8 Changes I would make if I were the president of the USA.

It’s the US elections tomorrow and it’s not only Americans who are anxious about the results. Despite being a first world country, America faces a multitude of problems. Many no longer regard America as the land of hope and endless opportunities. In fact the notion of the American Dream no longer seems to exist.

Many issues ranging from abortion, gun control and Trump have divided the nation. Like in the UK where I’m from, the left and the right parties gain the majority vote. Both the left and right endorse policies which cause a lot of damage (ahem Brexit) and create even bigger problems.

Do we think that we can do a better job than the politicians running our country? Often ordinary people have far more insight into the problems that affect the nation than privileged, mostly white upper class men who create even more problems. Whilst a president can’t fix all of the problems especially when it’s to do with the economy or foreign affairs, it’s important for them to try to create a more productive, fairer and equal society.

If I magically became a candidate for US president, here are the issues that I would focus on. I’m not going to delve into all topics and issues as I have limited knowledge on certain subjects such as economics. The issues I will address will focus more on societal issues.

Although I am not from the US, I am very aware of the issues that America faces. I think that America deserves prosperity and greatness, but there are many issues which are turning America into a country dominated by greed, corruption and ever diminishing democracy.

1. Make abortion legal in all states.

Abortion should be a right for all woman. America is meant to be the land of freedom, but by banning abortion, you’re taking away freedom for women. Religion should have no influence on the government whatsoever. Abortion is a religious issue. If you don’t want to have an abortion, don’t have one, but taking that right away from other women is not your right.

Forcing women to give birth to unwanted children will only create bigger problems for society. More children born to dysfunctional families or who will grow up in the care system. Nobody cares about these children or does much to help them. Many of these children have a poor future. Society will pay the price for the issues many of these disadvantaged children face in the future including addiction and crime.

Every child deserves to be loved and wanted and to have the best start in life. It’s cruel to force a child to be born into a world of misery and suffering. These religious nuts who oppose abortion should focus on helping the people who are alive and face a grossly disadvantaged life because they were born to families that didn’t want them and weren’t ready to have them.

I would make sure that all states follow the same abortion limit: 24 weeks like in the UK. After the 24 week limit, abortion should only be carried out in certain circumstances such as if the foetus is found to carry a profound genetic disease or disability and it is the mother’s choice to terminate the pregnancy if she wishes. Or abortion should be carried out after 24 weeks if the pregnancy poses a threat to the mother’s life.

Before 24 weeks, access to abortion should be easy and quick. A woman should only be turned away from having an abortion if health care providers suspect that she is being forced to have an abortion by a partner or family.

2. Address the obesity crisis.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 42% of American adults are obese. Whilst people need to take responsibility for their eating habits, it’s not so easy when fast food is ubiquitous. Fast food is cheap and available everywhere. There are far too many fast food restaurants. There should be a limit on the number of fast food restaurants in each state. Thousands of fast food restaurants should be shut down and there should be a tax on fast food.

Healthier foods should be more readily available and cheaper for low income households. Those who are obese should be given food stamps to buy healthier foods as an incentive to lose weight. People who are obese should also be given more support. They should for example be encouraged to join free support groups where they can receive advice and support on how to lose weight and develop healthy habits.

3. Ban guns.

Guns are a massive problem in the US. I believe that the only solution is to ban guns completely. Only the armed forces and the police should be allowed to carry guns. Gun laws are extremely lax in the US. Anybody can buy a gun or gain access to one which is scary.

People may argue that a gun should be used for self defense but people wouldn’t need to rely on them for self defense if guns were banned. There is no reason for anybody apart from the police or armed forces to have guns.

The number of school shootings and incidents of gun crime in the US are absolutely frightening. Apart from the exempt groups that I’ve mentioned, people should be made to give up their guns or face prison if they’re caught with a gun in their home or in public unless exempt.

I bet that there would be a monumental shift in the reduction of crime if guns were banned. Parents would no longer have to worry about sending their kids to school every day. People wouldn’t have to worry about the risk of being gunned down by an unhinged lunatic in a mass shooting. Guns are the biggest devil of American society.

