Again I'll say that I find it the responsibility of the Democratic National Committee to lead transformation by shifting their focus from raising money to raising awareness and bringing all Americans together. The 2020 Dem virtual national convention was a triumph. It didn't feel partisan; it made me proud to be American by displaying the diversity and beauty of citizens all over the continent, islands, and protectorates. It was the kind of free forum and patriotic entertainment that broadcast television once provided.
A DNC virtual platform should do the same thing year round. It can be part civics lesson, part arts advocate, and part spotlight for up-and-coming candidates. We need to get to know candidates long before campaigns and elections because that's how trust is built. Voters don't care how much money you raise; we care about whether we can trust you or not. Give us that chance, and we'll be able to vote thoughtfully, support our neighbors, and feel connected again. Transformation, indeed!
Transformation is a term we haven’t heard in a while. A transformation is something that is implied to last for a longer period of time. A well thought out strategy to implement something transformative is a novel yet powerful long term solution.
Gavin Newsom isn’t perfect (who is?) but he’s always been an idea generator and someone who encourages discourse from all sides of the political spectrum. Plus as we’ve seen over the past year he’s got the balls to stand up to Trump and MAGA and expose them for what they are.
If Democrats succeed in November, they should enact a new tax structure. Corporations and businesses have convinced Congress in past years to cut their taxes, calling the rich the "job creators." But now, those same people are spending their billions to develop AI bots aimed at replacing jobs with AI to save money and to have non-demanding production workers. So let's leave in place with maybe a little upward alteration the corporate tax brackets for employers who do in fact hire full time human workers at decent wages and benefits so that workers can have security and reliable wages. Then hike the top marginal rate to 95% for those who choose AI robots. They serve nothing but their own bottom line, even while they use resources paid for by others.
"In essence, they (we) want a new social contract, updated for the 21st century: one where hard work pays off, where everyone plays by the same rules, where strivers succeed, and where children can expect to do better than their parents."
These are excellent goals, and it is going to take a lot of the people currently involved in setting policy to either get out of the way, or quit operating "in the way it's always been". Putting people before profit would help, as would major campaign finance reform and getting the lobbyists and their 'pay to play' agenda out of the halls of congress.
Most of that just sounds like corporate third way tinkering around the edges. Very little that will actually put power, and prosperity, back in the hands of the people. Democrats need to review what FDR did and use it as a blueprint. Stop this tepid dithering.
I am glad politicians are speaking of a transformation and not a return to the status quo. I compiled a list of dozens of items that need reform if we are to create a truly progressive society. Many of them appear in the article and in these comments, but true reform will only happen if we address our systemic flaws such as the Electoral College, the structure of the Senate, the size of Congress, the size of the Supreme Court and its political corruption, etc. Yes, some of these reforms will require Constitutional amendments, which is a tall order. I say, let’s get cracking!
I would like to push back on oe of Neera's comments. The system, works. What doesn't work are the politicians who supposedly represent their voters. This, in my opinion, is what needs to be addresssed. This will never occur until an existing party or a new one decided to make personal and professional integrity their key platform item. This is not as easy as it sounds because teh voter stilll wonder candidates comments as garbage.
All of the solutions mentioned in the article are worth pursuing, but what wasn’t mentioned was the need for antitrust enforcement. The power of extractive platform monopolies, not only in tech but also in other areas like healthcare and housing, makes the problems named in the article more difficult to solve.
It may be that some of the speakers brought up the topic of antitrust at the conference, but their comments didn’t make it into the article. Elizabeth Warren has focused on the issue in other statements and her work in the Senate. Biden was the first president in a long time to pursue antitrust enforcement aggressively, and let's hope that the topic doesn’t fall off the radar in his absence.
Again I'll say that I find it the responsibility of the Democratic National Committee to lead transformation by shifting their focus from raising money to raising awareness and bringing all Americans together. The 2020 Dem virtual national convention was a triumph. It didn't feel partisan; it made me proud to be American by displaying the diversity and beauty of citizens all over the continent, islands, and protectorates. It was the kind of free forum and patriotic entertainment that broadcast television once provided.
A DNC virtual platform should do the same thing year round. It can be part civics lesson, part arts advocate, and part spotlight for up-and-coming candidates. We need to get to know candidates long before campaigns and elections because that's how trust is built. Voters don't care how much money you raise; we care about whether we can trust you or not. Give us that chance, and we'll be able to vote thoughtfully, support our neighbors, and feel connected again. Transformation, indeed!
If money alone mattered, there are some races that Dems would not have won.
Transformation is a term we haven’t heard in a while. A transformation is something that is implied to last for a longer period of time. A well thought out strategy to implement something transformative is a novel yet powerful long term solution.
I trust that the half measure on health insurance is also short term. Until we can institute some form of universal coverage.
The next challenge? Get the word out with a charismatic leader.
Gavin Newsom isn’t perfect (who is?) but he’s always been an idea generator and someone who encourages discourse from all sides of the political spectrum. Plus as we’ve seen over the past year he’s got the balls to stand up to Trump and MAGA and expose them for what they are.
If Democrats succeed in November, they should enact a new tax structure. Corporations and businesses have convinced Congress in past years to cut their taxes, calling the rich the "job creators." But now, those same people are spending their billions to develop AI bots aimed at replacing jobs with AI to save money and to have non-demanding production workers. So let's leave in place with maybe a little upward alteration the corporate tax brackets for employers who do in fact hire full time human workers at decent wages and benefits so that workers can have security and reliable wages. Then hike the top marginal rate to 95% for those who choose AI robots. They serve nothing but their own bottom line, even while they use resources paid for by others.
Win. WIn.
"In essence, they (we) want a new social contract, updated for the 21st century: one where hard work pays off, where everyone plays by the same rules, where strivers succeed, and where children can expect to do better than their parents."
These are excellent goals, and it is going to take a lot of the people currently involved in setting policy to either get out of the way, or quit operating "in the way it's always been". Putting people before profit would help, as would major campaign finance reform and getting the lobbyists and their 'pay to play' agenda out of the halls of congress.
Most of that just sounds like corporate third way tinkering around the edges. Very little that will actually put power, and prosperity, back in the hands of the people. Democrats need to review what FDR did and use it as a blueprint. Stop this tepid dithering.
I am glad politicians are speaking of a transformation and not a return to the status quo. I compiled a list of dozens of items that need reform if we are to create a truly progressive society. Many of them appear in the article and in these comments, but true reform will only happen if we address our systemic flaws such as the Electoral College, the structure of the Senate, the size of Congress, the size of the Supreme Court and its political corruption, etc. Yes, some of these reforms will require Constitutional amendments, which is a tall order. I say, let’s get cracking!
I would like to push back on oe of Neera's comments. The system, works. What doesn't work are the politicians who supposedly represent their voters. This, in my opinion, is what needs to be addresssed. This will never occur until an existing party or a new one decided to make personal and professional integrity their key platform item. This is not as easy as it sounds because teh voter stilll wonder candidates comments as garbage.
All of the solutions mentioned in the article are worth pursuing, but what wasn’t mentioned was the need for antitrust enforcement. The power of extractive platform monopolies, not only in tech but also in other areas like healthcare and housing, makes the problems named in the article more difficult to solve.
It may be that some of the speakers brought up the topic of antitrust at the conference, but their comments didn’t make it into the article. Elizabeth Warren has focused on the issue in other statements and her work in the Senate. Biden was the first president in a long time to pursue antitrust enforcement aggressively, and let's hope that the topic doesn’t fall off the radar in his absence.