Georgia10 has a
good front page post which implicitly challenges the Democratic Party to find our ideas and values. I'm going to rise to that challenge.
The lesson, after doing this, is that it is clear to me that the lack of ideas is a symptom of cowardice and shame. DLC Democrats find policy easy because it means not having to say anything that might offend.
Here are some things I believe:
- Government should be open and transparent. Backdoor meetings are what poison and corrupt.
- Americans don't abandon individual rights when times get hard - we fight even harder for them. That means we must investigate well and refuse to take short cuts and easy outs. Neither 9/11, WWII nor any other conflict will ever justify encroaching upon personal liberty in the name of expediency.
- Our standing in the world depends on our virtue. We must police ourselves more stringently then we do others. We must hold ourselves to the highest standards and accept no excuses. That means investigating Haditha and Gitmo relentlessly. It also means accepting the jurisdiction of the world court regarding war crimes and obeying international law.
- Being serious about crime means being serious about white collar crime. It is repugnant that one of my co-workers, a former Enron employee, may now never be able to retire. Just as transparency is essential to the smooth and fair function of government, it is also essential to the ethical function of business. And where there is wrong the law should not offer a slap on the wrist but a full and righteous accounting.
- The strength of our nation rests in the strength of the middle class. Our economic policies will be focused on making it easier to enter the middle class, and making it easier not to slide out. We will emphasize reducing personal and national debt, making it easier to buy a home and encourage saving for retirement.
- All Americans are equal under the law. We will not play favorites. We will not sacrifice the rights of any person of any group. Ever.
- When we fight everyone will know why. Soldiers will not be asked to die without the confidence that every reasonable alternative was explored.
As much as I try, though, I still find myself wanting to talk policy. Offering ideas without the policy is empty.
But so, of course, is offering the policy without the ideas.