A recent post of mine named "THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT THEY SAY AND WHAT THEY DO" provided the inspiration for this, particularly a remark I made about Wile E. Coyote.
The policy choices I advocate here are, I believe, supported by reason and logic (unfashionable as they may be). Many will be politically unfeasible in our lifetimes. Nevertheless, they should be our ultimate objective, whatever we may say for electoral reasons.
Aim: Drug free population
Policy: All drugs should be legalized and the dangerous ones regulated. All taxes from the new industry fund rehab and anti-drug campaigns.
Effect: Drug use declines.
Aim: Less violence
Policy: Reduce violence in the media by subjecting it to the same standard as you do an exposed breast. Legalize and regulate drugs. Tax and regulate legal firearms with the same strictness as you would lethal chemicals or biological agents and really crack-down on illegal firearms.
Effect: Less violence, crime pays less, fewer murders, less anxiety.
Aim: Healthier population
Policy: Expensive tobacco, no subsidies for tobacco farmers or companies. Discourage hard liquor through taxation. Reduce pollution by promoting hybrid vehicles, a carbon tax and a CO2 market. Stop subsidizing gas and coal. Pedestrianize cities, crack down on fast food, provide universal health care.
Effect: Healthier, happier, longer-lived and more productive societies (not necessarily in the narrow sense that economist's mean), especially among the less well off.
Aim: Free press
Policy: Allow a few giants but keep a very healthy amount of undergrowth. Include one state owned giant (In Europe we have found that it makes sense to allow the state a voice of its own. The either become really good like the BBC or they become really bad, like most of the rest of Europe's national broadcasters, and the private channels, in either case, get shamed into being better. Make sure the local and mid-level press is healthy, perhaps even through subsidies, and certainly through competition. P.S. Kill the FCC.
Effect: A less monolithic and tame press that has ever less time for its erstwhile corporate bedfellows.
Aim: Combat terrorism
Policy: War only when absolutely necessary and `when you do war, you do war'. At all other times, `speak softly and carry a big stick.'
Effect: Empires and hegemonies are bluffs. American's are supposed to be good at poker. We should almost never "call," we should almost always "raise." We are richer than they are.
The logical policy against terrorists is to undercut their following and kill their fanatics. (Aside: Kerry got this and it was one of the reasons I am truly sorry he lost.)
I am still working on the short version here but I think my Teddy Roosevelt quote above will do for the time being: If you speak softly and carry a big stick, as America mostly did, you will be respected.
(The difficulty here is that we are committed to a policy we would not have chosen. How to make the best of an ill-advised policy is a bitch. But then, we lost, all we're allowed to do is criticize [and for how much longer will they let us have this] ; )
Aim: Reliable elections
Policy: Non-partisan election officials, fair national redistricting standards, zero-tolerance (aside: we should reuse their own slogans, reframed) for electoral shenanigans etc.
Effect: Greater trust and participation in the political system. More legitimacy to the rulers.
Aim: Healthy economy
Policy: Tax cuts for the poor and lower middle class. Higher taxes and penalties on corporations and the wealthy. Apply and tighten anti-trust rules. Improve corporate oversight.
Effect: Decreasing inequality, improving finances, fewer all-powerful corporations, greater public (that means us) oversight.
Aim: Educated population
Policy: Start younger and harder. This is the most important of all. Stay focused. Where to start? (Aside: I am not an educator but as former educatee I have strong opinions on the matter. If anyone is up for a joint diary, I'm game)
Effect: A brighter, more curious and progressive population.
Aim: Clean environment
Policy: Subsidies for conservation, solar, wind, geothermal, hybrid, fusion and clean fission technologies
Effect: Increasing energy independence, less environmental damage. Not to mention the god-like power of fusion, if it ever takes off.