Newt's 21st Century 'Contract With America'

[USMC the Almighty]

I'm a fan...

I.​

Defend America and our allies from those who would destroy us. To achieve security, we will develop the intelligence, diplomatic, information, defense, and homeland security systems and resources for success.

II.​

Transform the Social Security system into personal savings accounts that will enable every worker to have higher retirement incomes from their own work and avoid the need for financial support from their children.

III.​

Recenter on the Creator from Whom all our liberties come. We will insist on a judiciary that understands the centrality of God in American history and reasserts the legitimacy of recognizing the Creator in public life.

IV.​

Establish patriotic education for our children and patriotic immigration for new Americans. To achieve this, we will renew our commitment to education about American citizenship based on American history and an understanding of the Founding Fathers and the core values of American civilization. We will insist that both our children and immigrants learn the key values and key facts of American history as the foundation of their growth as citizens.

V.​

Meet the triple economic challenges of an explosion in scientific and technological knowledge, an increasingly competitive world market, and the rise of China and India by implementing:

1. A new system of civil justice to reduce the burden of lawsuits and to incentivize young people to go into professions other than the law.

2. A dramatically simplified tax code that favors savings, entrepreneurship, investment, and constant modernization of equipment and technology.

3. Math and science learning equal to any in the world and educating enough young Americans to both discover the science of the future and to compete successfully in national security and the economy with other well-educated societies.

4. Investing in the scientific revolutions that are going to transform our world—particularly in energy, space, and the environment.

5. Transforming health care into a 21st Century Intelligent Health System that improves our health while lowering costs dramatically. In the process, American health care will become our highest value export and foreign exchange earning sector.

VI.​

Work to include every American in a system of patriotic stewardship so every person has a real opportunity to pursue happiness as their Creator endowed. Prepare for the aging of the baby boomers and their children so we can have active healthy aging with the best quality of life, the longest period of independent living, and the greatest prosperity. We will:

1. Develop a system in which those who wish to stay economically active are encouraged and incentivized to do so because active people live longer and healthier, have a greater opportunity to pursue happiness, and are less of a burden on their fellow citizens;

2. Develop a system of independent living and assisted living that increases the years in which people can be on their own and in most cases enables people to live their entire lives with freedom and dignity;

3. Develop a new model of quality long-term care in which both the care and the quality of life are compatible with a twenty-first century American expectation of progress and innovation;

4. Use the new technologies and new scientific knowledge to turn disabilities into capabilities and change government regulations and programs to help every American achieve the fullest possible ability to pursue happiness.

CENTER]VII.[/CENTER]

Change the mindset of big government in Washington by replacing bureaucratic public administration with Entrepreneurial Public Management so government can operate with the speed, effectiveness, and efficiency of the information age.

VIII.​

Balance the federal budget and insist on a lean government, low tax, low interest rate economy to maximize growth in a competitive world.

IX.​

Insist on congressional reform to make the legislative branch responsive to the needs of the 21st century.

X.​

Ensure an election process that is honest, accountable, accurate, and free from the threat of illegal votes or subsequent litigation.

If we insist on these goals and insist on electing leaders at all levels dedicated to these goals, we will be able to leave our children and grandchildren an America of safety, health, prosperity, and freedom that would make our parents and grandparents proud. We too will have done our duty to our country and our achievements as citizens will be worthy of the America we inherited.

 

[Bunz]

I will add my comments afterwards

I.​

Defend America and our allies from those who would destroy us. To achieve security, we will develop the intelligence, diplomatic, information, defense, and homeland security systems and resources for success.

We must do it without compromising the liberties of Americans. Nuff said

II.​

Transform the Social Security system into personal savings accounts that will enable every worker to have higher retirement incomes from their own work and avoid the need for financial support from their children.

Interesting idea. As long as everyone pays in and everyone gets paid when the time comes and it needs to be set aside and invested without the government touching it. See the Alaska Permanent fund dividend as a perfect example

III.​

Recenter on the Creator from Whom all our liberties come. We will insist on a judiciary that understands the centrality of God in American history and reasserts the legitimacy of recognizing the Creator in public life.

Nah, The government needs to stay out of the bedroom and away from our religious beliefs. That being said, I am not one calling for the removal of One Nation Under God... but I believe in a strict version of separation of church and state.

