I want to begin this by saying that this diary is not shilling for a third party or being written to try and draw people away from the democratic party. I have been a democratic party officer at the local level since 2004 and have worked a lot to promote dem candidates and progressive causes. As many of you know a new third party popped up recently calling themselves the "Justice party" I was reading their founding document and I couldn't help but notice how close the ideals and goals they propound come to the way so many of us feel. These values and ideas are, at least for me, the ideals and values that I wish the democratic party would stand for each and every day. I know that we say we want to change our party from within, I have had many dealings with party leadership all the way up to our senators and our state chair Mark Brewer, in each case I get push back whenever real progressive issues are brought up. It's like banging your head against a brick wall sometimes and very discouraging when all you get is a calculated, political response that makes you want to take a shower it was so greasy. So below I am posting an excerpt from the founding document of this new party for your consideration as ideas and principles we as democrats should embrace and push for at every level. If our party would embody these ideals then I believe that we could all be extremely proud of being democrats all the time.
From the justice party website
Context & Rationale
More than 235 years ago a group of courageous patriots got together and decided to
take a stand against the tyranny of their colonialist rulers. The "act of declaration" they
took was an awesome moment in which our forbearers took a stand with great risks.
They understood that the outcomes were uncertain, yet they stepped forward with a
bold commitment to ensure that all Americans living then and in future generations
would have the opportunity to live under a government that protected the inalienable
rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Despite the immense triumphs of our nation over the past two centuries, as we enter
the second decade of the 21st century, we are alarmed with the grave state of our
nation. For many Americans the idea of the American Dream is collapsing right before
them. It has become evident to us that the current system is unworkable and that we
can no longer resign ourselves to cynicism and settling for the status quo. Our current
two‐party political system is completely broken to the extent that our leaders at the
local, state, and national level, including President Obama, his administration, and the
U.S. Congress are utterly incapable of effectively serving the interests of the American
people. The founders of the Justice Party believe that the chief cause of this failure is
the systemic corruption that allows corporate and concentrated‐wealth interests to
wholly control the two dominant political parties and our entire political system.
We believe that the recent US Supreme Court Decision, Citizens United vs. Federal
Election Commission, that allows corporations to make unlimited and secret corporate
expenditures for specific candidates, will further entrench corporate control of our
political system. Moreover, we believe that a diversity of political voices is essential at
this moment in history, as the rules governing our political system and the current two
party systems are designed to sustain entrenched corporate‐driven power. Ultimately,
this problem can only be fixed through a reform of the U.S. Constitution.
We believe that our country urgently needs a political discourse among diverse and
cross‐partisan citizens to join forces to address the pressing immediate and long‐term
challenges that the country faces.
At this juncture, we believe that all disenfranchised and disillusioned Americans,
including those from within all existing political parties, along with those not currently
active in the political system, have a moral responsibility to seek immediate solutions to
the problems our country is facing. Our actions in this moment of history will have a
lasting impact on the lives of citizens living in this time, as well as, upon the lives of their
children, grandchildren, and subsequent generations.
This document is a prospectus for the “Justice Party” which we envision as a major new
political party that will be a major political force for decades to come. The Justice Party
seeks governing authority at the local, state, Congressional and Presidential levels,
beginning in the 2012 election cycle. The Justice Party is being created as a new 21st ‐
century political vehicle to allow all citizens to work together to bring innovative results‐
oriented, justice‐based solutions to the political debate as soon as possible. We are
filled with hope, we are taking a stand, we are taking risks, and we are taking bold action
now!
II. Proposed “Justice Party” Founding Principles1
As co‐founders of the “Justice Party,” we are joining forces based on a set of shared
principles:
· We are patriots. We believe in the greatness of America’s national ideals. We
believe America has an indispensable purpose in the World: to demonstrate, by
example, the power of peace, freedom, equal opportunity, and justice for all;
· We are dedicated to bringing integrity to the intentions of founding documents
of our nation including the Declaration of Independence, The U.S. Constitution,
and the Bill of Rights. We are dedicated to advancing justice, peace, and
freedom. America was founded in freedom—freedom to speak, to worship, to
choose whatever path to happiness suits us best—but that freedom comes with
an equal responsibility to country, community, family, and the World.
· We believe that justice‐based values are what enable a free and just society to
regain its strength. These values are pragmatism tied to principle; honesty and
integrity; hard work and personal initiative; self‐sacrifice and self‐discipline;
fairness and compassion; competitive striving and fair play; a desire to serve the
nation and advance justice in solidarity with the rest of the World.
· We believe that we should measure the nation’s progress by whether every
citizen has a fair shot. We believe that all citizens should have the opportunity
to advance on the basis of talent and merit, and by the degree to which we
promote the common success of all of our citizens. Additionally, we believe that
we should measure the nation’s progress towards addressing complex global
challenges, including disease, illiteracy, climate change, poverty, and strategic
insecurities as central priorities towards advancing America’s moral leadership.
·
We believe that we should measure a citizen’s worth by contribution to
country and community, not by wealth or power. Those Americans who
benefited most should contribute in proportion to their good fortune and
serving others should be esteemed more highly than serving self.
1
Derived in part from The True Patriot, A Pamphlet, by Eric Liu and Nick Hanauer
4
III.
Proposed Founding Objectives
Objective 1: Economic & Jobs Justice
Reverse the quickly growing economic disparity among Americans through
comprehensive tax reform, significant housing and jobs bills (particularly green
jobs), justice for workers, and fair treatment of seniors, veterans and others
whose resources are in jeopardy. We are committed to the proposition that
social and economic justice is an essential and vital American value.
Objective 2: Electoral Justice
Ending political hate, polarization and demonization through significant electoral
reform that promotes direct democracy by changing the way elections are
financed and how Congress allocates resources is critical for achieving a just
society.
Objective 3: U.S. & Global Health Justice
U.S. healthcare reform that moves the U.S. rapidly towards a performance‐based
healthcare system that is cost‐effective and efficient. At the global level,
mobilize support for full funding of the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, TB & Malaria
to end the scourge of these global pandemics and build health systems.
Objective 4: Environmental Justice
Stabilize concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, while ensuring
that economic development and food production are enabled in a sustainable
manner.
Again I believe that the influence of big money has made as much a prisoner out of our own party as it has the republicans, thereby creating a system that puts it's own survival above the genuine interests of those it claims to represent. Until we remove the corrupting influence of private money in the political system we can never motivate people who would make excellent public servants, but who may have no taste for fundraising, to seek public office at all levels. Until we take the money out of the equation we will never have a government that has the political will needed to make the hard choices and take bold action needed to actually solve any of the systemic problems that have infected our society. If you dry up corruption then you create an ecosystem capable of supporting an honest government. I hope you all will take this diary as a way to start a conversation on how we can reform the democratic party to better match the principles that we all dearly believe in.