The Trump-Biden Peace Plan
Imagine what America could accomplish if we cooperated instead of fighting.
On September 21, 2024, the International Day of Peace, the American Union will publish a legislative package: the Trump-Biden Peace Plan. If accepted by a critical mass of citizens (just 3.5% of the electorate), we can deescalate the November election and usher in an era of collaborative democracy.
Peace can be accomplished by a bloc of swing voters, willing to ignore party affiliation and cast ballots for both Republicans and Democrats. Swing voters have power; this bloc can control the balance of power in the House and Senate, and determine the occupant of the Oval Office. This electoral leverage over Washington DC can be used to unstick the gears of legislative machinery and make them work for the people of the United States.
Like corporations who donate to candidates on both sides of the aisle, a union of swing voters (built on the principles of nonviolence) can focus on good policy instead of being distracted by party affiliation. The Trump-Biden Peace Plan is that good policy: a legislative package that will upgrade America’s social contract. To shepherd it through Congress prior to the general election will require both the institutional knowledge of Joe Biden and the shrewd negotiation skills of Donald Trump.
(Should both candidates refuse, they will be subject to a general strike in the ballot box, with the resulting ‘winner’ appearing illegitimate in the eyes of the world. There is far greater dignity in becoming globally recognized force for peace… so much dignity, in fact, that enactment of the Trump-Biden Peace Plan will be the signal for both men to retire from politics.)
A nonviolent campaign
The production of the Trump-Biden Peace Plan legislative package will be a crowdsourced effort through the establishment of a people’s legislative assembly. The United States Code is publicly available online, and Congress.gov has thousands of professionally drafted bills on their website that can be used as templates for various policies. There are lots of smart people outside of Washington, many of whom have helped crowdsource 59 million English pages on Wikipedia. Good policy, written by the people, for the people, is very practical.
In his Letter from Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. laid out four steps for a nonviolent campaign: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action. These correspond to the phases of the campaign over the next 14 months.
Collection of facts to determine if injustices exist [2023]
The injustices which exist in the United States are widespread, and dozens of solutions were collected in the 2022 legislative package, which serves as a base for the Trump-Biden Peace Plan. The overarching theme is addressing Martin Luther King’s triple evils of poverty, racism, and militarism, painting the campaign as a moral crusade.
During 2023, members of the American Union can suggest additional policies to be included in the legislative package. Policy proposals should be relevant to the package’s theme, our Constitutional duties, and apply universally. Once the 2024 campaign is underway, no new demands can be added. (There is an exemption for new injustices that arise, such as Supreme Court decisions.)
Collection of facts + Negotiation (Internal) [Jan-Apr 2024]
The specific development of the Trump-Biden Peace Plan is done through a people’s legislative assembly, crowdsourcing the work that Congress is failing to do. In the 21st century, the assembly can be virtual, allowing citizens to collaborate across the country.
The campaign is broken down into three sessions. The assembly opens January 15, 2024: the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. and the Iowa caucuses. This first session consists of public hearings on each policy proposal within the draft legislative package, live-streamed for all to see, and an initial review of their viability.
Negotiation (Internal) [Apr-July 2024]
The second session of the legislative assembly provides for further review. Each policy proposal must be vetted to ensure that it fits correctly within the United States Code. In addition, the individual pieces are evaluated within the context of the whole package, to ensure consistency and that nothing is working at cross purposes.
By writing clean legislation outside the swamp of Washington, the corrupting influence of lobbyists will be minimized. After all amendments are adopted, the components are assembled into the Trump-Biden Peace Plan. The complete legislative package representing the demands of the American Union of swing voters for the 2024 election is then submitted to the members for ratification.
Negotiation (External) [August-September 2024]
On August 1, the Trump-Biden Peace Plan will be published and submitted to Congress. This is the third session, and the external negotiation phase. The people’s legislative assembly can be thought of as a third chamber of Congress, submitting one proposal to the other two. What the House and Senate do with it determines whether the majority party stays in the majority after the election. (Fortunately for this paradigm, Congressional leadership consistently demonstrates greed for power.)
