Wikinews interviews Donald K. Allen, independent candidate for US presidency

October 2, 2008

While nearly all mainstream coverage of the 2008 Presidential election has focused on the Democratic and Republican candidates, the race for the White House also includes independents and third-party candidates. These prospects represent a variety of views that may not be acknowledged by the major party platforms.

Wikinews has reached out to these candidates throughout the campaign and now presents an interview with Donald K. Allen of Youngstown, Ohio, an independent presidential candidate who registered with the Federal Election Committee in January 2007. He says that his three major policies are "1. Take care of America and Americans first. 2. Turn our economy around. 3. Secure our borders."

Allen was previously interviewed by Wikinews, although the previous interview was only five questions long, and did not go into the candidate's policy in much detail. As a result, Wikinews has decided to do a more in depth interview, which is available below.

Interview
For our readers who did not read the previous interview, could you please explain why you have decided to run for President?
 * Donald K. Allen: The vast majority of Americans are furious with their government, disappointed with their elected officials, and afraid of the direction our country has taken. After 150 years of Republican and Democratic control of Washington, they are looking for someone who will truly bring about a new course and return respect and accountability to our Nation.  With Edmund Burke's "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" encouraging me, I chose to challenge the two Goliath political parties and run as an independent, unaffiliated candidate for President of the United States of America.

On the economy
'''For many voters, the government's proposed $700 billion dollar bail out of banks is a very important issue. What is your opinion on the bail out?'''
 * Donald K. Allen: If our government decides to bail out a private corporation's failure it will set a precedent for other bailouts, which will surely ruin our economy. Where will the money come from?  Just print more Federal Reserve Notes that have nothing backing them up, or borrow it from China and the Middle East?  I hope Congress rejects this proposal, because if it is passed our great grandchildren will inherit the debt, and inflation in this country will increase from the dilution of $700 billion into the economy.

What do you think is the best way to address the current economic crisis?
 * Donald K. Allen: Let the private sector do the rescue, not the government. There is nothing in the Constitution that allows for or even hints at this action, and national security is not a justification.

On taxation
What will taxes be like if you become president?


 * Donald K. Allen: Both Senators Obama and McCain are talking about tax breaks. The Tax Code is already 67,000 pages thick and nobody understands it.  Just dump it in favor of The Fair Tax Bill, which will repeal the 16th Amendment and do away with federal income tax.  In its place will be a National Sales Tax of roughly 18 to 23 percent on all new products, but I would not tax food or medicine and not give out a monthly "prebate," which is included in the current Fair Tax structure.  With wage earners keeping 25 to 35 percent of their income instead of the government taking it in income tax, the 18 to 23 percent will be more than affordable.

On immigration
What do you believe should happen to illegal immigrants in the United States?
 * Donald K. Allen: Regardless of what country they come from, they should return to their home countries.  There are thousands of people around the world who are waiting for their legal immigration procedures to be finalized.  Why should they have to wait sometimes years before being allowed into the USA when others just walk in?  Return home and file for immigration the legal way.  No amnesty.

What do you believe should be done to secure the borders with Canada and Mexico?
 * Donald K. Allen: We should complete a secure border fence on our southern border.  It will not be 100 percent effective, but people who live on our borders where there are fences will tell you that they do work.  Supplement the fence with unmanned aerial surveillance, infrared and motion detectors, and increased security personnel, and it will cut illegal immigration 95 plus percent.

What do you believe the guidelines on allowing immigrants into the US should be?
 * Donald K. Allen: Our immigration laws are sufficient. They simply need to be enforced.  Follow the laws we have; they've worked for over 230 years.  They worked for my maternal grandparents, who immigrated from Lithuania around 1900.

On foreign policy
What do you believe the government policy on war should be?
 * Donald K. Allen: Declaration of war should reside solely with Congress. The President is allowed some leeway in small conflicts that require immediate action.  We should primarily be noninterventionist, but not isolationist.  In nearly every foreign conflict, it should be up to the United Nations to decide on military intervention, but we all know how ineffective the UN has been.  Why did the UN allow Idi Amin to slaughter his people, or the genocide in Darfur?  The whole world looks upon the UN as a paper tiger.

'''What is your opinion on the war in Iraq? '''
 * Donald K. Allen: I believe it is coming to a resolution with both the Iraqi government seeking a timetable and both Iraqi and US military forces finding success in quelling hostility. I cannot change what is in the past, but I can shape the future.  I would seek total drawdown in Iraq within two years.

'''What is your opinion on the war in Afghanistan? '''
 * Donald K. Allen: The real focus of our "war on terror" should be where al Qaeda is, and that is primarily in eastern Afghanistan. The war against bin Laden and his group will continue, as will the war against the Taliban.  It will not be an easy task, as we have already seen.  More troops will be needed and more international cooperation to wipe out this societal cancer.

'''What is your opinion on the creation of a North American Union? '''


 * Donald K. Allen: I am totally against the formation of a North American Union. This is a goal of the Council on Foreign Relations, which you could call America's "shadow government."  Both Obama and McCain are members of the CFR, as are many of President Bush's administrative staff.  Who needs foreign affairs experience when the CFR is going to tell you what to do?  I will investigate all work to date on this effort to create the NAU, including the NAFTA superhighway and Rudi Giuliani's law firm's involvement in it.  There is a lot of "quiet" work that has already been done on the NAU project without the American public's knowledge.  This will make the Teapot Dome scandal look like kids' play.

On other issues
'''Is there anything else you would like to say to people reading this article? '''


 * Donald K. Allen: If you think the safe thing to do Nov. 4 is vote for the Republican or Democratic candidate of your "choice," then you are sadly mistaken. Both will continue to lead this country down the road to a North American Union and the New World (socialist) Order.  The only way "we the people" can shake up Washington and bring about revolutionary change in our government is through the election of a true independent President - our first since George Washington!  Following is a list of my intentions.


 * As President I Will:


 * 1.  Complete a secure border fence on our southern border.


 * 2.  Sign The Fair Tax Bill to rejuvenate economy.


 * 3.  Establish “loser pays” litigation reform and work tirelessly for real tort reform.


 * 4.  Transition our monetary system to a specie-backed currency and close the Federal Reserve System.


 * 5.  Seek to overturn Roe vs. Wade and return the decision to the States.


 * 6.  Work to establish term limits for Congress.


 * 7.  Promote oil drilling everywhere in the USA and its territories while encouraging development of all other energy providing systems.


 * 8.  Use increased oil royalty revenues from 7. to fund Social Security, while removing SS funds from Treasury to a real trust.


 * 9.  Close the UN Headquarters in New York and move it to Geneva.


 * 10. Revoke Most Favored Nation status from China.


 * 11. Withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement and renegotiate all trade agreements.


 * 12. With respect to the First Amendment’s law to not establish a National Religion, allow coexistence of religion and education throughout the Nation.


 * 13. Establish compulsory National Service to include a Civilian Conservation Corps and other non-military and military options.


 * 14. Strictly enforce Article II to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” This will include preventing the Supreme Court from usurping legislative powers and the legislature from overstepping its authority through misinterpretation or expanding on the Constitution’s written word.


 * 15. Privatize all Foreign Aid


 * 16. Require initial and random drug testing of all federally-elected officials.


 * 17. Ban access to Congressional offices and grounds of all professional lobbyists, political action committees, corporate representatives, and special interest groups. Allow individual citizens continued access to their elected representatives and senators.

Thanks for agreeing to be interviewed by Wikinews.