Bottom line — voting for Democrats in November has always been, but is even more so now, a matter of life and death.
This is meant to be a respectful response to a recent diary titled “What About Joe Biden’s Agenda Is Not Progressive Enough?” The answer is that an agenda is nothing more than words that, to my knowledge, are not yet backed up in many cases by specific progressive policies. I of course STRONGLY support Joe and other Democrats, but I would argue that we shouldn’t stop calling on him and them to go beyond their words by outlining specific progressive actions they would take and then when elected, taking them.
For example, the agenda item “Health Care as a HUMAN Right, with a universal system like they have in Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland” we can all passionately agree with. But backing that up requires implementing a single payer system sooner rather than at some vague point in the future. Joe in fact campaigned against both Warren’s and Sanders’ single payer systems without offering a viable alternative. Joe has still not acknowledged that Warren’s plans are solid in practical, economic and (yes) political terms. How long would the approach of tweaking the ACA (assuming courts don’t throw the ACA out) with addition of a public option take to achieve a single payer system? Is there any evidence that we would ever get there? And even before COVID-19, lack of a single payer system was estimated to cost 68,000 lives a year. With this new threat, what additional horrors might lack of a permanent single payer system mean? Does Joe still insist a public option is the best approach? Or will Joe and the Democrats in Congress take the opportunity the extreme conditions have provided to finally — with our help and support and a solid plan — make a single payer system a reality.
Similarly, the Green New Deal is a righteous statement about the principles of environmental health and justice. It is not, however, an outline of specific steps to take to achieve the stated goals. Not to belabor a point, but there are very detailed and specific plans created by the experts sitting on a shelf. Does Joe support them? Will he promise to work to implement them if elected?
Where on his agenda is a multi-millionaire tax? This is wildly popular across the political spectrum and a very specific thing a Democratic Congress could do. It would not only work toward reducing the wealth gap it would also provide tremendous resources to achieve social and economic good. What does Joe think about other morality-based restructuring of our economic and political system in addition to public financing of campaigns? Universal child care for example. Permanently reducing the student debt burden on our youth. Universal vote by mail. Abolishing the Electoral College. And so on.
Of course Joe and the Democratic Party support unions. But unions have lost power over time, including during the Obama presidency. What further specific actions will Joe take to turn that around and demonstrate that support? What will he do to heal the unnecessary tension between blue-collar and white-collar unions? What will he do to overcome the problem that some unions don’t understand that single payer is in their best interest and so fight against it? What are his plans for non-union workers? What does he support beyond a $15/hour minimum wage? There’s a long list of specific actions out there, so in this case as well, he need not reinvent the wheel.
Why have our infrequent voters remained so when it is painfully obvious that Democrats are the better choice and have been for some time? I believe that is is because the better choice has too often offered inspiring words but then repeatedly disappointed them in terms of efforts and actions. It’s way past time for that to change at every level of the party. We should not just settle for being better than Republicans. Literally doing nothing would accomplish that. Every Democrat should pledge to be better tomorrow than they are today and better the day after that and so on, so that we can move ever closer to what the people need us to be.
I am a lifelong Democrat who is very proud of the many things our party has done and continues to do. I am so proud of them at this time of global crisis. My only continuing disappointment is that whereas our state and national platforms are strong statements of basic moral principles and goals, there has been too much Democratic hesitancy and lack of effort over the last several decades in trying to achieve them.
Let’s be honest about several things. First, there is nothing harder for any person to do than to change their way of thinking and acting. Joe’s historical way of thinking and acting has many virtues. But to date, those virtues have not included support for many desperately needed progressive policies. Moreover, he still seems to have a rather rosy-eyed view of the Republican Party as a potential partner in solving problems. Next, too many Democrats are reluctant to admit error and to change. Just because that’s common among humans doesn’t make it right. Finally, too many Democrats are in the rather bad habit of providing lofty words and a partial list of concepts/principles they claim to support but then expect us to simply trust that action will follow and to remain supportive even when it repeatedly does not.
So, while Joe can’t be forced to promise us he will at least try to do this most difficult of things, not just change his worldview but also act aggressively to implement specific progressive policies he has not previously supported, it would be extremely inspiring and comforting, and dare I say unifying, if he did.
Peace & Unity