IV.​

Establish patriotic education for our children and patriotic immigration for new Americans. To achieve this, we will renew our commitment to education about American citizenship based on American history and an understanding of the Founding Fathers and the core values of American civilization. We will insist that both our children and immigrants learn the key values and key facts of American history as the foundation of their growth as citizens.

Patriotic education through history and government classes if fine with me, but indoctrination and closing minds to further ideas no.

V.​

Meet the triple economic challenges of an explosion in scientific and technological knowledge, an increasingly competitive world market, and the rise of China and India by implementing:

The best way to deal with China and India is to limit the amount of goods we buy from them and quit outsourcing jobs to them.
1. A new system of civil justice to reduce the burden of lawsuits and to incentivize young people to go into professions other than the law.

Fair enough to reduce the burden especially in health care of being lawsuit happy, but incentivize staying away from becoming anything besides a hitman or drug dealer is non-American. Encourage them to become something else, but do not dissuade from becoming one

2. A dramatically simplified tax code that favors savings, entrepreneurship, investment, and constant modernization of equipment and technology.

Fair enough, but the government must not overspend and have a balanced budget and only overspend by a max of %25 in times of war without a draft happening

3. Math and science learning equal to any in the world and educating enough young Americans to both discover the science of the future and to compete successfully in national security and the economy with other well-educated societies.

As long as it includes Evolution

4. Investing in the scientific revolutions that are going to transform our world—particularly in energy, space, and the environment.
Newt said this? Wow, first priority should be to develop clean energy sources
5. Transforming health care into a 21st Century Intelligent Health System that improves our health while lowering costs dramatically. In the process, American health care will become our highest value export and foreign exchange earning sector.
interesting concept, Id like to see how this would be implemented

VI.​

Work to include every American in a system of patriotic stewardship so every person has a real opportunity to pursue happiness as their Creator endowed. Prepare for the aging of the baby boomers and their children so we can have active healthy aging with the best quality of life, the longest period of independent living, and the greatest prosperity. We will:
Fine, just cut the creator crap, most people lose interest right there
1. Develop a system in which those who wish to stay economically active are encouraged and incentivized to do so because active people live longer and healthier, have a greater opportunity to pursue happiness, and are less of a burden on their fellow citizens;
sounds good to me
2. Develop a system of independent living and assisted living that increases the years in which people can be on their own and in most cases enables people to live their entire lives with freedom and dignity;
Who is going to pay for it?
3. Develop a new model of quality long-term care in which both the care and the quality of life are compatible with a twenty-first century American expectation of progress and innovation;
Again, who is going to pay for it
4. Use the new technologies and new scientific knowledge to turn disabilities into capabilities and change government regulations and programs to help every American achieve the fullest possible ability to pursue happiness.
Does this mean stem cell research? If it does, then I am on board
CENTER]VII.[/CENTER]

Change the mindset of big government in Washington by replacing bureaucratic public administration with Entrepreneurial Public Management so government can operate with the speed, effectiveness, and efficiency of the information age.
Not sure I like this, while I agree that the government needs to be more efficient, privitizing it could lead to unintended consequences, such as calling the IRS and getting someone at a call center in India or the Phillipines, see earlier comment on that

VIII.​

Balance the federal budget and insist on a lean government, low tax, low interest rate economy to maximize growth in a competitive world.
not bad, but the burden should be on large corporations and much less on the middle/lower class

IX.​

Insist on congressional reform to make the legislative branch responsive to the needs of the 21st century.
absolutely, he should have done this 10 years ago as Speaker of the House though

X.​

Ensure an election process that is honest, accountable, accurate, and free from the threat of illegal votes or subsequent litigation.
Sure I can go along with that.
If we insist on these goals and insist on electing leaders at all levels dedicated to these goals, we will be able to leave our children and grandchildren an America of safety, health, prosperity, and freedom that would make our parents and grandparents proud. We too will have done our duty to our country and our achievements as citizens will be worthy of the America we inherited.[/QUOTE]
This would not be such a tough sell if it wasnt from Gingrich, I think the American public has had thier fill of him. He should have sold the rights of this plan to maybe Tommy Thompson

 

[Coyote]

The man's a hypocrite. I woud not support anything he stood for...

