Announcer - 00:00:03:
Welcome to Revolutionary Optimism. Living at this time in history, we are challenged with a convergence of crises that is affecting our daily lives. Issues like economic hardship, a teetering democracy, and the worsening climate emergency have left many Americans feeling more despair than ever. To respond to the challenging times we are living through, physician, humanitarian, and social justice advocate Dr. Paul Zeitz has identified Revolutionary Optimism as a new cure for hopelessness, despair, and cynicism. Once you commit yourself as a revolutionary optimist, you can bravely unleash your personal power, #unifywithothers, and accelerate action for our collective repair, justice, and peace. On this podcast, Dr. Zeitz is working to provide you with perspectives from leaders fighting for equity, justice, and peace on their strategies, insights, and tools for overcoming adversity and driving forward revolutionary transformation with unbridled optimism and real-world pragmatism. Here's your host, Dr. Paul Zeitz.
Paul - 00:01:05:
Greetings, my friends. I'm excited to talk to you today in early July about the opportunity that we have before us. I'm Dr. Paul Zeitz, and I'm the founder of UnifyUSA. And I'm excited to announce that we are going to publicly launch UnifyUSA on Thursday, July 11th. 2024 in Washington, DC as a new interpartisan, political and social movement that's advocating for constitutional renewal and the selection of new leaders to meet the challenging times that we're in. We're excited that there's some momentum building in the face of the circumstances that we're facing here in our country. Four years ago, Donald Trump aborted the peaceful transfer of power. With an insurrection and failed coup attempt. He has not been held accountable for his crime. Trump acts with impunity after being impeached twice. Being charged by a Bipartisan Congressional Investigation. Last week's Supreme Court ruling that allows Trump to remain immune from prosecution proves the point that our Constitution, both the judicial branch, the legislative branch, nor the executive branch, have been able to hold former President Trump accountable for his crimes and his violation of his oath of office. Then, just a few weeks ago, President Trump wildly smashed President Biden's calamitous performance at the CNN Presidential Debate. Strengthening Trump's momentum with the election only five months away. To this day, sadly, President Biden refuses to bow out gracefully and ignores calls for an open convention to identify stronger candidates. Doubts prevail regarding Vice President Harris's ability to compete and lead. The proposed democratic response to the rise of Trump's MAGA movement and the threat of fascism and authoritarianism in the United States is the crisis that we're in. As we all have been witnessing, Trump successfully bends reality to his will. As a persuasive demagogue. He is able to manipulate our minds and our country, and we are slipping inevitably into a dystopian reality. We actually may be on the precipice of a fascist authoritarian government that will reassert caste oppression with anti-democracy, anti-diversity, anti-immigration, anti-gender diversity, anti-science, anti-climate action, anti-social safety net, anti-reproductive rights, isolationism, and oppressive economic policies to protect the wealthy elite, mostly white, ruling class. How do we the people reverse this Trump-based reality and continue to uphold a true democracy? We must get to the root of the crisis so it can be healed. If all doctors did, for example, was to treat symptoms such as pain, they wouldn't accomplish much. To heal, we must remove the source of the pain. In 1787, the drafters of the US Constitution enshrined legalized slavery caste system that continues to this day, entrenching the systemic oppression of black, brown, indigenous populations and the disenfranchised majority of white people. The federal government has never been held accountable for its crimes of oppression. As a result, our nation has never healed this disease of the human psyche. The resulting damage and division continue to foster and feed Trump's rise and the peril we face today. The 2024 Presidential Campaign is tragically inflaming the widening divides in our country. We're faced with that urgent problem in the United States. How do we prevent a fascist authoritarian takeover, heal what divides our country, and elect competent, unifying leaders for our country? I propose a bold, simple solution. We can convene an open National People's Convention to find new leaders for our country. Most Americans would think the idea of quickly convening an open National People's Convention is unthinkable. But history shows that an open convention can work. In 1860, an open convention hosted by the newly formed Republican Party nominated Abraham Lincoln over William H. Seward. Though Seward was considered the front-runner. After Lincoln successfully clinched the election, he included all four of his top rivals in his cabinet. Similarly, in 1932, an open Democratic convention, with no clear favorite when the opening gavel was struck, ended with the nomination of New York's relatively unknown governor, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who went on to win a landslide victory and then served three and a half terms as president and navigated our country through the Great Depression and through World War II. And our time, I work with activists from all walks of life. Many, especially young people, are anxious and disheartened. They feel that political violence, constitutional crises, or even an attempted coup attempt seem inevitable in the months ahead. They see how society, today's societal system is one of oppression. The rich get richer and more powerful and the poor more disenfranchised. This caste system, where the haves flourish and the have-nots suffer, is tearing our nation apart. Our government is fundamentally failing to ensure that the majority of people can achieve happiness, well-being, and financial security. This is happening while most Americans struggle to pay for healthy food, find affordable housing, and access to adequate health care. Our constitution is so degraded that our political system is corrupt and must be healed with a massive intervention. The 2020 Presidential Campaign is tragically inflaming the divides in our country that allows caste systems and fascist authoritarianism to flourish. As we face the truth of our entrapment in today's societal system of caste impression, we must prepare for inevitable suffering and destruction. That lies ahead. However, we don't have to be stuck in a culture of hatred, bigotry, polarization, and violence. Instead of despair, we can build beloved community for positive change. Perhaps we're at a cusp of a potentially extraordinary magical moment. The moment of great peril is at the same time a moment of great possibility. I believe that right now. We have the readiness to seize this opportunity to bring us constitutional renewal. A new leadership for enabling a peaceful intersectional transformation of our social, economic, and political systems, thereby placing love at the center of our society. I'm a preventive medicine physician. For 36 years, I've worked inside and outside the government for the common good. To respond to this moment in history, I am launching UnifyUSA to catalyze and spark the possible birthing of a new interpartisan social and political movement. If we rise in peaceful resistance, this could be our response to this moment of possibility that we find ourselves in. We the people can rise with love to demand justice and peace, right here and right now. Instead of hatred and bigotry, I advocate for all of us to listen, find common ground, and put love at the center of everything we do. A new interpartisan social and political movement could unify Americans. People from all religions, persuasions, economic backgrounds, ethnic origins, and political parties can come together to co-convene an open National People's Convention. An interpartisan movement could be comprised of Democrats, principled Republicans, major third-party candidates, independents and representatives from the 50% of eligible Americans so disenfranchised that they don't even vote. This is a pivotal, crisis-laden moment in our history. We must not allow fascists to take hold. We the people must choose not to accept a future of violence and destruction. We the people could negotiate and agree on an interpartisan plan for constitutional renewal at the convention. Together, we'll organize a trustworthy process to elect effective, competent leaders. Will issue a Declaration of Interdependence, stating we find strength in the diversity of our perspectives and life experiences. We are building beloved communities in all places. Will reject fascism and establish a government that's truly by the people and for the people. And by doing so, we'll ensure a peaceful transition to a more justice-oriented and love-centered world. Do you want to miss the potentially historic announcement of the US Declaration of Interdependence at the upcoming First People's Convention on July 13th and 14th, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin? Please join me. Please rise. Please take action. We have arrived at that moment where we the people can actually create a new future for ourselves, for our children, for our grandchildren, and all future generations. The time is now. It's go time. Let's do it. Peace. Thank you.
Announcer - 00:12:18:
Are you ready to be part of the revolution? To learn more about Revolutionary Optimism, please visit drpaulzeitz.org. To explore building movements, please visit unifymovements.org. If you like this show, be sure to follow on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode. Revolutionary Optimism, transforming the world one episode at a time.