In 1921, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, founder and leader of the nascent Soviet Union, asked the question, “What is to be Done?” regarding the creation of a communist-led Soviet Union. He received many answers, some productive. Since my previous blog posting, “The Reprieve,” which reviewed the most recent elections in the United States and Israel, I have been repeatedly asked by readers to supply some suggested solutions to the problematic effects resulting from what recently happened at the ballot box in each country.

For Israel, its severe turn to the right will likely evolve into an authoritarian theocracy. Already, the right-wing secular and religious political parties that joined Prime Minister Netanyahu’s coalition have engendered uncertainty, fear, and significant protests regarding the adoption of policies intended to increase religious control of secular institutions and daily life. In turn, Israel’s Arab minority fears a new round of restrictions on their daily lives and Diaspora Jewry remains especially concerned about their rights as Jews under growing Israeli theocratic control. But, with the situation in Israel in flux, the only practical response by secular Jews is to use dollars and political influence to moderate change. Both sets of tools can be modified as conditions change.

In the United States, the situation is more demanding, requiring significant and speedy action. The turmoil in Congress, for example, as the House of Representatives tried to elect a Speaker, is indicative of how serious the problem is and how quickly we must respond. The Republican Party most resembles the proverbial “Gang that Couldn’t Shoot Straight,” but this situation is hurting them and democracy. From the perspective of marshaling the media, the business community and educational institutions, the American people must be awakened and respond to a continuing reality—the far right is promoting chaos for the sake of chaos and, as a result, may seek a strongman/dictator to restore order. Donald Trump is their primary candidate for strongman, but they would probably accept anyone who feeds their goals should the Orange Man falter.

In terms of the media, there is no acceptable reason for them to continue to provide Trump and his treasonous cohorts the limelight. Of course, the threats to democracy must be publicized, but that can be successfully accomplished without allowing the self-aggrandizement that we witness daily. Tucker Carlson, Sean Hanity, and their like must be circumscribed until the lies and hate cease.The American people should boycott their respective advertisers; that way, economics and potential profit would take care of the immediate problems of pernicious lying and the spreading of malevolent ideologies. Also, media that damages this country in this manner should have their public operating licenses challenged by the public. We must assure that those who are licensed to use public channels of dissemination are not permitted to harm the public(s) they serve. Britain has an enforceable “Official Secrets Act” that punishes those entities that are deemed to harm their country by circulating information to the public judged harmful to national security. We may require a suitable variant.

The American educational system was once the envy of the world. No longer. Public funding for education has not kept pace with demographics and test scores have declined dramatically throughout K-12 public school systems. Certainly, a measure of this decline is evidenced by the large number of Americans who ignore reality, including election deniers and the unschooled amongst us. This must change. Millions of dollars need to be directed towards teacher training and educator salaries in order to attract and keep the best of us. Also, without disparaging religious belief, education and factual truth must not continue to be sacrificed to fundamentalist beliefs, extreme censorship, and the denial of reality for political benefit.

Finally, American economic institutions, in part because of problematic Supreme Court decisions (e.g. Citizens United), must be circumscribed by limiting the amount of money that can be injected inject into the American political process by corporations and wealthy individuals. Unfortunately, for too many of these contributors, self-interest, enormous profits and high stock prices are more important than what is in the national interest of this country. Think about the oil industry and the extremely damaging effects it has had, and is having, on the world’s climate. Leaders of too many industries certainly know better when they fund some of the worst politicians imaginable. These individuals are not necessarily uneducated, but they are selfish, and power and profit are their primary goals. But again, in many ways, the consumer holds the keys to change. If we stop buying the products of those who damage the U.S. and its citizens, and protest these companies’ actions, major shifts in consumer behavior can occur.

In all the areas described above, lawlessness cannot become the public norm. Ignoring subpoenas, misuse of the Internal Revenue Service and the high levels of perjury committed by government officials, must all be stemmed. They remain a cancer on American democracy. This malignancy must be recognized as the threat it is and then excised.

Bold, creative and hardline policies and actions must be instituted to restore the health of the American political system. While risks must be taken, procrastination is even more dangerous. Time is not a luxury. The clock is ticking on our basic freedoms and American democracy.