Five Before Chaos

Time and time again, many of us are bringing home the point that this “baby steps to change” approach in this country is killing us, whether it be social economic, healthcare or energy policy. It’s finally getting out into the conversation (and perhaps even reflected in the electorate) that the only way that real change may indeed happen is by something radical and far reaching (along the lines of the New Deal or Great Society).

Of course, this is complicated by the limitations of our two-party system, where the corporations hedge their bets in both parties, by and large with the national Dems being only a little less harmful than the Repubs. And so many of us, lacking instant runoff voting and other methods to break the firmly entrenched two-party stranglehold, at least try to do our best to move the Democratic party further to the left, by presenting primary challenges to Democrats who repeatedly sell out the nation. I’ve been reading quite a bit about netroots favorite Donna Edwards, who’s taking on the corporate shill incumbent Al Wynn in Maryland’s 4th Congressional District Democratic primary. I’d like to use her as an example of what needs to be happening in the Democratic Party.

Have a look at Edwards’ answers to the Progressive Democrats of America questionnaire.

On healthcare:

Affordable health care access for all is sound social nd economic policy that needs to be addressed immediately. I will work toward a universal, single-payer health care policy that meets the health care needs of the ever-increasing millions of Americans and the nearly 800,000 Marylanders who are without health care and those additional millions who have inadequate care. I will work to prioritize preventative health care delivery, long-term care, and equal access to affordable prescription drugs. In the current system, I will work to ensure that all large employers pay their fair share of their employees’ health care in order to be fair to those who adequately meet employee health care costs.

[snip]

I am a strong proponent of comprehensive, quality, accessible and affordable health care for all – a universal, single-payer healthcare system or Medicare-for-All system. Medicare is a proven system – we know it works. We need to move swiftly toward a major overhaul of our health care delivery system that does not rely on an insurance model.

Notice she doesn’t shy away from the “single-payer” term. Good. Time to stop treating it as the same as “Stalinist”.

On energy:

The time has come to say “no” to our ever growing reliance on fossil fuels and “no” to subsidies for outdated, last-century energy production. In the 21st Century, a sound environmental policy means good jobs, good business, and good policy…

[snip]

The first step towards achieving this end is to make limits on carbon emissions mandatory. Voluntary emission standards are not working. If we are serious about addressing global warming we must create a benchmark of 20 percent reductions of carbon emission by 2020 and 80 percent reductions by the middle of the century.

Beginning to see a pattern here? Mandating polluting industries? Not just saying “reduce our dependence on foreign oil” as most politicians say ad nauseum (and with the GOP, usually followed by a call for increased domestic drilling), but acknowledging that we need to get off of fossil fuels altogether? The answers to her questionnaire read like a progressive wish list – out of Iraq, pro-impeachment, anti-poverty. She doesn’t try to mince words, buy into right-wing frames and talking points, or call for mushy, band-aid type fixes. She is smart enough to acknowledge that some transitional policies will need to be in place – but they’re transitional, not the solution themselves. She’s going after one of the most corrupt Bush-dog Dems in the House, and if she does indeed win, other candidates should take notice. These are winning issues. Too bad she’s not running in Vermont. Her energy and ideas would definitely give Peter Welch a run for his money.

Now, I bring this up not to shill for a particular candidate (although if you do want to kick her a few bucks, her ActBlue page is here), but moreso to show that it is indeed possible to reform the Democratic party into a more progressive, forward-thinking model. It’s going to take hard work, as well as a courage to take a stand (which also has the effect of slowly waking up the populace that these ideas aren’t so crazy after all), and lots of primary challenges. A vibrant, healthy democracy should expect nothing less.

And let me clarify… I don’t bring this up because I feel that those of us working for change outside of the two-party system should just kick back and forget about it. But there also needs to be an acknowledgment from the naysayers that right now we do have this two-party system for better or worse, and that’s the current reality, and that to completely sit it out or ignore the efforts of people like Edwards is to do a great disservice to the notion of progressive change.