Stirling sums up some of the reasons why I have supported progressives in the last few years. It’s not out of any ideology – it is because it is the only way out of the mess we’ve created and ending the downward spiral of the American economy. I truly think those who don’t see this are simply blind to the reality of the situation we’re currently in as a nation.
Relief, Restructuring, Stimulus | The Agonist
In our present circumstances the progressive movement has put forward the most coherent vision that addresses these three points. Relief can be expanded by ending Iraq and ending tax breaks for the very wealthy. Restructuring can be best pursued by ending the weak dollar policy, and making a non-carbon based energy system a long term goal, and universal, provider-patient health care, ideally under a single payor model a short term goal. Stimulus will be accomplished by specific spending programs designed to make these two goals possible. The conservative, moderate and reactionary movements have not come close to creating as coherent a vision of what needs to be done and how to do it.
Right now the conservative-reactionary coalition proposes a tiny deficit based stimulus/relief package, continued weak dollar policies, continued expenditure on Iraq, continued deficit spending as far as the eye can see, no effective steps to contain energy, health care or food inflation, and no money being allocated for the inevitable financial bailouts, other than to sell Wall Street to Dubai one bank at a time.
The moderate movement proposes that we should do all of this, only with more civil discourse.
There are clear choices, and while the voting booth is a woefully inadequate instrument by itself to reach them, it is one of the tools we have. Which, not coincidentally, means making sure that t works as well as is possible, as opposed to as well as is convenient for particular interest. Among these clear choices are whether we are going to restructure away from a series of very bad choices made this decade, and towards better ones.
So far the progressive movement, and only the progressive movement, has made this commitment.
One Response
what is the Democrat’s non-carbon energy policy ? subsidizing corn , which is over $4/bushel now when it was $1/bushel 10 years ago ? who can afford to eat at those prices ? the more we use corn for energy, the higher those prices will be , and , the more expensive all grains will be as they are used a s substitutes