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What is At the Heart of the Political Divide? Make America Great Again (4)

Writer's picture: Tom Johnson, PopieTomTom Johnson, PopieTom


*I would like to give credit, but I lost the source


The USA's Constitution is based on a subset of religious ideologies that parallels most of the world's most significant religious and ideological history. Most of our founders followed the Christian faith. In their wisdom, they limited human rights to the essential core spiritual principles to provide the rule of law acceptable to everyone regardless of which religion or ideology they chose to follow. So thousands of years of human experience and history went into establishing the fundamental human rights and the classical liberal-progressive government architecture surrounding them. In 1776, the US government followed the culture and social justice of its time. As with anything humans create, it is flawed and thus imperfect, but it prescribes a brilliant classical liberal method for its people and their representatives to change itself progressively. The founders separated all social ideologies, such as a church, from the state so that the state would only provide a safety net to preserve life during dire needs, such as a result of a black swan event. The state is to promote the general welfare, not to provide equity. Opportunity is the only thing we are entitled to. Equity must consistently be earned. So the socialism necessary in every society is not provided by our Government but by the People through their family, friends, religions, and other social ideologies in free market capitalism.


The Conservative Religious Period

From 1776 until the early 1960s, the dominant political ideology of the Democrats and the Republicans was predominantly conservative and religious. The Socialist Party had existed for years, a small existence since just before the 20th century. The US Constitution allows for changing our government system, using progressive classical liberalism. However, Socialism got little support from the people until now. The turning point happened during John F. Kennedy's Presidential term. President Kennedy was firmly a conservative religious person. It has been over 50 years, and our government still keeps what it knows about JFK's assassination secret. In 1962 90% of US citizens lived religiously; today only 64%. What about tomorrow?


Money, Money, Money

From 1776 until 1862, the US supported itself on tariffs and excise taxes. Therefore, the tax was more or less flat and thus levied equally on all the people. 1862 President Lincoln enacted a revenue-raising measure to help pay for Civil War expenses. The measure created a Commissioner of Internal Revenue and the nation's first income tax. It levied a 3 percent tax on incomes between $600 and $10,000 and a 5 percent tax on more than $10,000 gains. Thus the first progressive income tax on the people; this set a precedent.

  • In 1867 the people opposed the income tax (the civil war expenses were all paid), so the tax rate was mostly eliminated, and 90% of the government tax collection was derived from liquor, beer, wine, and tobacco. Thus a sales tax on things that retarded productivity was done for self-pleasure. In 1872, the income tax was eliminated by the People.

  • In 1894, The Wilson Tariff Act revived the income tax, and an income tax division within the Bureau of Internal Revenue was created.

  • In 1895, the Supreme Court ruled the new income tax unconstitutional because it was a direct tax not apportioned among the states based on population. The income tax division was disbanded.



The Social Security Act of 1935, like income tax before it and affirmative action, in 1965, was to be temporary.; just like after the Civil War. These programs were designed to make themselves obsolete. They were, in fact, unconstitutional at the time they were initiated. Franklin Roosevelt declared to Congress, “The Federal Government must and shall quit this business of relief . . . . Continued dependence upon relief induces a spiritual and moral disintegration, fundamentally destructive to the national fiber.” Thirty years later, as he signed the first antipoverty bill of the Great Society, Lyndon Johnson said, “We are not content to accept the endless growth of relief or welfare rolls. We want to offer the forgotten fifth of our population opportunity and not doles . . . . The days of the dole in our country are numbered.” Even these two Democratic Presidents could see the danger to our Great America, but not so today. Today we have borrowed over 30 trillion dollars; never before has a country borrowed so much, and we are discussing additional reparations. Our Government is beyond broke, and some people think they are entitled to more. If inflation continues to rise and productivity continues to drop, what then?


I came of age in the tipping point decade of the 1960s:

  • The first oral contraceptive(birth control) pill, Enovid, was approved by the FDA in May 1960

  • The election of President John F. Kennedy, a Democrat, in 1960, "Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country." (WOW, today, it is all about what your country can do for you!!!) 1960 - My deeply Republican family voted for Kennedy. My whole Republican family voted for JFK. This speaks volumes to how Republicans and Democrats.

  • President Kennedy made the challenge that everybody thought after the Russians launched the Sputnik satellite changing America's creativity and productivity - "before the decade is out, land a man on the moon and return him safely to the earth.” 1962

  • President Kennedy's Assassination(facts still kept from the people) The French Government informed Jackie Kennedy, JFK's wife, that a US Government conspiracy killed Jack. 1963

  • President Johnson signed the first Antipoverty Great Society Bill in 1965

  • Dr. Martin Luther King killed in 1968

  • Robert F. Kennedy, JFK's brother, was assassinated in 1968

  • First Man stepped on the Moon in 1969

  • A peaceful DC candlelight march of 500,000 listened to speaker Coretta King, Dr. Martin Luther King's widow, who made a speech at Vietnam anti-war protest in 1969

  • Free Love, Hippies, Hair, Woodstock, Bell Bottoms, pot smoking 1969

Here is a Conclusion Written by AI

The 1960s marked a significant turning point in American history, with various social, political, and cultural changes taking place. The decade witnessed the approval of the first oral contraceptive pill, which revolutionized reproductive healthcare. In 1960, Democrat John F. Kennedy was elected president, and his famous quote, "Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country," resonated with the American people. Despite being from a Republican family, many Republicans voted for Kennedy, highlighting the bipartisan support he garnered.


President Kennedy also issued a challenge to land a man on the moon before the end of the decade, which led to the historic moon landing in 1969. However, the decade was not without tragedy, as President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, and his brother Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1968. These events deeply impacted the nation and highlighted the need for unity and collaboration.


During this time, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Great Society Bill into law in 1965, aiming to combat poverty and provide equal opportunities for all Americans. The civil rights movement also gained momentum, with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. leading the fight for racial equality. The decade also saw the rise of counterculture movements, such as the hippie movement and the famous Woodstock music festival in 1969.


The 1960s were a time of immense social change and political activism, with people challenging traditional norms and advocating for a more inclusive and equitable society. While the decade witnessed both progress and setbacks, it remains a pivotal period in American history that continues to shape today's nation.



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