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THE LIBERTY AGENDA!

With the coming of a new century, the American Policy Center is offering an agenda to preserve the liberties many Americans take for granted. In doing so, it has identified ten current threats to liberty. "Many Americans are concerned, as the century ends, that liberty, as defined by the U.S. Constitution, remains under attack at home and around the world," says its president, Tom DeWeese. "They are right."

The Debasement of the US Presidency. There is no way to assess the harm done to the office of the Presidency by its current occupant. Only the re-establishment of its dignity and integrity will permit the U.S. to offer real leadership to the world.

The Panama Canal. The loss of U.S. control over the Panama Canal represents a grave threat to the nation and both North and South American continents. Its effective control by a Red Chinese firm, potentially leading to the placement of nuclear missiles within immediate range of all U.S. cities, must be reversed.

The Nation's Education System. The failure of the U.S. educational system, now virtually controlled by the Department of Education at the federal level, is proof enough that control must be returned to the States and local communities.  

The Failed War on Drugs. The so-called war on drugs has not worked and new solutions are needed to stem the tide of illegal drugs into the U.S.

Trial Lawyers Attacks on US Corporations. Revisions are needed to the anti-trust and other laws that permit trial lawyers to undermine major sectors of the U.S. economy in order to line their pockets with attacks on industries through the use of junk science.  

Congress Must Assert its Constitution Responsibilities. The failure of Congress to reassert its Constitutional control over issues affecting land and forest management, is permitting the Executive Branch to attack property rights.

Curtailing Executive Orders. The increasing use of Executive Orders to by-pass the Constitutional authority granted Congress must be curtailed to insure the protection of rights of all Americans.

Social Security Must Be Ended. While protecting existing recipients of Social Security to insure they receive their benefits, the entire Social Security system, close to exhausting its ability to remain sustainable, must be ended in favor of new programs emphasizing greater personal responsibility and offering greater financial rewards.

Giving Patriotism a New Voice & Vote. Patriotism, love for the nation, needs to be dramatically renewed, taught in our schools, and practiced in our communities.  Americans need to fly the flag more and renew an active pride in our nation's values. Because failure to participate in national and other elections is a threat to the democratic process, all Americans must be strongly encouraged to register and vote, exercising a precious franchise others have fought and died to secure and protect.

The United Nations. There is a growing awareness that the United Nations, through a network of international treaties and the establishment of a world court over-riding the court systems of individual nations, is establishing the basis for the subversion of sovereignty among member nations and other emerging national groups. The role of the United States to lead the world toward greater democracy, respect for human rights, and the free market system, has been increasingly minimized by Third World member nations and others opposed to freedom. The American Policy Center believes it is time to withdraw US support for a corrupted institution and lead in the creation of a new international organization devoted exclusively to resolving conflicts.