.

The false accusations against the people are deliberate. Making false accusations against the people deflects the attention from the elite's real and very serious crimes.

Class Warfare and The People’s Army

Is there a class warfare? Absolutely. It is real, and it has been growing for years. Was it started by the people? No, it was started by the financial elite. Only now are the people gathering in large enough numbers to effectively fight back.

The 98% of hard-working Americans, the people who have been unemployed and underemployed for many years, are finally amassing into a people’s army.

In revolutionary terms, you might call this a “militia”.

The people didn’t start this war, but by God the people are going to finish this war. And the people will eventually win.

How do we know the people will win? The fight is very personal: the people are defending their homes, their lives, and their personal freedoms. The people are also motivated by justice and equality.

And never forget the numbers: 98% of the people versus 2% of the elite. If this militia is organized properly, and if effective methods are used in battle, then such large numbers cannot be defeated!

The methods used in this war may vary quite a bit. It is left to the leaders throughout the movement to develop the strategies and goals. Nevertheless, the people's militia, located in pockets throughout the nation, is now ready for the series of battles that will come.

Remember that ordinary Americans fought and died on the beaches of Normandy. Many good men died that day, yet the sheer mass of soldiers (along with their unwavering dedication) conquered that beach. Their dedication ultimately defeated the Nazis throughout all nations. In a similar way, the mass of ordinary Americans of today will fight and eventually defeat the financial elite.

Class warfare: The People Will Win

We are witnessing the natural development of a new militia. This militia is composed of the millions of unemployed and underemployed who have been harmed by the financial elite.

The people of this movement are motivated not by jealousy (as the elite claim), but by the pursuit of justice.

The people did not start this war, but they will finish it. The people will remake society according to basic God given rights and American principles. With determination and a series of effective plans, the people will win this war.

Mark Fennell

10/10/2011

Wall Street and Financial Elite: Examples of Bad Behavior

Introduction

I fully support the movement of Occupy Wall Street and related “occupy” gatherings around the nation.

A common criticism of the movement is that the people of the movement do not know what they are protesting.

I counter that criticism: The people DO know what they are protesting. They can’t always articulate it, they might not have the facts at their fingertips, but they know.

The people of this movement are protesting the repeated criminal acts and unethical behavior of the financial elite. These actions have destroyed successful businesses, depleted communities, stolen investors money, and worsened the financial state of millions of Americans. These actions have gone unpunished. These criminal acts are sometimes rewarded and praised. This is what the Occupy Wall Street movement is protesting.

However, in order to aid the movement, the citizen researchers and civic activists must help the people articulate the problem. We must gather examples of the criminal acts and unethical behavior of the financial elite.

In this article I will provide an overview of some of their criminal acts.

A. Venture Capitalists stealing money from investors

There are many Venture Capitalists who have no desire to create a business. They will admit as much when you talk to them personally.

These Venture Capitalists have a method for making money: They put their name and their money behind a new business. Then they get other people to invest in the company. The Venture Capitalists manipulate the stocks, manipulate the financial reports, and make the business appear a grand success. Then the Venture Capitalists pull their money out, with a substantial profit.

The Venture Capitalists get wealthy, while the business falters and goes under. Small investors (regular people who work full time but invest on the side) then lose their money.

In addition, because this business was deemed a failure, few investors or banks will take a chance on a similar business. The fact that it was deliberately run into the ground for the profit of a few elitists at the top is a fact that few people know. The general consensus is “don’t invest in that type of company again”, which makes new start-ups (and future economic growth in the community) much less likely.

This type of activity falls under deceptive business practices. It is a type of bait-and-switch. Law enforcement agencies should punish this behavior, but nothing ever happens. The Venture Capitalists run free to perform this deceptive (and destructive) act again and again.

B. Financial elitists stealing money from the government

The government often gives grants, loans, and other types of economic stimulus money to private companies. However, this money usually goes to the financial elite, who take the money only for personal gain.

First, the biggest amounts of money given out by the federal government tend to go to the most wealthy people. The top people at the government are friends with the financial elite. This results in money being given to the wealthy elite rather than to a deserving company.

Second, many of these recipients have no intention of using that money to build a business. The business is just a front for the real activity: pocketing government money.

The recipients of the government money will pretend to run a business, for a while. Yet if you look closely you will see extremely high salaries, padded travel expenses, and business expenses that are really personal pleasures. Yet there never really was a business. The business only exists as long as the government money is coming in.

Third, the business begins to falter. It could be from the fact that there never really was a business, and very little product was sold. Or it could be that the government money ran out. Or it could be that the high salaries couldn’t support even the smallest pretense of a business.

At this point the government (the taxpayers) have increased the wallets of the financial elite, without anything in return. In addition, the community is disappointed - they believed in that business and the economic growth it would bring. Employees at the bottom worked hard yet are now unemployed. And the thought of anyone investing in a similar company in the future seems unlikely.

Do the taxpayers get their money back? Not usually. The political leaders are friends with the financial elite, so nobody is ever going to investigate, and no one will be required to return the money.

(More examples of Bad Behavior will be written in future blogs)

Clarification of Who we are talking about

Remember we are talking about the financial elite. We are NOT talking about hard working entrepreneurs and employees. We are not talking about the people throughout a business who grow the company through their passion and dedication.

Rather, we are talking about the criminal element. We are talking about the financial elite who deliberately steal money, who manipulate markets, who knowingly break existing laws, and who don’t care about destroying communities. Those financial criminals are the people we are talking about.

Wall Street Protests: I Support the Movement

I fully support the movement of Occupy Wall Street and related “occupy” gatherings around the nation.

The financial elite have been harming our economy in serious ways over many years. These financial elitists get wealthy at the expense of the people, and the nation.

These elitists obtain their wealth not through hard work over a period of years, but through repeated criminal and unethical behavior.

These financial elitists never face the consequences of their actions. They rarely pay for their crimes. In fact, they are often rewarded and praised.

The people have known about the problem for decades, yet only now is there a movement which has taken hold.

A common criticism of the movement (again by those in political and financial power) is that the people of the movement do not know what they are protesting. I counter that criticism: Yes the people DO know what they are protesting. They can’t always articulate it, they might not have the facts at their fingertips, but they know.

The people of this movement are protesting the repeated criminal acts and unethical behavior of the financial elite. These actions have destroyed successful businesses, depleted communities, stolen investors money, and worsened the financial state of millions of Americans. These actions have gone unpunished, even rewarded and praised. This is what the Occupy Wall Street movement is protesting.

And I fully support it.

However, in order to aid the movement, researchers and civic activists must help the people articulate the problem. We must gather examples of the criminal acts and unethical behavior of the financial elite. We must show the laws written by the elite for the elite, and the criminal acts unpunished by the government. We must take back our government and our finances from the criminals who are the financial elite.