What has the Scottish National Party ever done for us?
Well, since I live in Missouri, they haven’t affected my life directly. But this ad released today gives me a picture of what politics can be like, a picture of what a government of, by, and for the people can accomplish, and a picture of how to present that message.
Scotland. A shining city on the hill.
And to give a picture of what a party NOT in power can say:
What have the Democrats ever done for people in the last 80 years?
Other than:
- Social Security
- Medicare
- Medicaid
- Children’s Health Insurance Program
- Affordable Care / Obamacare
- Overtime Pay
- 8 hour work day
- Family and Medical Leave
- Unemployment insurance
- Ending child labor
- Minimum Wage
- Civil Rights Act
- Voting Rights Act
- saving the economy after GWB wrecked it
. . . oh, and winning World War II.
Now, I realize this list includes victories won by organized labor and by other Progressives, and that the Civil Rights Act included the support of Everett Dirksen-like Republicans (and split the Demorats, sending Strom Thurmond to the Republicans) and that it should include a few items like Clean Air and Clean Water and Endangered Species. But it’s a challenge.
Make the Republicans struggle to come up with their own accomplishments.
Hell, we ought to just run the SNP advert. Let it be a ray of sunlight, showing us a better way.
Oh, and for those of you who have not been following Scottish politics, the woman in blue at the end of the ad is Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland and head of the Scottish National Party.