Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Progressivism as an attractor

In the US the term Democrat does not equal progressive. We have plenty of corporate Democrats who are at least ostensibly more liberal on social issues but still rather conservative on fiscal issues. Meaning many of them are bought off too. The only true progressives belong to the Congressional Progressive Caucus, which has 74 members. That's about 14% of our Congress. See their new budget as but one example that these folks do not bow down to Kash but rather the people. E.g.:


"Eliminates the ability of U.S. corporations to defer taxes on offshore profits; Enacts a Financial Transaction tax on various financial market transactions; Implements Chairman Dave Camp’s financial institution excise tax; Closes tax loopholes and ends subsidies provided to oil, gas and coal companies; Addresses the climate change crisis by enacting a price on carbon pollution while holding low income families harmless; Invests in clean and renewable energy, which creates middle class jobs, boosts the economy, and cuts pollution."

Granted they don't have the numbers to enact this agenda, but it serves as an attractor toward which future enaction will happen, as the public leans more in this direction every year. It's just a matter of time until we get there, but in the meantime we must daily reinforce these principles and agenda, and ceaselessly work like mad to elect those who support them. That's where the real work of the people resides, in this political and socio-economic infrastructure where we must change the "gravity of things." While we are making progress there's still a long road ahead.

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