List of Musts
DWD and filkertom worked out a list of things the country needs, this morning in comments at eschaton.
Your reactions are appreciated.
Here's the list again, pick your favorite. (I modified eight for the boss)
1. A rational policy in Afghanistan. The deaths are escalating and no one appears to have a plan to get the world involved or what,EXACTLY, we are trying to achieve there. I am tired of wars.
2. A rededication to American values in the spending of our money.
3.We badly need universal healthcare at a reasonable cost.
4. We need trade policies that are designed to stimulate job growth - not protectionism, just realistic responses.
5. We need to cut the military hardware people WAY back and start having a plan for asymmetrical warfare that is both functional and practical
6. We NEED (as a nation) to investigate the shit done in our name and prosecute those who knowingly and willingly broke the law.
7. We need to have unions supported and the rights of workers strengthened.
8. A national energy policy that is geared toward both conservation and exploitation of alternative fuels as well as providing for an extensive, reasonably priced, and sustainable mass transit system(s) that will serve the nation as an alternative to either flying or driving.
9. Openness and honesty in our government and its functioning.
10. Reapportionment to make ALL congressional districts competetive: this will strengthen the "peoples" hands. These gerrymandered monstrosity have to go.
11. An economic policy that reflects the new reality of this country: the Midwest can no longer afford to subsidize the South and West. In fact, it is probably time for the opposite to happen.
12. A much stronger emphasis on educating the next generation for the jobs that will make the above happen, and on education in general.
13. A dedication to the idea that it is a good thing to take care of other people, and to clean up the damn planet.
14. A full rebuild of our manufacturing, communication, energy, and transportation infrastructures, with the above philosophies in mind.
15. A downplaying of the influence of religion on public policy, reflecting the fact that, no matter how many people in this nation are Christian of one stripe or another. not all of them are, and they should not be forced to the various flavors of grey-area moral code "values" of the majority.
16. We need to have all people treated within the law and traditions of the Constitution - no discrimination on any group of people for any reason whatsoever.
17. As all individuals in this country are blessed with its bounty, there must be a rational construct applied to compensation by means of a tax code that reflects the goals of a nation, not the elevation of individuals
I admit, I find lists sort of deadly, but I'm just one person and wanted to see if you find this helpful.
Your reactions are appreciated.
Here's the list again, pick your favorite. (I modified eight for the boss)
1. A rational policy in Afghanistan. The deaths are escalating and no one appears to have a plan to get the world involved or what,EXACTLY, we are trying to achieve there. I am tired of wars.
2. A rededication to American values in the spending of our money.
3.We badly need universal healthcare at a reasonable cost.
4. We need trade policies that are designed to stimulate job growth - not protectionism, just realistic responses.
5. We need to cut the military hardware people WAY back and start having a plan for asymmetrical warfare that is both functional and practical
6. We NEED (as a nation) to investigate the shit done in our name and prosecute those who knowingly and willingly broke the law.
7. We need to have unions supported and the rights of workers strengthened.
8. A national energy policy that is geared toward both conservation and exploitation of alternative fuels as well as providing for an extensive, reasonably priced, and sustainable mass transit system(s) that will serve the nation as an alternative to either flying or driving.
9. Openness and honesty in our government and its functioning.
10. Reapportionment to make ALL congressional districts competetive: this will strengthen the "peoples" hands. These gerrymandered monstrosity have to go.
11. An economic policy that reflects the new reality of this country: the Midwest can no longer afford to subsidize the South and West. In fact, it is probably time for the opposite to happen.
12. A much stronger emphasis on educating the next generation for the jobs that will make the above happen, and on education in general.
13. A dedication to the idea that it is a good thing to take care of other people, and to clean up the damn planet.
14. A full rebuild of our manufacturing, communication, energy, and transportation infrastructures, with the above philosophies in mind.
15. A downplaying of the influence of religion on public policy, reflecting the fact that, no matter how many people in this nation are Christian of one stripe or another. not all of them are, and they should not be forced to the various flavors of grey-area moral code "values" of the majority.
16. We need to have all people treated within the law and traditions of the Constitution - no discrimination on any group of people for any reason whatsoever.
17. As all individuals in this country are blessed with its bounty, there must be a rational construct applied to compensation by means of a tax code that reflects the goals of a nation, not the elevation of individuals
I admit, I find lists sort of deadly, but I'm just one person and wanted to see if you find this helpful.
Labels: Liberals
posted by Ruth at 1:00 PM
6 Comments:
It is a fine list and I would have some difficulty adding to it.
Execellent! Maybe we should send it to the White House. Capital Hill won't look at it. Maybe the real leader will.
Sounds like a good state of the union speech.
I haven't seen anything this coherent come out of the comments at Eschaton in years.
DWD added this today;
FWIW, these are the updated suggestions.
18. We must defend net neutrality. The unfettered movement of information is the key to the future: allowing censorship and undue copyright restrictions will only have the effect of inhibiting American innovation and further isolating us to the whims of the media.
19. Free and plentiful high-speed internet access is a must for this country. (If they need to, impose fees on the advertisers who are becoming more pervasive each day.)
20. Fairness Doctrine: Not sure if this is even possible (or desirable) but there must be a means of labeling truth from opinion. On shows which are nothing but opinion, they should be made to put a banner up stating that these are opinions and nothing more.
21. We must have campaign finance reform. My idea to get around legal issues is that private contributions should be allowed to finance elections only, not candidates. All contributions would then be distributed to all candidates who meet some threshold to qualify.
22. Elected and appointed officials and their families must be prohibited from receiving gifts of any sort (e.g. flights on private planes) while serving and prohibited from receiving employment and fees that are based upon their position after leaving government service.
23. We must find a way to restore sensibility to the recent SCOTUS decisions granting corporations personal rights. If a law is needed, then so be it. If an amendment is needed, let’s get started.
Entire (updated and edited) file is here:http://home.comcast.net/~veritas20001/ principles.pdf
Nice words except face it, none of these are going to happen. This country, the US of A, is not a democracy & hasn't been for some time despite our fine words & 'hallowed traditions'. What I was taught long ago in civics classes is today lies & bs, the corporates rule our world & 'we the people' are but 'food for the beast'. Find it 'odd' that 60 'democratic' senators cannot approve Dawn Johnson for OLC?
I like all but one of your ideas, no. 11 - California, a western state is 2nd, behind NY, in giving more money back to the US govt than it receives. The midwest receives gigantic subsidies for oil (unless you consider TX and OK etc. West which I don't - they are due south of Chicago for goodness sake - not even at the halfway point). Oregon, where I live, does not have much in the way of commerce, probably much like the midwest. We have a great deal of beauty, but hotels and windsurfers only get you so far economy-wise. Other than that, if you could trim up the verbage you could (or maybe I will work on this) make it into a 12-days-of Cristmas type of song so it will be easy to remember every single point. I think one of the things liberals are not good at is just hammering away at the issues as well as republicans. And we need to repeat these wonderful items over and over and over, louder and louder, until we get our way. This is our train - each number on your list a car, and we are the only engine it's got! Thank you so much for this list. (Sorry this is the first time I wrote a comment and it's got a negative point in it.) so I end on a high note - excellent list!
BH
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