The recent flurry of lame-brained policy decisions coming out of Washington lately has given us so much to be angry about that it’s easy (and far too common) to stop thinking. If we can grit our teeth and hold on through what will likely be several more horrible years, there may be some use in imagining what a successor Administration (no, not JD Vance) might do in 2029. There is certainly a lot to reverse and repair, but not everything done by HWSNBN is horrible and amid the rubble, there’s much that can be (to coin a phrase) “built back better.”
Indeed, a positive and inspiring reframing by one or more leading democrats/progressives of what the new center left party would stand for must include a fair number of specifics that go beyond merely negating the recent GOP agenda. In addition to acknowledging that government has not been up to the challenges of the 21C, we need to articulate means of substantive improvement. These steps also need to be recast outside of the traditional/tiresome/outdated framework of progressives vs. moderates. This is a time for radical, but not utopian thinking. Limited resources (economic, environmental, and political) means that some “sacred” programs and institutions will need to change or be put on the shelf. Ditto for some constituencies (including many that scream loudly).
According to Buddhist teachings, extracting and focusing on what is true and meaningful amid the muck of the world is essential to karmic progress; captured well in the phrase “finding the jewel in the lotus.” Similar (if less profound work) lies ahead in the world of policy and politics. Trumpian bombast and malevolent MAGA/Musk-ites have produced more muck than previously conceived of, but there are still jewels to be found. We need to put our repulsion at the tactics aside and figure out how to do the important things better; not in the context of restoring the inadequate past, but in terms of facing up to the challenges of the future. Whether in terms of foreign policy or domestic administration, merely going back to business as usual won’t cut it. For all the initiatives of the Biden Administration, they were too caught up in inertia, constituency capture, and lack of vision to change the course of political culture in America. Kamala Harris didn’t have the runway, chutzpah, or vision to do so during her brief campaign. Whoever is next will have to do so.
There are several critiques of traditional US policy that underlie the current MAGA-tudes that are accurate:
* The US wastes a lot of foreign aid money.
* The US has let other “allies” get by with inadequate contributions to shared global security.
* Our domestic health policy is ineffective, overcomplicated, and way too costly.
* Our immigration policy is a hash.
* Our tax structure is a confused (and confusing) muddle.
* Our public debt levels are too high and lower interest rates would reduce the burden on the annual budget.
* We do a lousy job of educating young people for their lives as citizens and workers in the 21C.
* (your additions here)
Now, the test is whether you can agree with these points (or most of them) without falling into a rant over how the current Administration has gone about trashing things or pointing fingers in the usual “blame game.” Then, try to come up with effective solutions. The silver lining in the current mass of clouds is that it is actually easier to do so now that the previous structures/institutions are in rubble.
Winston Churchill (among others) said “never let a good crisis go to waste,” and after just a few months, we already have plenty of “good crises” to deal with. So, what to do? (Let’s imagine—just as a fantasy—that we have an Administration and a Congress willing to act promptly and boldly).
* Environmental protection, carbon markets, and real support for workers affected by the transition
* Radically simplified and progressive tax code
* Integrated medical/health security for all (Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans’ programs)
* Modern computer systems for government administration
* Rewrite the UN and NATO charters
* Treat foreign friends in a friendly way
* Put the culture wars (from both perspectives) off to the side for a while
* (your additions here)
FDR and the “hundred days” that kicked off the New Deal in 1933 is a good role model here; in part through the flood of innovative legislation, but more importantly in the sense of renewal and moral grounding that he sought to instill. He had the benefit of large Congressional majorities and widespread popular agreement that something quite different had to be done.
It’s a tall order and by no means clear that there’s the right person out there to pick up the flag. Congressional sclerosis remains a large impediment to innovation and action, but the lack of coherence in the GOP (especially in a post-Trumpian world) might augur well for surprising flexibility. (after all, the Dems aren’t in much better shape). One key will be to assure the varying pockets of anxiety and fear that their concerns are being met. Beyond the essential moral leadership and comforting, this means that many things—highly distasteful to some portions of the electorate—will need to be incorporated into the new program. It’s a democracy, after all, and that means it would be good to get more than a bare majority on board.
I suspect that the current widespread frustration with US politics and policies is one of the reasons why “cultural” issues have become such flash points, i.e., we’ve given up on substantive policy debates and public debate has been relegated to less central issues.
