I'm getting really, really tired.
It seems every single day, I read a news story (or stories) that illustrate in living color the continual move rightward of our nation's politics, its priorities, and it's politicians. The goalposts seem to lift up and inch further towards oblivion all the time. It seems to me we are long overdue to conclude that "settling" for lip service and baby-step incremental advances in legislation is moving us one step forward, two steps behind as a party and as a nation. I truly believe it's time to stop procrastinating and making excuses for why we can't aim for the BIG changes that NEED to happen in this country.
Back in July of last year, I posted a diary suggesting a "contract" style progressive platform based on eleven points.
I won't repeat that whole diary here but let me summarize a few of the most important points I advocate for:
- reining in multinational corporations based in the USA that engage in race-to-the-bottom manufacturing.
- resetting the income and capital gains tax rates to 1981 levels.
- withdrawal of the military from Iraq and Afghanistan sans a small unit of special forces tasked with the capture of Osama Bin Laden. Imposition of a much larger bounty on OBL.
- review and renegotiation of every line of every contract the government has with the military industrial complex. All instances of fraud and abuse to be eliminated and prosecuted.
- universal single payer health care. Now.
- end of the war on drugs and dismantle/abolish the prison slave labor industry.
If we as a nation had the fortitude to elect true progressives and accomplished these six goals, we would be able to reverse course for this country in a matter of a few short years. It vexes me to no end that instead of solving the root problems in our country, we seem to have settled for allowing even the most progressive politicians in the House and Senate to do nothing more than posture and pay lip service to us.
Why hasn't a single politician introduced legislation that calls for any of the above six actions to be taken directly? (not in watered-down form. In straight, no gimmicks, black-and-white form).
I've spent a good deal of time over the last set of months contemplating that platform and discussing it with countless friends and colleagues. I've found that whenever I suggest this platform I get one of three responses:
- "I'm a conservative and you're suggesting socialism" - or some variant therein. The general reflexive response of anyone conservative I suggest this to. A few exceptions to this rule among true libertarians, who,
- Wholeheartedly agree with me.
Or,
- Wholeheartedly agree with me but tell me "we will never be able to do that".
It's this third group of people that really grind my gears.
It seems to me that among a majority of self-described liberals/democrats I talk to, the notion of voting for a truly independent, non-career progressive politician to national office, with the intent of actually introducing and fighting for real, true, fundamental progressive legislation seems "crazy", "a pipe dream", or "impossible", even to people who fully agree we desperately NEED to elect such people into office!
Instead, I am told we should not "rock the boat" and endanger the electoral success of "safe" "beloved" Democrats to support an outside candidate.
Here's a local example from my neighborhood. I live in the 3rd Congressional District in Connecticut. My rep is Rosa Delauro, the beloved "progressive" Democrat who has held her seat for the last twenty years.
Twenty years.
When I openly question why we just assume she is entitled to her seat in perpetuity, and as "good democrats" we should never dare so much as THINK of running anyone else in CT-3, people react like I suggested we club baby seals or eat live kittens.
Look. I GET that Rosa Delauro is a VERY wonderful woman, with a huge heart, who has been an absolutely outstanding advocate for women's health issues and has an amazing voting record as such.
But with all due respect, we are at a point in history where as great as that is, we need MORE. A LOT more!
Rosa Delauro is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Why hasn't Delauro, or for that matter, ANY member of the CPC brought to the floor of the House a bill calling for the end of our country's War on Drugs? To abolish the practice of exploiting prison labor for corporate profit at slave wages, at the expense of all NON-incarcerated American workers?? Why hasn't a CPC member brought forth legislation in the House calling for reset of the Income Tax to 1981 levels? Why hasn't a CPC member brought forth legislation calling for the real, no excuses withdrawal of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan?
Look.. I AM a realist in that I KNOW such legislation, in the CURRENT congress, would never pass, much less even get out of committee. But if we won't even INTRODUCE the legislation, if we won't go on TV, and in the newspapers, and on the Internet, and ADVOCATE for this legislation, we are NEVER going to see the day when we CAN get this done.
The right wing has had very real electoral success holding conservatives TO THE FIRE with the Tea Party movement.
IT IS TIME FOR PROGRESSIVES TO DO THE SAME.
We need to rip up the goalposts, and move them WAY the hell leftward, plant them down, and then dig in and FIGHT.
We need to challenge even our most BELOVED career Democrats to start fighting for the BIG ticket progressive agenda items or get out of the way and let some new blood come in to do so.
I truly believe that the Democratic Party MUST spend 2011 identifying true, REAL progressives willing to run for office in 2012 across the country in every state and district, willing to introduce the "big ticket" items legislatively and get the fight going. If that means primaries for "beloved" career Dems, so be it. I truly feel that a platform that ends the tax breaks for the top few percent, eliminates the waste of the military industrial complex, brings our health care system from the depths of predatory profiteering to a civil, sane structure used the world over, and restores the manufacturing base in our country, is an easy sell, and would serve as its own best grassroots fundraiser - IF WE ACTUALLY RUN PEOPLE ON IT!
I am tired of the excuses.
I am tired of being told "we can't do it now".
I am tired of being told "it isn't strategic to do it now."
It IS time. It is time for us to start demanding the big changes. NOW.
If it takes us years, decades, or even generations to win, so be it. But it's time to start the big fights.
I want EVERY Democrat politician seeking election to the House or Senate to be made to either sign on to the progressive agenda or reject it.