Undoing the Damage

[LiberalEsto]

One of the most positive steps Democrats could take now (while continuing to fight the B*sh Misadministration's misdeeds tooth and nail) is to make plans for undoing the damage done to America since 2001.

The past five years have seen an astonishing erosion of our Constitutional rights and freedoms as Americans. The Executive Branch has seized unprecedented powers. Tax cuts have been handed to the obscenely wealthy at the expense of the poor. Religious organizations are getting all sorts of government money, a violation of the doctrine separating church and state. Elections have become suspect due to evidence of fraud.

Environmental laws have been erased, federal lands and forests have been given away. Huge government contracts have been given to war profiteers. Drug and oil companies wallow in excess profits at the expense of average Americans. Medicare has been mangled and efforts to dismantle Social security continue.

The new Department of Homeland Security has become a wasteful boondoggle, swallowing government money, while failing to help victims of Hurricane Katrina, and awarding lucrative contracts to B*sh Misadministration cronies.

Media monopolies no longer adhere to the Fairness Doctrine, but serve as Misadministration propaganda organs.

The military gets a vast share of taxpayers' money, but where is the protective armor for our troops and their vehicles? Where is the decent food and water they should expect as a right? What kind of military bills a wounded soldier for hospital food, or for weapons lost in combat?

I could rant on for pages about the many messes that have been created since Bill Clinton left office in January, 2001.

WHAT MUST WE DO TO RESTORE - OR IMPROVE - AMERICA WHEN WE REGAIN POWER?

What are your lists? What are your priorities?

I want to see new protections built in to prevent the Executive Branch from seizing undue power.
I want new measures to ensure fair elections nationwide.
I want federal funds reallocated from billionaire tax cuts and corporate welfare to veterans, the poor, the sick, the elderly, the victims of disasters.
I want new, permanent protections for federal lands.
I want vast amounts of research and development money going into solar, wind and wave power as well as other renewable energy sources, with the goal of making this country independent of foreign oil.
I want media monopolies broken up, the Fairness Doctrine re-instituted, and free public service time required of every station in the US to allow candidates to share their views and debate.
I want to break down most of Homeland Security back into its many constituent agencies and subject it to intense GAO oversight.
I want to stop government money giveaways to religious groups, and strengthen and reaffirm the separation of church and state.
I want a federal living minimum wage.
I want excess profits of oil and pharmaceutical companies investigated, and if possible returned to America's consumers.

This is by no means a complete list. I also want new things, a Marriage Privacy Act that keeps government from intruding in marriages between consenting adults of any gender. I want new diplomatic efforts to improve America's role in the world. I want the US to sign the Kyoto accords.

What are your priorities?

[ladjf]

1. Have you considered running for the Presidency?

[LiberalEsto]

2. Why, thank you!

However, I'm not telegenic, and have no administrative or political skills.

[ladjf]

4. Then, you need to make friends with a movie star type who is

interested in politics. Seriously, your ideas are good. They should become the basic platform of the Democratic Party, starting with the 2006 elections. Every keeps saying, but, what do the Democrats stand for? Fixing the terrible mess made by the Republican administration.

[Quakerfriend]

3. I second that motion! LiberalEsto for prez!!

Tops on my priority list are:

1) Transparent elections with paper ballots and hand counts.
2) TRUE environmental protection!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MadMaddie]

5. These are great priorities LiberalEsto..

<snip>
I want to see new protections built in to prevent the Executive Branch from seizing undue power.
<snip>

I would add to this, the protections would guarantee that there will never, ever be a monopolization of all branches of government by one party. If this is implemented we will never have the disaster we are experiencing now.

I agree with everything you have noted...

[LiberalEsto]

6. Thank you!

Now start your own list - you can use mine or any part of it as a starter - and send it around to your friends. :hi:

I just e-mailed mine to about 15 friends, and also to Howard Dean and John Kerry.

My goal in posting this is to start an extensive intra-party discussion on what the Democrats should be doing and planning.