In returning to the central issues of why we have government, we have to avoid succumbing to fantasies of “if I were King.” It might be satisfying for a moment, but each citizen has the responsibility to be political, too. Compromise is necessary and trying to find the jewels in the current muck is a good start.
Indeed, a positive and inspiring reframing by one or more leading democrats/progressives of what the new center left party would stand for must include a fair number of specifics that go beyond merely negating the recent GOP agenda. In addition to acknowledging that government has not been up to the challenges of the 21C, we need to articulate means of substantive improvement. These steps also need to be recast outside of the traditional/tiresome/outdated framework of progressives vs. moderates. This is a time for radical, but not utopian thinking. Limited resources (economic, environmental, and political) means that some “sacred” programs and institutions will need to change or be put on the shelf. Ditto for some constituencies (including many that scream loudly).
According to Buddhist teachings, extracting and focusing on what is true and meaningful amid the muck of the world is essential to karmic progress; captured well in the phrase “finding the jewel in the lotus.” Similar (if less profound work) lies ahead in the world of policy and politics. Trumpian bombast and malevolent MAGA/Musk-ites have produced more muck than previously conceived of, but there are still jewels to be found. We need to put our repulsion at the tactics aside and figure out how to do the important things better; not in the context of restoring the inadequate past, but in terms of facing up to the challenges of the future. Whether in terms of foreign policy or domestic administration, merely going back to business as usual won’t cut it. For all the initiatives of the Biden Administration, they were too caught up in inertia, constituency capture, and lack of vision to change the course of political culture in America. Kamala Harris didn’t have the runway, chutzpah, or vision to do so during her brief campaign. Whoever is next will have to do so.
There are several critiques of traditional US policy that underlie the current MAGA-tudes that are accurate:
* The US wastes a lot of foreign aid money.
* The US has let other “allies” get by with inadequate contributions to shared global security.
* Our domestic health policy is ineffective, overcomplicated, and way too costly.
* Our immigration policy is a hash.
* Our tax structure is a confused (and confusing) muddle.
* Our public debt levels are too high and lower interest rates would reduce the burden on the annual budget.
* We do a lousy job of educating young people for their lives as citizens and workers in the 21C.
* (your additions here)
Now, the test is whether you can agree with these points (or most of them) without falling into a rant over how the current Administration has gone about trashing things or pointing fingers in the usual “blame game.” Then, try to come up with effective solutions. The silver lining in the current mass of clouds is that it is actually easier to do so now that the previous structures/institutions are in rubble.
Winston Churchill (among others) said “never let a good crisis go to waste,” and after just a few months, we already have plenty of “good crises” to deal with. So, what to do? (Let’s imagine—just as a fantasy—that we have an Administration and a Congress willing to act promptly and boldly).
* Environmental protection, carbon markets, and real support for workers affected by the transition
* Radically simplified and progressive tax code
* Integrated medical/health security for all (Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans’ programs)
* Modern computer systems for government administration
* Rewrite the UN and NATO charters
* Treat foreign friends in a friendly way
* Put the culture wars (from both perspectives) off to the side for a while
* (your additions here)
FDR and the “hundred days” that kicked off the New Deal in 1933 is a good role model here; in part through the flood of innovative legislation, but more importantly in the sense of renewal and moral grounding that he sought to instill. He had the benefit of large Congressional majorities and widespread popular agreement that something quite different had to be done.
It’s a tall order and by no means clear that there’s the right person out there to pick up the flag. Congressional sclerosis remains a large impediment to innovation and action, but the lack of coherence in the GOP (especially in a post-Trumpian world) might augur well for surprising flexibility. (after all, the Dems aren’t in much better shape). One key will be to assure the varying pockets of anxiety and fear that their concerns are being met. Beyond the essential moral leadership and comforting, this means that many things—highly distasteful to some portions of the electorate—will need to be incorporated into the new program. It’s a democracy, after all, and that means it would be good to get more than a bare majority on board.
I suspect that the current widespread frustration with US politics and policies is one of the reasons why “cultural” issues have become such flash points, i.e., we’ve given up on substantive policy debates and public debate has been relegated to less central issues.
In returning to the central issues of why we have government, we have to avoid succumbing to fantasies of “if I were King.” It might be satisfying for a moment, but each citizen has the responsibility to be political, too. Compromise is necessary and trying to find the jewels in the current muck is a good start.
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