Democrats in Need of Aggressive, Unified Principles

The current primary candidates are all over the lot and should not be permitted to define an election platform or for that matter throw their hat in the ring without approval from Democratic organizations such as NCEC, DNC, unions, and Congressional Democratic caucus. It should not be inferred that this is a return to the political bosses, but rather a bold and strong consensus forged by the party and its branches in order to establish the solidarity of a controlling principle that chosen candidates must follow and to obviate nitpicking among those approved. Candidates should not be chosen on the strength of their fund-raising expertise or their charming personalities; rather they should be chosen based upon their unique input of leadership in shaping the direction of the party as a whole.

The prerequisite is, of course, that there be a powerful rationale of the party itself. It can no longer be weakened by regional splinter groups; it is thoroughly illogical; for instance, “red state” representatives and senators who deny the moral underpinning of the party in favor of the political reality of its constituents must not be allowed to carry the banner of Democrat. Political convenience is a cop-out for Democratic politicians to exercise the right to persuade voters — Wellstone style — that the other party is detrimental to the common good of the entire nation — that the “red states” would be little more than territories were it not for the history of the Democratic Party whose policies, driven by a moral force to put “people first;” whereas the other party, driven by the radical faith in the myopic “free market,” has always strove to unravel the causes of the common people. That is indeed the underlying “political reality” that the voter must be aware of, but cannot be if Milquetoast politicians continue to swallow the obscenities of lobbyists for corporate power and to cower to the sophistry of the right wing fear-mongers and misled champions of laissez-faire.

The Lost Rationale of the Democratic Party

When the New Deal was born, the US finally discovered its passion for the little guy. It made tough inroads into reforming state’s rights to consider the need for developing a higher standard of living for most, if not all, of its citizens through the development of primary infrastructure and relatively decent paying jobs. It developed a safety net for the unfortunate through social security and unemployment insurance. It desperately wanted to initiate national health care but met Philistine resistance — later, Truman was accused of advocating “socialized medicine.” In foreign policy the party was the champion of democratization in Japan and Germany, despite the Republican isolationists. It was questionable that the US did the right thing in defending a dictator in South Korea but the frenzy of communist containment exonerated Truman’s move. Johnson’s debacle — actually a tragic spin off of Eisenhower-Dulles policy — in Vietnam was, of course, a mark against the party’s foreign policy, but even more so in that it detoured the war on poverty and opened the door to Republican rule, which eventuated the Party’s adoption of Nixon’s “southern strategy” and the short-lived Carter administration’s moderate approach, leaving the floodgates open for a Reagan landslide and the demise of the Democratic party’s viability.

The party regained some of its muscle during the Clinton years, but only by stepping on eggs for eight years. In 2000 Gore’s call for ending the rule of the powerful rang true for the majority but to no avail because of the tyranny of the electoral college which ostensibly protects the rights of the minority at the expense of the majority will, which clearly shows that it is the Senate that reigns supreme to the detriment of democracy by its effrontery of Montana carrying equal will as New York. [But that’s another story.]

The war on terrorism is now the story and is eating away — as it did in Johnson’s time — the home-front’s dignity, and completely aggravated by the Iraqi fiasco. Add to this the outrageous Bush tax cuts that puts the US back — only much worse without the phony happy times — in the Reagan years of steak for me, soup bone for you. The worst scenario, however, is that the Democrats, though lukewarmly, contributed — but for the war on terrorism — to these nonsensical policies.

In the election of 2004, therefore, the Party must be run on contrition and amends for its Machiavellian flirtation:

• It must efface from its vocabulary that tax-cuts are a stimulus — or at most a stimulus only for the rich to get richer. It must demand the renegotiation of NAFTA to insure that foreign nations primarily use trade to bolster the standard of living in their respective countries and not as a haven for corporations to export its power to the detriment of the American worker and in keeping down fair wages here and in other nations.