Through Labor Day, individual members of Congress may propose amendments to the legislative package. These amendments may be needed to correct technical flaws, address unintended consequences, or build the required support in Congress. Committees in the legislative assembly will review the proposed amendments and make recommendations to the full assembly.
Distribution of facts [September-October 2024]
After final amendments, the Trump-Biden Peace Plan will be published on September 21, giving everyone time to review the legislative proposal before making a decision. Unlike traditional political campaigns, which feature a candidate making nebulous promises of things they pledge to accomplish if elected, the Trump-Biden Peace Plan offers a concrete package of legislative solutions. Like the Constitution, this is a take-it-or-leave-it offer for the people of the United States.
For the next three weeks, information sessions will be live-streamed, breaking down exactly what each piece of the legislative package does. All of America can discuss and debate if they are willing to leverage their votes behind a demand of immediate (pre-election) passage of the Trump-Biden Peace Plan.
Self-purification [Monthly]
As a nonviolent campaign, self-purification is an important component. The American Union invites all who are able to take part in a 24-hour fast on the 15th of each month. The shared self-sacrifice can bring people together with a common purpose, outside of the divisive two-party system. It is a fast for peace.
No one is expected to like every single provision of the Trump-Biden Peace Plan, but as a whole, addressing poverty, racism, and militarism will improve the quality of life for all of us. The fast demonstrates a willingness to give something up, an essential ingredient of compromise. In addition, American Union organizers and delegates to the people’s legislative assembly give up recreational intoxicants one or two months a year.
(Read more: The political franchise as a tool for nonviolent social change)
Direct Action [October-November]
The campaign culminates three weeks before the general election, on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, with a national fast for peace and a one-day General Strike (non-cooperation with the economy.)
Having seen the depth of support nationwide, Washington will have one week to pass the Trump-Biden Peace Plan, exactly as written, through Congress. (Leadership can replace the text of a committee of conference report with our legislative package, which then goes to both chambers for a straight up-or-down vote.) In general, incumbents who act to support the Trump-Biden Peace Plan will earn the American Union endorsement; those who refuse may expect to see it go to their major-party challenger.
Joe Biden would then be expected to sign the Trump-Biden Peace Plan on October 30, 2024. If he does not, random chance may decide if the billions of dollars raised for his reelection campaign are completely wasted. A final list of endorsements in all 470 Federal races (House, Senate, President) will be published on October 31.
(Read more: A general strike against partisan politics)
Regardless of how Washington acts, on November 5, 2024, we vote with power! As a union of swing voters, we are deciders, not spoilers. Together, we can collectively bargain for a better social contract.
The Big Truth propaganda technique
Adolf Hitler is generally credited with popularizing—if that’s the right word—the Big Lie political propaganda technique. By repeating outrageously false statements over and over again, he persuaded people to believe them.
The Trump-Biden Peace Plan is political propaganda, but it’s a Big Truth. There’s absolutely nothing stopping the top dogs of our two political parties from working together for the good of the country. Wouldn’t it be awesome if they did? The more we talk about the Trump-Biden Peace Plan, the more people will believe it’s possible. (Which it is.) That’s the Big Truth.
Now, there’s a lot of people invested—both emotionally and financially—in fighting with the other party. But how much more of this can the United States take? And will a contested election in 2024 provide any real resolution, or simply trigger a new round of fundraising as politicians gear up for more fighting in 2026? And 2028, and 2030…
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different result.
The American Union is geared toward people who choose not to fight: conscientious objectors to partisan politics. But even those who prefer one party over the other can recognize how much there is to be gained by working together. The United States will regain its prestige on the world stage and demonstrate that we are still a functional democracy. Supporting the Trump-Biden Peace Plan offers a truce to political adversaries for the 2024 election. Calmer heads can prevail.
Ready to give peace a chance? Join the American Union for $7/month and help crowdsource the nonviolent revolution in 2024.
