What I'll accomplish as president

Heal. Inspire. Revive. Upon declaring my candidacy for president of the United States, these are the three things I plan to accomplish as a leader of this great nation.

Over the past several weeks, the Carson America Exploratory Committee has received approximately 69,000 donations from 60,000 unique donors. This overwhelming level of support, along with my strong desire for America to have a brighter future, has propelled me to make this exciting decision. My entire life has been dedicated to improving the welfare of children throughout this country, whether it be in the operating room as a pediatric neurosurgeon where I performed more than 15,000 surgeries, or via the Carson Scholars Fund which provides educational scholarships to thousands of children nationwide. America's children are my primary impetus for entering the race, as I recognize the importance of investing in the future and making a better world for our children.

In order to make this happen, I understand that we must do things that are right rather than things that are politically expedient. The same old policies with minor fixes will lead to the same place regardless of the party in charge. Our leaders need the ability to think clearly, logically, use common sense, and we must have enough humility to work with others. It is crucial to acknowledge that not everyone can be the expert in everything, but a good leader can, with very good advice, make very good decisions. We live in a very complex country, but it is full with people of extreme capabilities in many areas. And if we learn how to amalgamate those talents and use that synergy to our advantage, I think we can move along at a rapid pace.

Get Ben Carson's inspiring manifesto, "America the Beautiful: Rediscovering What Made This Nation Great," at the WND Superstore!

It is very important for the American people to know that we are the pinnacle nation in the world, and while there have been a number of pinnacle nations before us, a lot of them contributed to their own demise in a similar fashion that we are now. Whether it be 16th-century Spain or Ancient Rome – these powers spent themselves into trouble. Why would we think we could do the same thing and not be adversely affected? We have to be fiscally responsible and simultaneously release the most powerful economic engine the world has ever known, rather than fettering it down with all kinds of regulations and requirements. We have the highest corporate tax rates in the developed world. So why are we surprised when companies want to go overseas? People do not go into business to support the government, they go into business to make money. A wise government creates an environment that is conducive to business, so that we draw businesses in instead of pushing them away. One of the things that led to the explosion of economic activity that took America in 1776 to the pinnacle of the economic world in less than 100 years was the fact that we had an environment conducive to innovation, hard work and entrepreneurship.

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Historians will write about this critical turning point for our nation, and how we responded to the dynamic forces changing our world. We can no longer afford the continuing dysfunction of opposing partisan rancor or the empty rhetoric of the political class. If America is to survive the challenges of the modern world, we need to heal, we need to inspire, and we need to revive an exceptional spirit that built America. Never before have we been so closely connected to each other, but more divided as a country. We have created so many boundaries by forcing friends and neighbors to pick sides, that we have stifled all civilized and productive debate. Respect for one another has become the exception, not the norm.

Our government was devised to represent its citizens, to promote the common welfare and pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. Instead, we find ourselves drowning in government deception, dependency and debt. Our government was designed to reflect the will of its people. Instead, Washington has become a parlor game for special interests and the political elite.

It is our time to work together, all of us, each with our own unique talents to bring insight to the challenges we face. It requires the full capacity of our gifted thinking, constrained only by the limits of our imagination and our willingness to see the job through. I am dedicated to investing in the next generation of thinkers, doers and believers in their own destiny. We've created a culture of dependence, but we can't compound that problem by simply withdrawing all of the entitlements. We must create an alternative pathway, and that means creating desirable jobs that are available for everyone so that all people can benefit. We need to revive the true promise of America and spread open the doors of opportunity for individual advancement and a greater chance to flourish together, engaging people in their government, and embracing the mandate of prior generations to leave this country better off than the one we inherited. We must protect our children's freedom to discover and forge their own path. This is our solemn duty. Together, we can do better and we must. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.