This diary started out in life as a thread-post to
snout's recent diary
I am NOT a Reform Democrat, which distills into a highly controversial recommendation
. . .I think we are making a huge mistake to try to move leftward. Instead, I think we ought to sit ourselves smack dab in the abandoned territory of Barry Goldwater.
that I can't quite choke down. I deny and abjure his argument. In fairness, however, it is a reasonable screed, and I do recommend you read it. But, for those of you who find yourselves riled by the quoted selection, follow me below the fold for my counterargumentative reminder -- really a
clarion call to all who are politically left of Atilla the Hun.
Like the title says. . .is paved with good intentions -- and
snout's seem good on the surface. But the inherent problem in the kind of thinking found in
snout's diary is that it "harks back" in time in a reactionary way. Looking backward toward the good old days of Father Goldwater Knows Best (and I remember him as a scary figure in his time, not as the demi-god of easily-frightened-by-liberalism centrists that he is today) is uncharacteristic of liberal, progressive, or Democratic thinking by definition.
Those who yearn for the past are conservatives -- also by definition.
I do not yearn for the past: not Goldwater's, nor Eisenhower's. I do yearn for liberals and progressives to define a political Vision of America that includes:
"The Magnificent Seven"
1. Respect for all.
2. Equal opportunity for all.
3. Equality before the law for all.
4. Equal civil rights for all.
5. Equal pay for equal work for all.
6. Equal access to education, health care, housing, legal defense, and employment for all.
7. Fair and equitable taxation for all.
Most domestic issues that are highly politicized and divisive, such as abortion (#1,#4,#6), religious infiltration into secular life (#1,#2,#3,#4), immigration (#1,#2,#3,#4,#5,#6,#7), and others stand revealed as so much shrill rhetoric when framed in terms of the Seven Principles that should be the foundation of the country, the by-laws of the Democratic Party, and the guidelines for its candidates.
Understanding and incorporating such a foundation into one's political approach allows anyone to know where s/he stands on any issue and to define specific responses to any challenge. Without such a foundation, Democrats, liberals, and progressives will be seen as floundering flip-floppers by conservatives and wing-nuts.
Could one point out to me that I'm "looking backward" into time probably 200+ years ago in the history of our country? Sure. But I'm not yearning for an idealized past. I'm remembering my roots, as it were. And I think you'll all agree, I'm not looking backward into the realm of conservative politics and politicians in a reactionary way.
We all know how we feel about issues, but to gain victory at election time we also need to know what we think about them. For me, writing this diary has clarified my thinking about what progressive Democrats stand for, and how these principles possess undeniable broad-spectrum appeal.
The trick -- if there is one -- is refering back to them and citing them as reasons for a particular stand on a particular issue. I've tried to pare my list down to seven essentials. They shouldn't be too hard to recall when needed.
I especially welcome any comments that supply a framing value that I may have omitted, and how it applies to any divisive issue. I'd also like to encourage anyone who feels moved to write a parallel diary on the "Magnificent Whatever Number" of principles that can frame the liberal/ probressive stance on froeign policy, if you think my list is insufficient "beyond our borders."