We've been reacting for too long to all the crap the Misadministration keeps flinging at us. It's time to move out of the way, start our engines, and get the train rolling toward what we want America to become.

[AtomicKitten]

7. or wave a magic wand so that 2001-today never happened

[LiberalEsto]

8. If only!

But we can do even better, as our party leaders keep saying.

I want - at a basic minimum - a country where every single American can earn a living wage, and can expect decent health care, and Social Security upon retirement.

And every child can get a decent education without being tested half to death.

And every veteran can get whatever care they need, physical or mental, using funds reallocated from wasteful war profiteers.

[AtomicKitten]

9. you're hired!

seriously.

[LiberalEsto]

11. We'll call it the Party Wing of the Democratic Party

and we'll party like it's 1993!
Only better!
:party:

[AtomicKitten]

15. you're on

[file83]

10. "I want new measures to ensure fair elections nationwide." - Change

the word "to", to "that guarantee",
the word "ensure" to "scientifically verifiable",
and change the word "fair" to "legitimate"...

So now we have:
"I want new measures that guarantee scientifically verifiable legitimate elections nationwide."

That's my number one pick. Without it, none of the other items on the list are achievable. If the Representatives represent the corrupted powers that be instead of the American commonweatlh, then guess who they work for?

Excellent topic and KICK!

[LiberalEsto]

12. You're absolutely right.

"Guarantee scientifically verifiable elections" it is.

And severe penalties for election fraud.

[file83]

18. Good point. SEVERE penalties for election fraud, like mandatory mins...

of oh, let's say, 20 years in a maximum security federal prison. No loopholes, you defraud elections, you do the 20 years.

[Senator]

13. First UNDO ... then decide about "doing"

And UNDO means THE LOT.

Remove appointees, reverse legislation, override exec. orders, repeal tax-cuts (yes, retroactive).

None was done with legitimacy, none can remain. And ALL those complicit must face accusation and punishment.

Otherwise we go forward in dishonesty. We do not redeem our national soul.

We need to stop dreaming about the "Good New Days" and do the hard work.

If we "forgive and forget" or "move on" we no longer differ from them by type, only by degree.

There is no other moral, patriotic option.

---

[LiberalEsto]

14. And impeach certain justices on the Supreme Court

In my mind, B*sh won neither the 2000 not the 2004 elections, and is not a legitimate president.

Therefore, none of his appointees, including those to the US Supreme Court, are legitimate.

[Senator]

17. Exactly right --- And Rhenquist too...

...even posthumously, for posterity.

Now, the remaining Felonious Four must be prosecuted criminally for election fraud.

As the NYTimes reported (not opined) there was "a conclusion in search of a rationale."

That's Anti-Law that demands punishment.

--
www.january6th.org

[EXDIA53]

16. 9 out of 10!

The only point that I would take issue with is DHS. It's true that was hastily conceived and is mostly badly run, but we need the institution itself. Let's clean it up, lean it down and make it more accountable fiscally.

[Auntie Bush]

19. What did you do...read my mind?

[LiberalEsto]

20. Kick for the evening crowd!

:kick:

Let's hear your input on undoing the damage

[Emit]

21. Thanks -- this is great! Concise and hits all the major points

Especially with some of the suggested changes and additions.

Can I borrow your list to take with me to my local Dem party caucus meeting tomorrow? (I'll reference the DU link and your name.) It's a local Dem thing, so I don't know if this kind of info is what they're wanting from us as far as making suggestions to the local platform. But I'd like to share it, if not at the actual meeting ('cause I don't exactly know what I'm walking into at this meeting), but with others there in the crowd.

[LiberalEsto]

23. Of course!

I want Democrats to start thinking about what tasks lie ahead.

[area51]

22. healthcare

Don't forget universal healthcare. It's a win-win solution for workers & businesses.

[LiberalEsto]

24. Absolutely!

I put that in Post #8, but thanks for stating it more clearly.