• It must reconstitute the income tax — decimating the current tad cuts — so that every worker pays something, such as in increments of .05% per $10,000 taxable income [terminating the need for EITC] up to $80K, then .05% per 40K up to 40%; an effective tax rate for 250K, 500K and 1M would be 27% , 32.5% and 36.7% respectively, after which the table be $367,500 + 40% over and up to 20M, after which it would be $7967500 + 41% on any amount over 20M. The new tax code must eliminate all tax credits, corporate and investment incentives, and limit IRA deductions to $1000 to those making under $55,000; all existing retirement plans will be sheltered, after which ensuing contributions will not. For a period of three years all unearned income will be taxed at the rate of 2% below filers’ effective tax rate for earned income, after which it will be at the rate of 2% above earned income. The only incentive allowed will be for investment at rate of 20% in companies engaged in national and homefront defense, along with legitimized infrastructure and energy alternatives. Corporate tax will be terminated and in its place an annual license fee will be levied based on amount of profits. All foreign tax havens will be eliminated.

• Welfare, but for the handicapped and widows and widowers with needy children, will be eliminated and replaced with workfare for all unemployed. Thus infrastructure projects must be appropriated.

• The sacrosanct 40 hour work week will be reduced to 37 with no cut in pay, thereby creating more employment. The white-collar work week of 35 hours will be reduced to 33. Part timers who meet these hours will be granted full time status with benefits thereof. Permanent part time workers will be granted the same benefits as full time workers. [For small business that can prove hardship, the government will for an indefinite transitional period cover the employers’ share of social security. ]

• Until universal medical coverage becomes a reality, the Party will insist on a government subsidy — if warranted — for every employer and self employer without medical insurance coverage in order to join federal employee health insurance; individuals who have opted out of company insurance will be mandated to rejoin. [If hardship is proven, the individual will be subsidized.]

• Massive appropriations must be granted to assist states in producing better schools from future teacher grants to modernization of buildings and new construction. There should be a campaign to sell education bonds at a fair return.

Foreign Policy

• Except for unadulterated clear and present danger — even then leaders of congress must be consulted — the Commander-in-chief may no longer unilaterally send troops to foreign soil without a declaration of war approved by Congress after a full hearing and acclaimed by either majority in the UN or NATO.

• For clear and present humanitarian reasons, the fifty year Cuban policy must be terminated by Congress and replaced by a free open policy for one year and extended indefinitely if Castro agrees to multi-party free elections by UN mandate and officiated by chosen delegates.

• After consulting with congressional leaders on the clear and present danger of drug trafficking, and after a two month warning to civilians to seek safe haven, illegal crops in Afghanistan and Columbia will be completely destroyed by air-attack. Mexico, through diplomacy and aid, will end drug trafficking and illegal immigration or face serious consequences. The Party must also advocate international infrastructure aid to Mexico to enhance standard of living and jobs.

• Within one year, Iraq’s post war condition must be controlled by UN peace-keeping forces and all coalition forces, with the exception of its proportionate UN contingency, must be out of the country. Under no circumstances shall the UN permit any future regime other than a secular democracy.

• North Korea must agree to UN supervision of nuclear facilities for peacetime purposes and also be open to inspection to destroy nuclear weaponry in exchange for massive humanitarian aid. Rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure will be realized only if free elections are forthcoming. If it fails to agree to this UN mandate, expulsion from the UN will ensue.

• Iran must agree to the same inspection and supervision or face expulsion.

• WTO must be renegotiated for the express purpose of drawing up a time frame for headway in improving the environment, infrastructure, living standards, wages, human rights, and in terminating ideological imprisonment.

• Since Saudi Arabia and Kuwait need US consumption and protection, it must broaden its education system to include unbiased Western heritage and open up the lessons to the great intellectuals of the Mideast’s past and present as the rudiments of improved liberation and to be the pace-setter for the rest of the Muslim nations.

It is therefore essential for the future of this nation that Democratic politicians begin to act in the framework of a true two party system and get a real message out to the people.

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