I have been living with the values of this highly visionary party for some time, and bringing them to bear in my life wherever possible in today’s restricted world. I call it “restricted ” in the broadest and most literal sense of the word.  Most people in this country are striving, quite honestly and earnestly, to live a good, clean life, free of encumbering debts, and exemplifying the “American Dream”. When we look at the factors that most affect our lives in ways that hold us back from the Dream, we find that big government is, in every case, at the core of the problem. 1)   Debt   –   most of us borrow money knowing in our hearts that we should be able to pay it back easily  –  only to find that the cost of borrowing money bogs us down with all manner of fees and restrictions that take a long time, and several times the expense, to disentangle ourselves from.  Meanwhile, the money we work hard to earn is sinking down a hole that serves to maintain debt rather than build our lives.  Government enforces this practice because banks bring big bucks to fund the programs favored by special interest groups.  This means that the money taken from us via interest, fees and other restrictions, pay for the programs favoring the few and not the masses who earn that money in the first place.      Very ingenious, and definitely NOT  in our best interest. 2)  Business   –   we know that the small businesses that struggle to survive in every town and community of our country truly are the basis and foundation of our economy.  We also know how very hard it is for a person with a dream and some hard-earned resources to start a small business and make it work.  We quickly find that the taxes and regulations designed to “protect” us actually cripple us in many ways so that most of us fail, losing our dream and our resources in the process.  I had a business that succeeded for awhile because I had a very supportive community.  You’d think that a supportive government would do more to encourage small business so that our efforts can bring prosperity rather than struggle and ultimate failure.  Most honest, hard-working people truly want to be part of the basis for a strong economy.  There is so much amazing talent and creativity out there that is being squelched  by a government  that does NOT encourage it because of the special interests of those who are in power.  It turns out to be government not FOR the PEOPLE  as it currently stands   –   but it certainly can be.  We have a constitution in place and the structure for just such a government.  We’ve been raised with that ideal and still have the will to realize it.  All we need is some changes and a force brought to bear by the people to bring them about. 3)  Medicine   –   I am a therapist who has worked in Critical Care in our hospitals for decades.  We have amazing technology and research facilities.  I say, in all honesty, that we could be light years ahead of where we are now in terms of health care.  We could be doing wonderful things to maintain a healthy population at a fraction of current costs.  The purpose of medicine should be to maintain health rather than fixing problems produced by a stressful life and unhealthy environment.  Our current system, as we all know from first-hand experience, serves to encourage this un- healthy environment and perpetuate the heavy stress that is now so common in our lives. Read Gary Trudeau’s books.  He is a consumer advocate whose only purpose is to educate us.  His research is impeccable and we have much to learn. I’ve been watching the political campaigns.  It’s amazing to see the manipulation that is built into those things.  Politicians really do think people are stupid.  It is easy to see where lies and manipulation comes so pervasively into play that we accept what is being presented as being normal and good for our lives. People are NOT stupid   –    but we ARE gullible.  Being basically honest ourselves, we like to believe what we are being told.  As an example, we are told we need big government to “protect’ us from Businesses and Medicine.  These are some of our “bugaboos”.  With the open eyes that come from living Twelve Visions values insight comes readily.  I can see that what I have been living with for a long time DOES NOT WORK WELL.  Business is not our enemy.  It is composed of people.  Business people are US.  For the most part, business people want to create value for their communities.  The people know whether they are getting value or not and will tend to regulate the businesses themselves.  What we find is that heavy regulation puts so much restriction on both business and consumer that we find ourselves having to accept what is less than valuable to us.  We all know that things were much better when craftsmen were not regulated and made quality products that the people could examine and choose whether to buy or not.  There will always be people who fall victim to unscrupulous business practices, but we wouldn’t  have an entire population of people suffering as wed do now. Statistics show that thousands of people die each year as a direct result of medical intervention.  Most of this is from potent pharmaceutics used incorrectly by competent physicians.  Open eyes will reveal that this is not the fault of the physicians so much as it is of a highly regulated system that forces us to use such potent substances for everything.  A vastly growing number of people are being frustrated and disillusioned by this and are finding value in making their own health choices.  As a result, alternative health care is becoming a multi billion  dollar industry composed of independent practitioners who make a serious study of health in the scope of their various fields of expertise.  Few people ever die as a direct result of such practices although some fail to find the help they are looking for.  This happens in our regulated medical field too, by the way, where more serious harm does often come about.  People who make their own health choices and feel free to find practitioners they can work with tend to be happier and much less stressed.  They have control in their lives.  There is a strong move to have government eliminate many of these independent practices and therapies and heavily regulate the rest so that people will lose this freedom of choice and be limited to only the restricted practices.  As in Europe, herbs, minerals, vitamins and food supplements would be available through prescription only.  I remind you that I am a Therapist whose career is in hospital work in a restricted field of medicine and I am able to see where there is real value for the people. The Twelve Visions proposed here effectively eliminate the heavy restrictions on the people themselves and allow true freedom to seek the values in our lives that we are taught are our right.  I’ve had quite awhile to see how this opens my eyes and actually works in my life.  I see how it can work so much better for the people as a whole. — Rejoice this day, and always – Richard