America is a nation of great wealth. And yet a majority of Americans face significant financial burdens and insecurity. Some of that is due to people living beyond their means, something relentlessly encouraged by the social engineering of the corporations that control America's economy and media. But most of that burden and insecurity is a result of a flawed economic system.

The American economic system is designed and functions to transfer wealth away from the vast majority of Americans and American communities. This wealth is then delivered to the corporate and economic elite. These elite, less than one per cent of Americans, controls and disproportionately benefits from our economic system. They now have more wealth than ninety per cent of us combined. That is not a formula for democracy.

The essence of democracy is the dispersal and equitable sharing of power, including political, economic and media power. While we do have a quasi democratic political system the two most powerful forces in our society- -the economic system and the media- -are deeply antidemocratic and serve the agenda of the elite.

The elite who control the economic system also own and control nearly all media. They run the media, the primary tool of social engineering, to make the great and growing inequities of our society seem acceptable, normal, justifiable and even inevitable.

The above facts become obvious when objectively and thoroughly examined. But these problematic realities are distorted and largely censored by the media and ignored by politicians and the educational system. Thus, many in our society are unable to recognize what most ails us--an antidemocratic economic system and media--let alone join together to challenge the domination of our society by the corporate and economic elite and their political operatives.

We must make no mistake about it: All public problems are caused or dramatically exacerbated by a profoundly antidemocratic and inhumane media and economic system. Once we start down the path of economic and media democracy, coupled with a renewal of self-Sufficiency and economic decentralization and an increase in cooperative economics, nearly all public problems will disappear. This can be facilitated by three public policies that will create a more humane and democratic society--full employment, a reduction of the work week and a privately run publicly financed health care system available and affordable to all Americans.

I am seeking to become the Democratic Farmer-Labor governor of Minnesota to help end the media censorship and the corporate/political alliance that prevent us from solving, or even wisely addressing, the problems facing our communities, cities, states and our nation and world. I believe Minnesota can become a model, not only for the rest of our nation, but for all nations.
Running for such a lofty political office may seem like an act of hubris. But I am not running for governor because I think I'm great or especially wise. I know I am a flawed individual of modest talent. But the ideas I support are great and wise and can ameliorate or solve all public problems.

As far as I know this will be the first political campaign in history based on economic and media democracy, economic decentralization, cooperative economics, full employment, a reduction in the work week and a publicly financed, privately run, universal health care system based on prevention and individual and corporate accountability.

As a concrete example of the sort of public policy I support I am calling for the nationalization of the defense industry.  Currently, defense spending is driven, not by what will make us most safe and secure, but by what is most profitable for defense contractors. We spend more on "defense" than the rest of the world combined. Cost overruns on current weapons systems now total nearly 300 billion dollars. Hundreds of billions are lost every year on fraud, waste, abuse and outright criminal behavior. Until defense spending and war profiteering are under control we will never be able to balance the budget, payoff the national debt and become the humane and democratic society we long for. The most effective way to do all this is to nationalize national defense.

I also support the creation of a national energy cooperative. The first task of this cooperative will be to produce stationary bikes, rowing machines, etc. that will connect to batteries to help power homes, schools and other buildings. Not only will this provide jobs and clean, renewable energy it will help create a more healthy society. And that will dramatically reduce health care costs.

Do not doubt for an instant that this technology is possible. It is. Like most American problems the energy crises is a failure of philosophy, not a failure of technology. Transnational corporations have had decades to handle the energy crises and all aspects of our economic system. They have failed in nearly every way possible. It is time for a new approach, time to create an economic system run not by short-sighted, greedy corporate cartels, but by economic cooperation, foresight and basic human decency.

I begin this campaign certain that a more humane, fair and democratic nation and world is possible. I hope you will help by discussing this campaign with others, by contacting media outlets about this campaign and by making a small financial contribution.  With thanks and wishes of peace and joy for all.