Why I am a Progressive
Mike Lux over at Open Left has a great run down of why he is a progressive. I echo this list. After going through a history of what Progressives have accomplished in history, he asks what we can accomplish in the future (i.e. almost everything that comprises modern American life). In the comments, tell us why you are a progressive and what you want progressives to accomplish in the future:
Here is the list:
I am a progressive because progressives have always fought for Jefferson’s idea that all of us are created equal.
I am a progressive because progressives embrace the idea of a government of, by, and for the people instead of a government run by the wealthy and powerful.
I am a progressive because we need an economy built from the bottom up, not the top down; an economy that is built on rising wages and an expanding and prosperous middle class, not one built on getting scraps trickling down from the rich and investor bubbles; an economy built on producing quality products, not one based on moving money around from one wealthy financial conglomerate to another.
I am a progressive because all of the great advances in American history come from the progressive movement, from people who believed in equality and democracy and justice and change fighting against the powers that be:
-The American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence
-The Bill of Rights
-The abolition of slavery
-The national park system
-Consumer safety laws
-Breaking up the big corporate trusts
-Women’s suffrage
-Social Security
-Minimum wage
-Unemployment and worker’s compensation
-Rural electrification
-The GI Bill
-Child labor laws
-The weekend and eight hour days
-Ending Jim Crow
-Medicare and Medicaid
-Head Start
-Legal Services
-Clean Water Act
-Clean Air Act
-The EPA
-The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
-Martin Luther King Day
-Labor Day
-Family and Medical Leave
-SCHIPAll of these gains for the American people came about because progressives had the idea, organized for it, and passed it into law. If progressives could make all these things happen in our history, what can progressives do in our times if they think big and act boldly?
–Build an economy that is run almost entirely on wind, solar, and other clean renewable energy by the year 2020
–Create a health care system where every American has access to health care services, with their own choice of a high-quality doctor, whenever they need it, and where they and their doctor don’t have to fight with insurance companies over the treatment they need.
–Create a full employment economy where everyone is paid a wage that will keep them and their families above the poverty line
–Create an educational system where anyone who wants to get a college degree is able to do so without going deeply into debt, and where every single K-12 public school succeeds at getting their students ready for life as productive citizens.
–Invest in a non-profit sector where citizens are empowered to build community organizations that make a difference in their lives.
Any yet you still do not see, that you have weakened many, by subsidizing their lack of initiative, and their victimhood.
Many of these programs, keep them dependent with a resulting lack of self respect, that is damaging to the rest of society in the form of no respect for others either.
Many good intentions. Many unintended unfortunate consequences.
Always helping those perceived at the bottom, but failing to reinforce those in the middle.
Progressives, Always criticizing those who have barely made it, through hard work, incentive, self reliance, industry, being prepared and through a respect for education and study. Criticizing those who started to recognize success as a growing self process, not as a handout.
Excusing chemical dependencies, instead of preventing further self destruction and fog.
Excusing detrimental social behaviors as a right of passage, instead of providing guidance in the family and during Middle School. Scoffing an any Moral values, that help the young stay safe until they can determine for themselves, their own path to take, and why.
Progressive does not mean, should not mean, go like hell without any direction or guidance because there are no absolute rules.
Many of those programs just created a dependent class that is more than happy to stay right there. And in some cases, is punished when they try to progress.
Likewise we are looking to give aid to those with a criminal background, blackmailing the rest of us because if we do not give them transitional shelter, food, education and secure them a job, they will threaten to revert back to criminal behavior. Proposing the right of a second chance while undermining the earned efforts of those still looking for the first chance, with out the albatross of previous criminal behavior and unpaid restitution to the victims of their ‘mistakes’.
If you want to see real progressive behavior, reward good behavior, and lets see how fast the competition will be to spring into improvement, study and gainful employment.
Real business, instead of monkey business.
And in Wilmington, the elimination of 26 murders, all related to the business of selling drugs on the city streets. When mayor Baker lays off 17 police offers on July 1, be ready for a hot summer, fueled by the opportunity presented by even less officers on the street.
And if you despise the police, then just respond with, who is out there to ‘control’ the streets?
Ramblings for thought. Not for a verbal altercation.
I’m certainly not looking for verbal altercations; in fact my own blog is full of complaints from my antagonists about my not responding, not answering or not answering immediately. I hate that stuff really. But I’d like to say Mr. Ramblings seems to have gone off on a weird tangent of self-reliance and all that goes with it.
How anyone could read that list of progressive accomplishments and turn it into a rant against being soft on addicts and criminals is just weird.
I was intrigued by the comment about the 26 murders, though.
Thanks for the post.
There were progressives in 1776?
How about simply, a government of, by and for the people? With some respect for being either cautious or conservative. And without blanket condemnation for being ‘old school’? Politicians sworn to serve the people, and not themselves? No permanent political class.
How about considering right from wrong, and not just taking political sides?
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Markell and others “being soft on addicts and criminals is just weird.”
… over the last two weeks especially.
More excuses, instead of telling people NOT to start in the first place. Perhaps I confuse progressive with permissive?
Poor drug addicts had to start someplace. Did someone tell them it was ok? That there were no mental or health consequences? That it is only drugs? Only an escape?
Poor criminals, and the hell with their victims?
Wilmington 26 murders, 2008. And on track for the same in 2009. Maybe more, Minus 17 police officers might make a big difference, in the next six months. All murders are in a few certain neighborhoods.
Progressives, Always criticizing those who have barely made it, through hard work, incentive, self reliance, industry, being prepared and through a respect for education and study. Criticizing those who started to recognize success as a growing self process, not as a handout.
You can’t make your argument for victimization by invoking the same victimization. That bit that you wrote above applies to alot of progressives — you can’t make a legitimate argument by just making stuff up.
It wasn’t progressives who tied to blame the blow up of the global economy on mortgages provided to working class people. That bit of the conservative CW is dead bang wrong by every bit of data you can retrieve, but somehow the first thing that conservatives will reach for is the poor people, or drug addicts, or whatever codewords they have for trying to blame folks they don’t much like for the worlds ills.
Drug addicts and criminals can be caught and made to pay for their crimes. It is difficult to see why it is a sin to help them transition back to society in some productive way. But that doesn’t matter much — what you are after here is getting people to validate your own perceived victimization while you accuse others of coddling that in other people. You’ll need a better argument than that.
And those laid off police? No one in the City wants cops or firefighters laid off. But budget cuts are budget cuts and you wonder why they want an exemption from the fiscal austerity that much of the rest of government has to live with.
You can’t make your argument for victimization by invoking the same victimization. That bit that you wrote above applies to alot of progressives — you can’t make a legitimate argument by just making stuff up.
Yes I can.. This is a BLOG!