Foster Gamble – Like many of you, I have grave concern over the seething fear, anger, hatred and violence in the U.S. right now, based on what I see as deep misunderstandings and overly simplistic “black or white” thinking. That Clinton vs. Trump was our “choice” is huge confirmation that we continue to participate in a system of grabbing for illegitimate power that is corrupt to its core. It is chillingly reminiscent of the era of the Spanish Civil War — that started with the social awkwardness of Left vs. Right arguments among family members, work associates and political groups and devolved quickly into civil war where brothers ended up shooting at or torturing one another. Each side’s self-righteous certainty that they were the ones who should have power over others was soon taking thousands of lives and sparking larger wars throughout Europe.

Many requests have come in asking for my take on the U.S. election. Because I am so deeply anti-political and anti-state, I have been silent publicly on the topic since my blog on DEFINING POLITICS — Knowing What We Are Talking About Could Save Our Lives, one year ago. But I now feel motivated to respond, given the opportunity, and the stakes.

The mainstream media is feeding our frenzied divide with one another, keeping the meaningful conversations and reconciliations at bay. I see the “divide and conquer” strategy in full swing, where conflicts between genders, races, classes or political parties are created and used by the few at the top to keep the masses fighting each other, weak, preoccupied and in support of authoritarianism. Our film, THRIVE, describes this in detail. It is the essence of the system in which we are mired.

So how do we move from here to an empowered relationship with ourselves and each other? It’s critical that we deepen the conversation and swim upstream into the assumptions, the contradictions and the moral basis of human relations, because as a species with weapons of mass destruction, we can’t afford not to get this clear and right, right now.

Most people share virtually the same values; the differences show up in how to achieve the better world we all want. Remembering this is an essential first step in communicating effectively and respectfully across the political divide. I will take that step here, with a trans-political view of Trump and an open letter to him to address the opportunity we face by looking through the lens of principles, not politics.

It’s an interesting exercise for me, because I do not subscribe to the belief that we need rulers to keep us from total breakdown. Indeed, I see principles, not politics, as the missing nucleus of this entire standoff between people, and from the election.

I see rules (protecting sovereign rights), not rulers, as the structure that will best allow for the realization of our true potential. I am a Voluntaryist who looks through the lens of the Non Aggression Principle (NAP), forbidding the initiation of force (except in true self-defense) or fraud and requiring universal equal rights. I am a firm believer that 1) a small group of people having control over the money supply and then 2) mandating taxation — the foundations of all governments — are both theft, and are therefore morally reprehensible.

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