The Abstract and Brief Chronicles of The Time

Many—perhaps most—Democrats now in the majority in Congress do not understand the depth of the public's rejection of Republican 'business as usual'. Certainly not the Democratic leadership, already busy whoring after Israel, drug companies, oil companies, Detroit, and assorted other cash machines. On the one hand, the Democrats are more protected now by incumbency and the gerrymander than a majority party at any time in Congress' history; their ascendancy would seem to have the odds in favor of its survival for at least a few election cycles. On the other, black box voting still seems capable of the most outrageous thefts, and no doubt Republicans will return to their standard practice of stealth take-overs of local bodies (school boards are a favorite) and state legislatures as a prelude to leveraging national outcomes. The wild card being the general public. Would people go to the polls in droves, again, on behalf of the Democrats, if Democrats in power produce little or nothing of what people actually want? I doubt it.

As pleased as I am that the Democrats have taken Congress away from the Republicans, I'm extremely concerned that sensible ideas won't be discussed and that policy won't improve, not sufficiently. And that we could easily fall back into terminal corporatist corruption. For at least a little while I don't expect things to continue to get worse at the appalling rate we experienced under the Republicans, but that's cold comfort. Activists, at this point, should start figuring out how to target both Republicans and Democrats who are obstacles, and who may be vulnerable in 2008. That process must involve crafting policy platforms which sharply define differences among candidates, in order to best engage the public. Political operatives at the top of the heap who advise the opposite notwithstanding...

To that end here are my policy recommendations, in rough order of priority:

(1) Get Out of Iraq. Fairly self-explanatory. Start drawing down forces immediately and basically just leave. There's no good fix to be had anymore and the longer we stay the worse it'll be for us as well as for the Iraqis. At some point we should consider paying reparations, but that can wait until a stable situation emerges from the chaos.

(a) As a corollary, forget about attacking either Iran or North Korea.

(2) Rebuild America's Industrial Base. Some package of tax incentives and tariffs should stop the hemorrhaging of jobs overseas and slow the growth of the current account deficit. If we don't get this one right America's middle class is toast, and along with it everything else that's ever mattered about this country.

(3) Energy and the Environment. Slap a several dollar a gallon tax on gasoline, to start, and dramatically raise fuel efficiency requirements for vehicles, buildings, homes, major appliances, and whatever else one can think of. Add carbon emissions taxes. Pour money into alternatives research. Offer incentives for alternatives' use. Subsidize public transport. Get at least one generation of nuclear ready to go as a stop-gap for when oil begins to run out. Some would argue energy should be the number one priority and I can't object too much to that.

(4) Cut Defense Spending. We've got lots of more important priorities we must pay for. We can't run infinite budget deficits. Nor does it make sense to burn cash through useless military toys. So cut the Pentagon/NSA/NRO/CIA budget by at least half. My preference would be two thirds. It may seem politically impossible, but I assure you that the defense spending we're now engaged in is also impossible in the longer term while providing absolutely nothing in return.

(5) National Health Care. The US needs to join the ranks of other industrial nations, finally, and provide health care to all people who need it. It's a basic human right and besides, it pays dividends in terms of industrial competitiveness.

(6) Education and R&D. To be competitive in today's world we must have an educated population working in advanced industries and/or capable of understanding and implementing innovation (local organic farming, for example). Every person capable of higher education who wants one should have it. Some form of national service can help pay for it.

(7) Tax Reform. Significantly raise taxes on the rich and the very rich (those making over half a million dollars a year) while lowering taxes on the middle class and working class, through a flat tax with no more than six steps. A top rate of perhaps 75%. Eliminate capital gains* and death taxes. Eliminate exemptions. I'm open to tinkering here.

* Stock Options being the egregious loophole, sale of stock option stocks to be considered ordinary income, not capital gains.

(8) Abolish the Department of Homeland Security. Self-explanatory. And review/remove all those laws which have been whittling away at our civil liberties. Prepare the groundwork thoroughly such that it'll be possible at a later time to decide to prosecute those guilty of unconstitutional activities. Then do it. While we're at it, de-militarize local police forces.

(9) Control Immigration. I bear no grudge against people who want a better life here, but unrestricted illegal immigration is a recipe for disaster. Unless we want to lose the south and west to Mexico (and there may be some arguments in favor of that) we must regain control of our borders. First off, raise minimum wages and pay people a living wage so that demand falls for illegal workers. Second, impose heavy sanctions on employers who hire illegals such that given the odds of being caught it becomes an uneconomical proposition. Third, give amnesty to those already here. Then slam the door shut and very carefully control further inflow. Unfortunately, to do all this we're going to need some form of national identity card, but considering our loss of privacy data in so many other areas the card itself may not, in fact, represent such a setback.

(10) Race, Civil Rights, and Poverty. Throwing black people in prison is not an effective anti-poverty strategy. It makes no sense whatsoever that the US should be (as it is) the world's largest prison society. Most of what we spend on prisons, and more, should be re-directed into urban development, youth programs, and assorted incentives that re-energize integration as a critical national social goal. We may not be able to achieve a perfectly color-blind meritocracy but we should move in that direction and away from the barely concealed neo-Jim Crow attitudes of the Republican party.

There are many, many other issues deserving attention. No doubt I've forgotten a few which should be included among these top priorities. But this is the kind of mental exercise I hope people will be working through as we try to hold the Democrats' feet to the fire.