 

[vyo476]

I.​

Defend America and our allies from those who would destroy us. To achieve security, we will develop the intelligence, diplomatic, information, defense, and homeland security systems and resources for success.

My only problem with this is that it's a bit broad. Wanting to improve the intelligence and diplomatic systems sounds great to everyone - until the "how?" is brought up.

II.​

Transform the Social Security system into personal savings accounts that will enable every worker to have higher retirement incomes from their own work and avoid the need for financial support from their children.

What about disability?

III.​

Recenter on the Creator from Whom all our liberties come. We will insist on a judiciary that understands the centrality of God in American history and reasserts the legitimacy of recognizing the Creator in public life.

Careful with the "G" word, but otherwise, letting people know that our rights came from whatever made us rather than from the government is good in my book too.

IV.​

Establish patriotic education for our children and patriotic immigration for new Americans. To achieve this, we will renew our commitment to education about American citizenship based on American history and an understanding of the Founding Fathers and the core values of American civilization. We will insist that both our children and immigrants learn the key values and key facts of American history as the foundation of their growth as citizens.

I'd baulk at this, mostly because the idea of calling something "patriotic" education sounds more like educating towards a specific viewpoint, rather than attempting to provided facts and let kids make up their own minds. American history and Civics both ought to be given emphasis in schools, but both should be entirely fact-based and we definitely shouldn't call it "patriotic" education. Kids view their education very negatively and we don't need massive numbers of children forming negative associations with the word "patriot."

1. A new system of civil justice to reduce the burden of lawsuits and to incentivize young people to go into professions other than the law.

An end to the litigation culture would make just about everyone rest a bit easier. Except the lawyers.

2. A dramatically simplified tax code that favors savings, entrepreneurship, investment, and constant modernization of equipment and technology.

It'd be nice if everyone could understand the tax codes.

3. Math and science learning equal to any in the world and educating enough young Americans to both discover the science of the future and to compete successfully in national security and the economy with other well-educated societies.

Once more, "how" comes up. Congress has thrown plenty of money at programs that encourage growth in math and science education, and we are improving, but not at a rate directly proportional to the (immense) amounts of money the programs are receiving.

4. Investing in the scientific revolutions that are going to transform our world—particularly in energy, space, and the environment.

Good, good, and good.

5. Transforming health care into a 21st Century Intelligent Health System that improves our health while lowering costs dramatically. In the process, American health care will become our highest value export and foreign exchange earning sector.

I'd have to look up some of the finer points of this Intelligent Health System in order to really comment on it. And I don't really feel like doing that right now.

1. Develop a system in which those who wish to stay economically active are encouraged and incentivized to do so because active people live longer and healthier, have a greater opportunity to pursue happiness, and are less of a burden on their fellow citizens;

Sounds good. "How" comes up again but I'll bet you're tired of reading it at this point.

2. Develop a system of independent living and assisted living that increases the years in which people can be on their own and in most cases enables people to live their entire lives with freedom and dignity;

This undoubtedly ties into the health care plan.

3. Develop a new model of quality long-term care in which both the care and the quality of life are compatible with a twenty-first century American expectation of progress and innovation;

That's going to take some bucks...

4. Use the new technologies and new scientific knowledge to turn disabilities into capabilities and change government regulations and programs to help every American achieve the fullest possible ability to pursue happiness.

Once again, we're talking a lot of money here. I've lived with a disabled woman my entire life and it is extremely expensive on just a day to day basis.

Still, I'd have to say that I like what I hear - provided we can actually fund the thing. I wouldn't want to get peoples' hopes up about revolutionary new care only to say, "Well, turns out it wasn't in the budget, and we promised not to raise taxes. Sorry."

CENTER]VII.[/CENTER]

Change the mindset of big government in Washington by replacing bureaucratic public administration with Entrepreneurial Public Management so government can operate with the speed, effectiveness, and efficiency of the information age.

Bureaucracy is bureaucracy, no matter what you're calling it. You can wash out the corruption and inefficiency of a government, but once you've got it running smoothly again, it starts to decay.

