Thank you, Tessa, and I will make this my last reply. I do not want you to get the feeling I am pestering you. Rest assured we have the same agenda in mind, but how to get there is the question.

Of your proposals, I like the Universal Basic Income best. I admire the taxing idea of religious organizations, though do not see that happening (yet when UBI is a fact, people depending on their charity may be less needed).

We are definitively in agreement where education is concerned. One can almost not get enough education. And taxing the super wealthy so money becomes just a little bit more meaningful for them is smart. Superfluous money is not good for smart economies.

Final point about democracy and the US system; it is not the real democracy we have here. We the People in name; divide-and-conquer in nature.

Not sure if you care to read my article where democracy is found in the world, but here it is:

https://fred-rick.medium.com/the-first-thing-about-democracy-5f6e1f17c60f

As said, the United States has a divide-and-conquer system in place and it differs from other nations in the number of levels where that division and conquering can take place; it is beyond the normal levels of action in other nations. Naturally, a nation like South-Africa is far worse off in light of inequity and disparity, but for a well-established democracy like the US, the results are not positive enough for all its people. You are absolutely right.

With voters competing against voters, this form of democracy is not a full-representative democracy. But you knew that already; you lived here 11 years. It is an exclusive democracy.

Good luck with it all, Tessa.