( - promoted by Jay Stevens)
By now, most anyone who's been paying attention has seen that the 'conservatism' wing of the Republican party is threatening primary against any Republican candidate who doesn't serve the conservative cause (read Tea Party). The RNC has floated a list of 10 'principles', of which any candidate must support at least 8, or face the wrath of the Republican base. A decent Montana discussion of that list is at Missoulapolis. This strategy for ensuring party purity is quite obviously called the "litmus test". It generally speaking works best with those who value the authority of central control, or fear its absence, and it's a small wonder why the Republican base is eating it up.
The lesson is that, for some, ideological purity, or at least the appearance of it, is very safe and desired. |
| Now, around these parts we've been getting into some fairly, or unfairly, heated bull sessions about what party purity means to and for Democrats. Some feel that we need purity of liberalism, and claim moral authority over the word "left". Some just feel that Democrats and Republicans are all the same, and we need a new party. Some call for some new form of structure ... what exactly they almost never define. Common themes are restricted corporatism, social and economic justice, and useful activism. The common opinion is a shared distaste for current Democratic action and will. The dark cloud that shadows almost all such discussions is the desperate urge to point fingers at the non-believers, based almost solely on whatever rock the accuser stands at the moment. I, for one, would rather light a candle than curse the darkness.
So I've asked questions. Very few answers are to be had. It's not that they aren't out there, it's just that they're not often here. So I keep my eyes open, should I find alternatives. There are a few, and I present them here. And just as a source of personal amusement, I notice that these links come from sites known for being PUMA favored.
First I went looking for a Democratic litmus test. I found one at Open Left, posted by Jeff Roby, that he calls The Committee For The Full Court Press. The planks:
o Troops out of Afghanistan and Iraq now.
o No aid to Israel until Palestinians have full rights.
o Medicaid for all.
o No compromise on abortion rights, repeal Hyde.
o Regulate Wall Street to the max, no more bailouts.
o Tax the rich to deal with the deficit.
o Create a fund to save families from foreclosures.
o Rebuild and strengthen the social safety net, no cuts in Social Security.
The rules:
The 8 points are offered as a suggestion, and would be decided upon by those initially forming the FCP based upon activist feedback. But once approved, they would ultimately not be negotiable at the local level.
The bottom line is to have at least one FCP candidate on the primary ballot in every district.
The second thing I've looked for is an organizational call for a new party, and a method by which such an organization might make inroads into the seemingly impenetrable two party system. How about The Justice Party, as presented by Violet Socks. Core values:
1. Economic Justice. Healthcare reform. Jobs creation. Wall Street clean-up. A tax system that helps the middle-class and working folks, instead of making the rich richer. Freedom from poverty. FDR's "Second Bill of Rights" (modernized and inclusive-ized).
2. Gender Justice. ERA. Equal pay, equal opportunity, equal representation. Autonomy and choice. Ending violence against women and sexual exploitation. Eliminating gender bias. Creating a culture that respects and values women as persons. How about a "Second Bill of Rights" for women?
3. Global Justice. An end to wars of conquest and empire. An end to oil wars and corruption. An end to exploitation of poor countries by rich.
4. Social Justice. Equal rights and opportunities for all people. The freedom to live, love, and marry as you choose. Continuing the fight against racism and bigotry. Diversity and tolerance.
5. Environmental Justice. A clean, healthy world for everyone. Green technology and solutions.
6. Democratic Justice. Cleaning up government. Campaign finance reform. Fair elections. Grassroots democracy. Ballot access and fusion.
Platform:
1. Medicare for All: Yeah, I know.
2. Medicare for Kids: If we can't do Medicare for All, how about Medicare for everyone under 18? The Medicare risk pool would instantly be expanded to include lots of very healthy people. And it would be a great boon for parents, since they wouldn't have to pay much for their kids' health insurance (just minimal Medicare rates).
3. Repeal Stupak-Nelson: At a minimum, we'll need to remove whatever godawful monstrosity is going to get passed by Congress.
4. Get out of Af-Pak. Get out of Iraq. Bring our people and our money home. No more blood and treasure for endless wars with no victory or end in sight. Besides, we need that money HERE.
5. A new WPA or other federal job creation program. Instead of sending billions to the Middle East, how about we spend some of that money right here? Create jobs, pump up the economy, maybe actually fix some stuff while we're at it.
6. A bailout for the rest of us: I don't have a specific plan yet, but I'm sure that when the vampire squids get their year-end bonuses here in a couple of days, something will come to me.
What I find most intriguing here is the strategy of 'corrupting the corrupt from within', the inside-out process.
The third thing I have looked for, I have not found. There appears to be some will to change the political nature of our country, to replace elements or the entirety of our Constitution. I've looked for plans to do so, and found none on the leftward side, far too many on the right.
I present these here not to endorse or foist my opinion on either of these plans, but rather to give others the tools from which to start discussion about what really seems to be burning a hole in the discourse.
Please, yack away ... |
