One of the ways the left suffers compared to the right is the raising of concrete, practical ideas within the context of the status quo to promote its agenda. The right wing think tanks come up with what seem like wacky ideas, then years later, voila, they are the law.
The left keeps working in more limited constricts. We want people to get elected, then promote long term ideas of social justice, but with little variation in terms of adjusting to realities or thinking outside the box.
Moving forward, where ideas like California along with other west coast states seceding (total nonsense and impossible) are proposed, I’d like to throw out another more practical but very radical idea to ponder. I am NOT (at least yet) in favor of it, but perhaps it is time to consider how to partially salvage our principles.
Here it is: reversing what we fought the Civil War over (to some extent) and the total thrust of progressive support of centralized and increasingly powerful Federal government, we join with many conservatives in supporting a return and even great expansion of state rights.
Understanding that this would take at least a Constitutional amendment, and possibly a Constitutional convention, here is the idea:
— The United States continues as a federation, with national defense, immigration and free trade within all to be under Federal leadership. To be determined which among now national programs — Social Security, Medicare among them — are to be allocated.
— Most other laws — including (not in any particular order) abortion, civil rights, campaign financing, health insurance, gun rights beyond the original intent of the law before Heller, banking and other financial regulation, environmental law — will be left up to the states. Certain core values — freedom of speech, religious freedom, the basic right to bear arms — would be clearly retained. If there were some way of integrating different views on immigration (some states could offer more liberal rights to those undocumented if they choose), great.
Obviously this is radical — it would leave many of us in a more protected area where our values are elevated, but sacrifice many who would be less protected by what now the Federal government stands for (but soon might not after the total Republican control changes things forever). And it would mean the ending of what the Civil War achieved (“the birth of a nation”) and what 83 years of FDR and since has been core to Democratic values nationally.
It has the virtue of keeping some form of the United States together. It allows for showcasing much different forms of governance (which I think the left would win). It anticipates that we are facing drastic changes affecting all of us, with the alternative protecting those of us who are a majority in large areas of the country.
It would also be a way to find common cause with much of the right who might welcome this for their parts of the country. And it could lead to higher voter turnout and greater consideration of issues affecting them once confronted with losing what government has to offer.
And for once the left might take the lead on some original thinking that leads to debate and discussion and practical change that so much of the country demands.
I welcome all comments with the hope of starting discussion including blow back and raising alternative. As I said I am not sure I want this. But I do fear a seismic change in my rights coming from the Federal government that might be permanent, and provide the start of discussion of how we can lead in presenting alternatives.