Global
Citizen Patriots
- What inspired you to write your book? Like many Americans, I
am “mad as hell” that our system of constitutional values, democracy and
capitalism is increasingly failing to deliver for all of our citizens.
Yet, also like most Americans, I was unsure of the sources of our problems
and the best ways to sort through polarized opinions on the best ways to
correct our dysfunction. Global
Citizen Patriots was
inspired by my frustration with the current system’s dysfunction
and a belief that solutions lie in citizen engagement characterized by
critical thinking, shared values and compromise coupled with elected
representatives who are refocused and rewarded based on their ability to
deliver real solutions to America’s greatest problems and opportunities.
The essential building blocks to these solutions are more responsible
citizens and representatives who work for all citizens. When we fail to create engaged and
informed patriot citizens, we become partisans. When we allow our elected
representatives to be corrupted by special interests and partisan groups,
they become lackeys rather than leaders. The frustration evidenced
during and following the 2016 presidential election will either seed further
discord and deterioration to our system or be a launching point for citizens and their representatives to insist
on reform and progress that promotes a truly exceptional America
that benefits ourselves and the world. Global Citizen Patriots is a
concise diagnosis of the sources of our current dysfunction. Included are
recommendations intended to break gridlock, restore citizen influence and
rebalance and reform our system of constitutional values, democracy and
capitalism. For more than two centuries, that system has relied on
inspiring leaders (for example, our Founding Fathers, Abraham Lincoln,
Martin Luther King, Susan B. Anthony, Clara Barton) to lead citizen
movements to force needed change. Where are the global citizen patriot
leaders of today? Global
Citizen Patriots
defines the essential citizen and representative roles and
responsibilities needed to define, agree and facilitate the changes that
will promote and enhance the work of our historical leaders.
- What is it about? This book is concerned about two fundamental
problems; the failure of American citizens and their elected
representatives to do their jobs. The disengagement of our citizens
from even basic responsibilities such as voting combined with the fact
that money and special interests have turned our elected representative
from leaders to lackeys. These failures erode our constitutional values,
corrupt our representative democracy, and enable crony capitalism that
benefits fewer and fewer. The book catalogues the debilitating effect our
dysfunction has on our efforts to, for example, reduce poverty, create a
secure environment, provide opportunity for all, and in general use
America’s unmatched assets to create the greatest good for the most
citizens over the longest time. This book focuses on the conditions and
policies that can promote effective representative democracy. I offer
two solution sets to ensure that our elected representatives work for
the common interest and that our citizens take responsibility. These
solution sets are backed up by extensive consensus research sources and
examples of the types of approaches that are most likely to lead to
productive reform. The analysis of America’s current failings and
opportunities coupled with pragmatic (albeit controversial)
recommendations should be essential reading for all citizens.
- What do you hope will be the everlasting thoughts for
readers who finish your book? My great hope for this book is that it will serve as a guide to rally other citizens
in a non partisan (in fact, a pan partisan) manner to begin the essential
task of reforming our representative democracy through the inspiration and
guidance of global citizen patriots dedicated to rebalancing our system of
constitutional values, democracy and capitalism. At the same time, open
debate, development, and implementation of citizen-driven reforms has
great potential to heal the wounds
caused by representative corruption and uncompromising partisan politics.
I hope the book will be seen as a fact-based starting point for debate and a motivator to citizens to
engage and hold representatives accountable. Post election America has much
to sort out and agree on. Global Citizen Patriots is designed to
offer constructive ways forward.
- What advice do you have for writers? It takes time to write
a book; in my case, four years. Three plus years of research and 9 months
of actual writing seems, upon reflection, to be about the correct
allocation of time for a rookie author. And this is simply to write the
book. The editing, socialization and marketing of a book is an entirely
different process requiring very different skills, experience and time
commitments. I survived the process because I had the gift of time, no set
schedule, no commercial pressures, a very supportive family, and some
excellent professional help from my web and graphic designer, my self-
publisher and my publicity firm. In the end, I found this to be an incredibly
fulfilling experience.
- Where do you think the book publishing industry is
heading?
As a neophyte in this area, I am probably not the best judge of where the
book publishing industry is headed. I will say that the self- publishing
assistance I received was excellent. However, there were days when a more
traditional publisher’s hands on guidance would have been very helpful. My
overall impression is that there are lots of people who have the
inspiration to write. The self-publishing industry facilitates this with
mass capacity and is therefore likely to grow as an industry.
- What challenges did you have in writing your book? I encountered no
particular challenges. As a retired person with a reasonably secure
income, I was able to go at my own pace. I was able to get by with no
formal training on the process of writing a book. In retrospect, some
types of advice and experience would have been valuable in terms of making
my process more efficient. In addition, I had very little oversight or
review of my book until the end. This is not recommended.
- If people can only buy one book this month, why should
it be yours?
This book is about as topical as possible following the 2016 election. I
feel America is at an important inflection point in its history and the
majority of citizens, while in a various states of anger, euphoria or
anxiety, have no idea how to focus on and address our Nation’s most
significant problems and opportunities. The good news is that citizens are
awake. The bad news is they lack a way to channel their thinking and their
energy. I hope that Global Citizen Patriots will help.
For more
information, see: http://www.globalcitizenpatriots.com
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