4. Make university education free.

The cost of attending college in the US is ridiculous. This is also a big issue in the UK as well, though not having a university education isn’t seen as such a barrier in society. In most countries, university education is free.

By charging so much money for going to university, it creates a class divide. People from poorer backgrounds won’t have the opportunity to go to university because they can’t afford it. Education should be accessible for all, not just the elite and wealthy. Education should be a right for all people especially in a developed country like the US.

In America if you don’t have a college degree, your prospects are a lot poorer. You can’t get a better job or earn more money. You’re sentenced to a life flipping burgers for a living and living on welfare.

Many parents who are not so wealthy start a college fund for their kids from birth. Parents should not have to bear the added stress of saving enough money for their child to go to university.

5. Create more opportunities for disadvantaged people.

University is not an option for all people as not everybody is cut out for an academic education, but there should be opportunities for other types of training and education such as for vocational professions.

There should be more social programmes and youth clubs for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Crime results from lack of opportunities, discrimination and lack of education. People from lower incomes are often discriminated against, stigmatised and blamed for their life circumstances. Society functions far better and crime rates are much lower when people are given opportunities and resources to improve their lives.

Closing the class and wealth gap reduces tension, hatred and inequality. Unfortunately capitalism in America is rife and is partly responsible for creating a divide in society. The discrepancy between rich and poor is shocking. Big multi-million dollar corporations should be made to donate money to social projects and reforms.

6. Make healthcare free.

Healthcare is another huge issue in the US. Unless you receive health insurance from your place of work or programmes such as Medicaid, which is mainly for people with low income and disabilities, you have to fork out thousands of pounds on health care. According to the Commonwealth Fund, “the U.S. has the lowest life expectancy at birth, the highest death rates for avoidable or treatable conditions, the highest maternal and infant mortality, and among the highest suicide rates.” https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2023/jan/us-health-care-global-perspective-2022#:~:text=Yet%20the%20U.S.%20is%20the,among%20the%20highest%20suicide%20rates.

Even despite health insurance from work and social programmes, there are a lot of inconsistencies. Insurance doesn’t cover all illnesses and treatments. The system also makes it extremely difficult for people to access health care. There are delays in treatments, problems with enrollment and eligibility and red tape. According to a 2023 survey by KFF, “almost 6 in 10 people with insurance reported a problem with using their health insurance during the past year. The share increases to two-thirds for people in fair or poor health, three-fourths for those who need mental health services, and almost 8 in 10 for people who use the health system the most.” https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2811354

If I were president, I would create a national health care system like in the UK. Our NHS isn’t perfect, but at least everybody gets free access to health care and treatment. Taxes should go to creating a free health care system which is accessible to all. I would spend a higher proportion of tax on creating a free health care system. I would also make it mandatory for multi-million dollar corporations and the wealthiest members of society to pay into the health system.

7. Raise wages.

The minimum wage in America is a shocking low $7 dollars, which is around £6 pounds. For reference, the minimum wage in the UK is being raised to £12 (around $14 dollars). Even £12 per hour is not very much as the cost of livinghas drastically increased. Many struggle with rising housing, rent, transport and other living costs.

Increasing wages would give people more incentive not only to work, but to work harder. It would also mean less money spent on welfare. It would also decrease levels of poverty and lessen the gap between rich and poor.

8. Keep on supporting Israel.

Since October 7th last year, Israel needs support more than ever. I would keep on giving aid to Israel to help defeat Hammas and the other terrorist organizations that seek to destroy Israel. Israel has every right to keep on defending itself from terrorism and extinction. A ceasefire is not the solution and won’t solve anything. America has a zero tolerance approach to terrorism and this should extend to helping to protect other countries that face the threat of terrorism. I would also put pressure on the countries that support Palestine to stop funding the Palestinian Authority.

These are my some of my stances on major issues. I know that I have left out certain issues such as immigration but that is because these are more complex issues. Anyway the most pertinent question is: would you vote for me? What would you do if you were candidate for president? Let me know in the comments.