social contract

n. A usually implicit agreement among the members of an organized society or between the governed and the government defining and limiting the rights and duties of each.

n. An implicit agreement or contract among members of a society that dictates things such as submission of individuals to rule of law and acceptable conduct.

n. an implicit agreement among people that results in the organization of society; individual surrenders liberty in return for protection.

We have been living in a world based on the contracts written by white, slave owning, genocidal men over 200 years ago. Were you aware of that? I wasn’t. This concept rules our lives, it dictates the outcome of every aspect of living in our society today and we have had little input into what kind of world we want to exist in. The content of this social contract is about to be redefined.

When Barack Obama was running for president, the right wing of the people’s political spectrum became enraged at the spending of the government and formed the Tea Party, a republican arm that was more right-leaning than the rest of the party. They put up candidates like Todd Akin- you remember him, Mr. Legitimate Rape. Sarah Palin — cute, but unaware and as sharp as a marble. But despite these obvious fiascos of choice, they also produced folks like Justin Amash. One of the things these people had going for them was their choice to stand on principle. As time moved forward they slowly became a part of the machine they were elected to dismantle. They continued to take big corporate money and vote in ways that continued the same cycle of abuse and disregard for everyone that wasn’t some modern version of the white, slave owning, sycophant. The system works well, for that subset of Americans and it would be against ones interest, it would seem, for those that are benefiting to change the system.

We now have President Donald Trump. This manifestation and inevitable eventuality of the system written all of those years ago. Just like the Tea Party was attempting to redraft the social contract between the government and the people, the left is now attempting to the exact same thing. The Progressives on the left have produced folks like the little bartender girl- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ro Khanna and Rashida Talib. These people are following after the kick-off the Bernie Sanders Presidential Campaign. Being fueled by small dollar donations and a vicious fight against the 1%, the progressive movement has set out to rewrite the social contract altogether.

The Progressives have a platform that requires a restructuring of the social contract and frees them to do just that. AOC has been vocal and wielded an unprecedented amount of power for a Jr. congresswoman in office for only five and a half months due because she has remained authentic and isn’t beholden to any power. From her position she has a moral high-ground and thus is capable of speaking against the powers in both the Democratic and Republican Parties. The top of their list for restructuring the power dynamic and social contract is not taking money from Super PACs, getting money out of politics, and standing on a platform that helps the most people possible. Elizabeth Warren has been on this journey for a long time, since before there was a progressive movement. Fighting and testifying in front of congress as a Harvard Professor. Having gone up against Joe Biden at that time and making him look ridiculous, getting under his skin, and acquiescing to her superior intellect, but stopping an appointment that she was tapped for under Obama. She went around him and ran for office. Now, as a presidential candidate she is looking to upset the status quo and again, restructure that social contract.

While all of these people have done their part to change the world, are working for the people in the ways that they know best; none of them are looking to change things enough to want me to not just get rid of government altogether. Instead of going through my entire political belief history, I’ll just tell you that I didn’t think there was a need for a government and private companies and people are capable of accomplishing anything they want or need to, can protect themselves, and I refused to adhere to the prevailing social contract. My criminal record reflects these facts. These people have created a new hope, a realization at how fragile this system is, and how it can be altered in a way that even I, a multiple time felon, anarchist am willing to live under such a social contract. There is only one person that pushed me to the point of trying to fight for a world that I want to live in. A world with a contract that I can accept. That person is Andrew Yang.

Andrew Yang has a platform with over 100 policies so one can get a good feel for what he wants out of the world. The cornerstone of that vision is a dividend of $1,000 for every American over the age of 18. The amount of change in our country that that single alteration would make is unfathomable. It truly is an ideal that I can’t put out of my head and wakes me up everyday, gives me purpose, and compels me to be a better person, to be happy that I live in this world and in this country. The inspiration that I’ve gleaned from this man that I’ve never met, is ridiculous. A stranger I’ve never met sent me a hat that said “MATH”, which stands for Make America Think Harder, and the day it came, tears literally rolled down my face. I believe this is the feeling that people have when they truly listen to Andrew Yang. I’m not much for being star struck or nut-ridin’ , but I don’t just believe in Andrew Yang, I need a world that resembles the one he is trying to create.

Do I agree with all of his policies, NOPE! but I’m willing to sacrifice the ones I don’t agree with for a world that is somewhat close to what he has lined out. The biggest disagreement is gun control. I, as a person who believed in the basic premise of the Second Amendment believes the only regulation that should exist for guns is having a parent’s permission if you’re under the age of 18. But even that being said, I find his approach sensible.

I now have, what I believe is a greater understanding of those that still support Donald Trump. I may have been trapped in the concept of a better world, but the MATH adds up. I understand that those who believed in Trump the way that I believe in Yang may never see the error of their ways. I may not either. However, he is proposing a world that makes me want to participate in it, to put away anti-social activities, to be a better person, to hope for a better world. For me to hope for anything is dangerous, as I know that hope often leads to disappointment. The last time I hoped on something so big and outside my control was the Ron Paul presidential campaign. I’ve never donated to a campaign, I’ve never volunteered to a campaign, but Andrew Yang has pulled all of that from me. I know I’m not the only person either. I was volunteering to do fund raising calls and virtually every person that I spoke with mentioned they never donated or participated in any kind of politics, but Andrew Yang pulled it out of them too.

So this is it, this is where we have taken this journey and this is why Andrew Yang is going to win this nomination and subsequent general election to become our next president of the United States of America. He is engaging the people in inspiring a new way of life. So… if you don’t know, now you know.