VIII.​

Balance the federal budget and insist on a lean government, low tax, low interest rate economy to maximize growth in a competitive world.

All I can say is best of luck with that, considering all the health care reforms above.

IX.​

Insist on congressional reform to make the legislative branch responsive to the needs of the 21st century.

Has anyone ever really been happy with how the Congress runs its business? In theory Congress ought to reflexively react to the "needs of the 21st Century." Could be that I'm not interpreting this right.

X.​

Ensure an election process that is honest, accountable, accurate, and free from the threat of illegal votes or subsequent litigation.

Bye bye Electoral College perhaps? It's about time that thing went out the window.

If we insist on these goals and insist on electing leaders at all levels dedicated to these goals, we will be able to leave our children and grandchildren an America of safety, health, prosperity, and freedom that would make our parents and grandparents proud. We too will have done our duty to our country and our achievements as citizens will be worthy of the America we inherited.

Sounds good. That was some list there, huh?

 

[Coyote]

I'm a fan...

I.​

Defend America and our allies from those who would destroy us. To achieve security, we will develop the intelligence, diplomatic, information, defense, and homeland security systems and resources for success.

How? We havn't done a real good job at identifying real enemies lately....

II.​

Transform the Social Security system into personal savings accounts that will enable every worker to have higher retirement incomes from their own work and avoid the need for financial support from their children.

What about those that spend their lives working hard but don't earn enough? How would personal savings accunts be better? And as Vyo noted - what about disability?

Recenter on the Creator from Whom all our liberties come. We will insist on a judiciary that understands the centrality of God in American history and reasserts the legitimacy of recognizing the Creator in public life.

How exactly is that going to be implimented? Mandetory religious brainwashing? Incarcerating homosexuals? Burning witches?

Establish patriotic education for our children and patriotic immigration for new Americans. To achieve this, we will renew our commitment to education about American citizenship based on American history and an understanding of the Founding Fathers and the core values of American civilization. We will insist that both our children and immigrants learn the key values and key facts of American history as the foundation of their growth as citizens.

Mao and Stalin tried this. Didn't work.

Meet the triple economic challenges of an explosion in scientific and technological knowledge, an increasingly competitive world market, and the rise of China and India by implementing:

1. A new system of civil justice to reduce the burden of lawsuits and to incentivize young people to go into professions other than the law.

How - what examples?

2. A dramatically simplified tax code that favors savings, entrepreneurship, investment, and constant modernization of equipment and technology.

3. Math and science learning equal to any in the world and educating enough young Americans to both discover the science of the future and to compete successfully in national security and the economy with other well-educated societies.

You are not going to attain that with an educational outlook that calls Creationsim "science".

4. Investing in the scientific revolutions that are going to transform our world—particularly in energy, space, and the environment.

Agreed.

5. Transforming health care into a 21st Century Intelligent Health System that improves our health while lowering costs dramatically. In the process, American health care will become our highest value export and foreign exchange earning sector.

This is a big "HOW"?????

Work to include every American in a system of patriotic stewardship so every person has a real opportunity to pursue happiness as their Creator endowed. Prepare for the aging of the baby boomers and their children so we can have active healthy aging with the best quality of life, the longest period of independent living, and the greatest prosperity. We will:

1. Develop a system in which those who wish to stay economically active are encouraged and incentivized to do so because active people live longer and healthier, have a greater opportunity to pursue happiness, and are less of a burden on their fellow citizens;

Ok...not a bad idea but I suspect that in order to do that you'll have to take something from the other end - those youngsters entering the workforce.

2. Develop a system of independent living and assisted living that increases the years in which people can be on their own and in most cases enables people to live their entire lives with freedom and dignity;

3. Develop a new model of quality long-term care in which both the care and the quality of life are compatible with a twenty-first century American expectation of progress and innovation;

4. Use the new technologies and new scientific knowledge to turn disabilities into capabilities and change government regulations and programs to help every American achieve the fullest possible ability to pursue happiness.

[/quote]

Good ideas - liberals have been advocating this for ages. Question is...how?

Change the mindset of big government in Washington by replacing bureaucratic public administration with Entrepreneurial Public Management so government can operate with the speed, effectiveness, and efficiency of the information age.

How?

