it really IS time to start taking politics and our government back . . .

[OneBlueSky]

from politicians and their corporate cronies . . . it's time for the people to tell them what WE demand, rather than continuing to have them telling us what THEY want . . .

this is just the germ of an idea that I really haven't thought out yet, but here's the parameters . . .

I'm convinced that most people (except for the crazies) WANT the truth, and I'm envisioning a five-part initiative that would give it to them (along with corroborating evidence as necessary) in the form of a statement of "democratic principles" (small "d") that should govern our nation in these troubled times . . . the five parts are:

1. a statement of "13 democratic principles" . . . (note the small "d")

2. collective endorsement of the principles by respected national leaders with impeccable reputations for integrity (Moyers, RFK Jr., Carter, etc.)

3. collective endorsement of the principles by the thousands of progressive organizations and blogs (all of whom would have to temporarily set aside their own particular agendas to help save the nation)

4. a petition drive by those organizations to get millions (if not tens of millions) of American citizens to similarly endorse the principles

5. commitments from those millions that they (we) will ONLY support candidates who have endorsed the principles

the first step, of course, would be creating the statement . . . (I chose the number 13, btw, because it's a nice number for something like this -- small enough comprehend, yet large enough to encompass the crucial issues that must be addressed) . . . the purpose of the document would be to articulate brief truths about these crucial issures, along with statements of principles regarding how we, as a nation, must address them (it would not generally include specific program proposals . . . those would come later) . . .

at minimum, the principles should address (in my humble opinion, and really just off the top of my head):

1. foreign policy -- a statement of how the US will conduct foreign policy that specifially prohibits wars of aggession, torture, and the theft of the resources of other nations -- and that specifically endorses diplomacy over warfare as the preferred means for settling international disputes

2. environmental policy -- a statement that elevates protection of the environment to the highest of priorities

3. energy policy -- a statement that acknowledges peak oil, and a commitment to create a new domestic industry devoted to harnessing new energy sources and to conserving energy use

4. US elections -- a commitment to transparency and auditability in all US elections, and control of the voting and tabulating processes by the people and their representatives, not by private corporations

5. the economy -- endorsement of removing incentives for companies to offshore, the creation new jobs in new industries (e.g. energy, the environment), ending corporate personhood, and the return of progressive taxation

6. the Federal budget -- a commitment to balancing the budget by reducing "defense" spending and other waste and revoking the tax cuts for millionaires

7. health care policy -- an endorsement of a national single payer system, and controls on the prices, profits, and marketing of pharmaceuticals

8. food policy -- a commitment to healthy food, to preserving arable land, to encouraging small ("family") farming -- and opposition to genetically modified foods and to factory farming

9. reopening 9/11 -- endorsement of a new, nonpolitical investigation of what happened on 9/11 that will examine ALL of the evidence

10. domestic security - a commitment intelligent domestic security, and to replacing the Patriot Act with domestic security legislation that protects civil rights and civil liberties and Constitutional protections

11. New Orleans and the Gulf Coast - a commitment to rebuilding and to the "right of return" for all residents

12. separation of church and state - an ecumenical statement of acceptance of all religious beliefs or lack thereof, and a commitment to keeping religion out of politics and government -- including public schools

13. commitment to the rule of law -- to the Constitution, to US laws, to treaties the US has signed, and to international law

again, this is just a germ of an idea . . . the list of principles and the order are just off the top of my head; I'm sure it can be improved upon . . . how many principles there are is not important (within reason) . . . what's important is that they encompass the most crucial issues facing us today, and that they NOT include peripheral issues like abortion or gay marriage, important as they are . . . first we have to save the nation -- and the planet . . .

again, the idea is a statement of democratic (small "d") principles that we, the people, want . . . not what the politicians want . . . if we could come up with something that makes sense to most Americans, and explain to them WHY it makes sense (via attached lists of source materials, both print and electronic -- including citations from conservative sources as appropriate), we might actually be able to start retaking control of OUR government . . . at least that's the idea . . .

[Sapphocrat]

1. "separation of church and state"...

...an ecumenical statement of acceptance of all religious beliefs or lack thereof, and a commitment to keeping religion out of politics and government -- including public schools

And marriage.

[leftstreet]

2. You probably need to address illegal immigration in some form

Non-political, tv watching types tend to think this is a big issue. It'll be an election wedgie for sure.

[tocqueville]

3. separation of church and state

the churches don't have to accept anything. Religious marriage can't have any legal value.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laicity

it won't work, because the American people isn't ready for it. The difference with Europe is that most Europeans don't believe that the Bible is anyhing else than a a neat mythology. In 100 years maybe.

[omega minimo]

4. !!

:kick: