Time for another American revolution

The middle class in America is under siege. It's in retreat, while Fortress Washington continues to pull the wool over the nation's eyes. So far, it's gotten away with it. The time has come to turn the tables on those who no longer represent us.

The threat posed by Fortress Washington goes far beyond the escalating national debt or the fact that the president and Congress can't agree on anything. In fact, the threat we face is one that puts at risk the foundation of the American experiment in democracy — individual freedom, liberty, economic prosperity and national security.

Not convinced? Ponder this:

The nation's debt is more than $16 trillion and rising rapidly. Left unchecked, it's only a matter of time before we encounter a punishing debt crisis worse than what has happened in Europe. Washington refuses to address it.

The federal income tax code and its regulations are an impenetrable jungle of tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations that inhibit economic growth. The code is more than 16,800 pages! Washington won't reform it.

The nation's entitlement programs are out of control. Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are projected by their trustees to be on a trajectory to insolvency. Washington's fear of voter retribution has paralyzed it.

Unscrupulous behavior on Wall Street, by the insurance industry and by federal housing regulators precipitated a catastrophic recession that wiped out more than $14 trillion of national wealth, triggered a massive contraction of the national economy and produced record unemployment and underemployment. Fortress Washington responded by passing a financial regulation bill largely written by the Wall Street banks that created the crisis.

The price of college education is now out of reach for millions of American families. Student debt is more than $1 trillion and can't be forgiven, even by bankruptcy. About a third of the nation's children do not graduate from high school, and many who do can't read, write or think coherently. The nation's system of public education is ill equipped to meet the demands of the 21st century global economy. Washington hides behind the canard that it's a state and local issue.

The nation's infrastructure is falling apart. The most recent report by the American Society of Civil Engineers has just given the nation's infrastructure a grade of D+, meaning its condition and capacity are at strong risk of failure. Fixing it would cost $3.6 trillion by 2020. But Fortress Washington dithers.

The nation has $37 trillion in oil and gas royalty payments right beneath its feet, enough to make America energy independent, and Washington won't approve the Keystone pipeline.

The military is hollowed out and Congress continues to appropriate money for weapons systems that the Pentagon says it doesn't need. The nation has long been weary of two wars that have not been and will not be won. Washington pretends it's not a problem.

We need another American Revolution — now. We need to throw off the yoke of a government that represses its people by serving itself. For openers, we'll need a band of revolutionaries who will define the content of what must be done and educate the American people so they demand that those ideas be turned into reality.

I hope such a group will be convened and led by Tom Brokaw. I hope he will seek the help and assistance of Michael Bloomberg (after he leaves office), David Brooks, Mitch Daniels, Bob Gates, Michael Gerson, Newt Gingrich, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Richard Haass, Jon Huntsman, Paul Kirk, Peggy Noonan, Paul O'Neill, T. Boone Pickens, Colin Powell, Ed Rendell, Michelle Rhee, Tom Ridge, Olympia Snowe, Joseph Stiglitz and Arthur Travers. Let's call it the American Renaissance Board (ARB).

They should initially seek funding from several foundations such as the Carnegie Corporation, the Commonwealth Foundation, the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for the purpose of preparing the substantive content, context and structure of what needs to be done.

Think of the effort as the preparation of a series of Bowles-Simpson reports on everything essential that needs to be done to restore America — foreign and domestic. Once completed, it will be the blueprint for an American renaissance.

The implementation of this blueprint will require a lean, innovative and independent structure. The prototype for such a structure is the Federal Reserve System (the Fed), a unique blend of public and private elements that has existed for a century and that implements national monetary policy. The Fed is independent. Its board of governors does not receive funding from Congress and the terms of its governors span multiple presidential and congressional terms. This is the model, with appropriate modifications, that the ARB should emulate.

Of course, the most important and difficult task facing the ARB will be translating its ideas into action, into national policy.

Some will say an effort like this can never succeed. They are wrong because an enormous majority of the American people know their government doesn't work and isn't going to reform itself.

If the ARB is smart, creative and disciplined, it will ignite and unify most Americans in support of its agenda, an agenda to reverse America's decline and restore its greatness.

I wonder if this column will activate the goons in the Department of Justice and the thugs in the Internal Revenue System. I'll keep you apprised.

The Shadow's singing the Simon and Garfunkel lyrics "Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio, a nation turns its lonely eyes to you," but Goldman can be reached at: EmailMe