Insist on congressional reform to make the legislative branch responsive to the needs of the 21st century.

What sort of reform?

 

[USMC the Almighty]

I'd like to get to everyone else's comment but as for Coyote's consistent "how" question -- he wrote a book called Winning the Future in which he details exactly how he would implement these initiatives.

He has grand ideas, but more importantly, he knows how he would implement said ideas which is why I like him so much. So he's a lying hypocrite. Who in politics isn't? He has ideas for how to restore this country to greatness.

 

[vyo476]

Before anyone else jumps all over the whole "Creator" thing I'd like to point out that the title of "Creator" is not religious. It simply refers to whatever made us - whether you believe that to be a singular, omnipotent entity or an accident of biology. The idea is that whatever created us - made us the way we are - endowed us with rights; this line of reasoning is that we have rights the same way we have brains, eyes, or knees. It is not meant to favor any religious denomination over another; it is meant to remind us that our basic rights are inherent in all of us, not granted to us by a government.

 

[USMC the Almighty]

Well put, vyo.

 

[Bunz]

While I agree YVO in your post, for the sake of appealing to the widest possible audience, the use of Creator as a term that will immediatly make people think of God. Remember, perception is reality. Especially in politics.

 

[JavaBlack]

I'm a fan...

I.​

Defend America and our allies from those who would destroy us. To achieve security, we will develop the intelligence, diplomatic, information, defense, and homeland security systems and resources for success.

That's pretty vague. Everyone wants this done... it's the "how" that's important... and if the amphibian's strategy is anything like that of the rest of the Republicans... I don't see it happening.

II.​

Transform the Social Security system into personal savings accounts that will enable every worker to have higher retirement incomes from their own work and avoid the need for financial support from their children.

Turn it into a forced retirement service... that no longer works for its purpose as disability and old age insurance? Has the time of "retirement entitlement" screwed up everyone's perspective?
SS is supposed to be insurance to keep a minimal safety net for those who grow old and lose their savings and those who get disabled before they can save... It was NEVER intended to be a retirement plan. The GOP are trying to turn SS into something it was never meant to be.... and create a dangerous connection between the government and the stock market.
And who pays? The working poor and those unfortunate enough to be disabled young...
Thanks but no thanks. I can save on my own. Social Security is for those who life throws a curveball at.

III.​

Recenter on the Creator from Whom all our liberties come. We will insist on a judiciary that understands the centrality of God in American history and reasserts the legitimacy of recognizing the Creator in public life.

A return to the theocracy America never was except in the minds of the Right.
This alone makes me more likely to vote for a nimrod like Kucinich than Gingrich.

IV.​

Establish patriotic education for our children and patriotic immigration for new Americans. To achieve this, we will renew our commitment to education about American citizenship based on American history and an understanding of the Founding Fathers and the core values of American civilization. We will insist that both our children and immigrants learn the key values and key facts of American history as the foundation of their growth as citizens.

In a generic sense I agree... But somehow I don't think his point is a comprehensive study based on reality that looks at the differences in the forefathers and the necessary vagueness of the Constitution. The Cons just want to do exactly what they imagine liberals do: indoctrinate the kids to think like them and never question anything.

V.​

Meet the triple economic challenges of an explosion in scientific and technological knowledge, an increasingly competitive world market, and the rise of China and India by implementing:

1. A new system of civil justice to reduce the burden of lawsuits and to incentivize young people to go into professions other than the law.

In other words to make it impossible for citizens to have anything done about civil injustices in order that businesses can cut corners and take no responsibility so we can make young Americans realize how profitable it is to be a businessman with no feeling of social responsibility.
It amazes me how Republicriminals speak of "frivelous lawsuits" and follow it up with limits on all lawsuits.
By the way... are there indeed too many young people going into law? I think it's BS. There are too many young people NOT GOING TO COLLEGE. A kid with a law degree can do most business jobs. A kid with zip education can't.

2. A dramatically simplified tax code that favors savings, entrepreneurship, investment, and constant modernization of equipment and technology.

Sounds good... but the devil is always in the details.

3. Math and science learning equal to any in the world and educating enough young Americans to both discover the science of the future and to compete successfully in national security and the economy with other well-educated societies.

