Just a fun (and perhaps frustration venting) little thread for people to share what they'd do if they became the elected leader of their respective country (who you'd staff in your administration, what policies would would you pursue, etc.). Huh... perhaps I'm opening up a dangerous can of worms here...
This came about because I've come up with an idea to write a dramatic political thriller novel (possibly a series) about myself becoming President of the United States and I figured it'd be fun for others to share their own ideas and fantasies. You don't have to be serious about it either. If you want to talk about how'd you'd install yourself as the God Emperor of Mankind and everything that would entail then that's great also.
**If I were to become US Presidential in 2020, this would be my dream administration (though some are there because I couldn't think of anyone better for the positions):**
**President:** me (or at least an older, smarter, more charismatic, more assertive and more confident version of me)
**Vice President:** Richard Ojeda (he'd be my political attack dog)
**Senior advisors and executive officials to the President:**
**Chief of Staff:** Cenk Uygur (Young Turks founder, CEO and main host, our personalities would undoubtedly clash quite a bit though)
**National Security Advisor:** Larry Wilkerson (former chief of staff to Colin Powell but a staunch Progressive nowadays, at least when it comes to foreign policy)
**Office of Management and Budget Director:** Joe Sanberg (co-founder of Aspiration.com)
**Council of Economic Advisers Chairman:** Robert Morris (of More Freedom Foundation)
**Council on Environmental Quality Chairman:** Cynthia McKinney (Former US Congresswoman and Green Party Presidential candidate)
**Science Advisor:** Elon Musk (he's just there for the science, not the economics)
**National Trade Representative:** Ralph Nader (couldn't come up with someone better)
**Presidential Cabinet:**
**Secretary of Defense:** Tulsi Gabbard (as long as she understood that torture is NOT happening and the drone program must be SEVERELY overhauled)
**Secretary of State:** Abby Martin (host of Empire Files)
**Attorney General:** Mike Papantonio (from Ring of Fire Radio, they don't call him "America's lawyer" for nothin)
**Secretary of Homeland Security:** Rand Paul (despite many disagreements with him, I know he'll respect the US constitution on this particular issue)
**Secretary of the Treasury:** Elizabeth Warren (she's lackluster on a lot of issues but not when it comes to regulating Wall Street)
**Secretary of the Interior:** Jill Stein (because we need extreme reforms in this department)
**Secretary of Labor:** Nina Turner (co-founder of Our Revolution and current Young Turks contributor)
**Secretary of Commerce:** Nick Hanauer (a rich businessman who's also a legit Progressive)
**Secretary of Energy:** Bob Inglis (one of the few notable Republican climate change activists and a good throwing bone for conservatives)
**Secretary of Health and Human Services:** RoseAnn DeMoro (former executive director of National Nurses United)
**Secretary of Education:** Cori Bush (former teacher and Justice Democrat candidate for US Congress)
**Secretary of Housing and Urban Development:** Cornel West (because we need extreme reforms in this department as well)
**Secretary of Agriculture:** Shane Robinson (former member of Maryland's House of Delegates and its first to represent of the Green Party)
**Director of National Intelligence:** Doug Applegate (Former US Marine and Justice Democrat candidate for US Congress)
**EPA Director:** Jay Inslee (former Governor of Washington)
**CIA Director:** Ted Lieu (left leaning Democratic member of US Congress and House Foreign Affairs Committee, strong proponent of ending US support for the Saudi war in Yemen)
**Other important positions:**
**UN Ambassador:** Ilhan Omar (Justice Democratic member of US Congress)
**White House Communications Director:** Ana Kasparian (main co-host of Young Turks)
**White House Press Secretary:** Kyle Kulinski (host of Secular Talk, the press conferences would be quite a joy to watch)
**Domestic Policy Priorities:**
Push for a constitutional amendment that mandates public financing of all national elections by law
Push Green New Deal to both drastically reduce economic inequality with new jobs and reduce the effects of Climate Change by replacing all existing primary energy sources (petroleum, natural gas, coal, nuclear) with cleaner renewable sources (geothermal, wind, solar) as quickly as feasibly possible as well as escalate the transition to all-electric cars and trains and possibly even eliminate in-country air travel completely
Push massive infrastructure improvement plan to cover what the Green New Deal does not (roads/highways, bridges, waterworks, power grids) as well as to create additional new jobs
Push for legislation to implement Single Payer Medicare for All nationwide
Begin new focus by Justice and Homeland Security Depts. on Far-Right terrorism but still ensuring that enough attention is paid to other terrorist ideologies
Push for legislation to strictly protect voting rights nationwide
Push for legislation mandating that all employers must pay their employees a living wage as well guaranteed protections for labor unions
Push to eliminate all privatised prison systems
Removal of Cannabis from the list of Schedule I drugs and a push for nationwide legalization
A thorough re-evaluation of all other substances included on the Schedule I, II, III, IV and V drug lists (including Heroin and Cocaine)
Push for legislation that mandates thorough background checks for all firearms purchasers and mental health evaluations for assault weapons purchasers
Push for legislation to implement Public College
**Foreign Policy Priorities:**
Work with other nations to combat Climate Change
End all military and diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and work to expel them from United Nations Security Council, Human Rights Council and Women's Rights Council
Prosecute members of US government, military and intelligence community who knowingly supported Al Qaeda militants in Syria and Yemen
Reopen investigation into potential US military war crimes committed during the Second Battle of Fallujah in Iraq
End all economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran and Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and work to ease tensions with both nations
Work to ease tensions with the Russian Federation
Initiate a sterner and more neutral stance with Israel regarding the issue of Palestine and work to finally bring about a peaceful resolution to the conflict (a neutral third party mediator such as Sweden or Switzerland may be necessary)
Work with the governments of the Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea and People's Republic of China to finally bring about an official end to the Korean War
Close the US military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, including the detention facility
Close all US military installations in Germany (perhaps an arrangement can be made for joint ownership and control of Ramstein Air Base with the German Government)
Reign in covert CIA operations and if necessary disband and replace the agency with an entirely new organization designed from the ground up to be more accountable to Congress
Re-evaluate diplomatic relations with all authoritarian regimes that have questionable human rights records (including fellow NATO members Turkey and Columbia)
Work to mend the relations with the countries of Latin America and perhaps (having learned from both the accomplishments and mistakes of the European Union) work to establish a "Union of the Americas" for the nations of of the Western Hemisphere
Yeah... talk about crazy and ambitious... Feel free to share your own opinions.