Again... How? Through more standardized testing that merely leads teachers to teach for a test instead of for real life. Kids who have an interest in math in this country do every bit as well as those in other countries.
The problem is interest. What is Newt going to do about that?

4. Investing in the scientific revolutions that are going to transform our world—particularly in energy, space, and the environment. .

I agree... but with what revenue? More deficit spending? Seems a Republican staple in this age.

5. Transforming health care into a 21st Century Intelligent Health System that improves our health while lowering costs dramatically. In the process, American health care will become our highest value export and foreign exchange earning sector. .

Again, sounds good... but how? I'm all ears.

VI.​

Work to include every American in a system of patriotic stewardship so every person has a real opportunity to pursue happiness as their Creator endowed. Prepare for the aging of the baby boomers and their children so we can have active healthy aging with the best quality of life, the longest period of independent living, and the greatest prosperity. We will:

1. Develop a system in which those who wish to stay economically active are encouraged and incentivized to do so because active people live longer and healthier, have a greater opportunity to pursue happiness, and are less of a burden on their fellow citizens;

2. Develop a system of independent living and assisted living that increases the years in which people can be on their own and in most cases enables people to live their entire lives with freedom and dignity;

3. Develop a new model of quality long-term care in which both the care and the quality of life are compatible with a twenty-first century American expectation of progress and innovation;

4. Use the new technologies and new scientific knowledge to turn disabilities into capabilities and change government regulations and programs to help every American achieve the fullest possible ability to pursue happiness. .

I like this part. But I'm still befuddled as to how this will be paid for without raising more revenue.
I'm thinking this is just pandering to the AARP.

CENTER]VII.[/CENTER]

Change the mindset of big government in Washington by replacing bureaucratic public administration with Entrepreneurial Public Management so government can operate with the speed, effectiveness, and efficiency of the information age. .

I agree with this... but I'd do it slow... because I understand it's theoretical. In reality, from my experiences, privatized government services tend to be even more inefficient, contrary to what we'd expect.
Obviously there's something wrong with our system of contracting.

VIII.​

Balance the federal budget and insist on a lean government, low tax, low interest rate economy to maximize growth in a competitive world.

OK... Remember all those things I asked "How will we pay for it?"
Those questions just got harder to answer. So who is Newt lying to? The fiscal cons or the people who want better health care and scientific investment?

IX.​

Insist on congressional reform to make the legislative branch responsive to the needs of the 21st century.

Awaiting the details... and the devils inside them.

X.​

Ensure an election process that is honest, accountable, accurate, and free from the threat of illegal votes or subsequent litigation.

And how much you wanna bet it also makes it even more difficulty for poor people and working people to vote?

If we insist on these goals and insist on electing leaders at all levels dedicated to these goals, we will be able to leave our children and grandchildren an America of safety, health, prosperity, and freedom that would make our parents and grandparents proud. We too will have done our duty to our country and our achievements as citizens will be worthy of the America we inherited.

And if we clap our hands and say we believe in fairies... oh, nevermind... Republicans don't believe in fairies.

Despite my skepticism and problems with the amphibian... I like him better than most of the Republicans running right now.
If he was willing to dump the BS about God and nationalist brainwashing, I might be more open to hearing him out... but since he's not...
Let him take his rhetoric elsewhere.

 

[JavaBlack]

...

The man's a hypocrite. I woud not support anything he stood for...

Why? Just because he thinks we should all undergo the transformation of America into the Christian country of its mythic past so that we can forgive him for his heartless delivery of divorce papers to his dying wife to keep his mistress's child from being born a bastard?
Hopefully his father's own brand of bastardism isn't hereditary.

 

[USMC the Almighty]

Just because he thinks we should all undergo the transformation of America into the Christian country of its mythic past

What gives you this idea that he wants to make America anymore Christian?

 

[Coyote]

What gives you this idea that he wants to make America anymore Christian?

This...

Recenter on the Creator from Whom all our liberties come. We will insist on a judiciary that understands the centrality of God in American history and reasserts the legitimacy of recognizing the Creator in public life.

 

[USMC the Almighty]

I don't see the word Christianity. Go back and read vyo's post on the first page.

 

[Bunz]

USMC, just as I mentioned before...perception is reality.