If we’re serious 033125

About changing the system and winning elections

“Democrats should establish the Department of Presidential Excesses—DOPE—as a mirror to DOGE, chronicling all the stupid ways the current administration has wasted our money: golf trips, Guantánamo, tariffs, etc, etc. Updated daily, it would be an entertaining and informative way to keep people informed of the waste, fraud, and abuse perpetrated by the Mump Regime.” (from The Contrarian chat, Mar. 16, 2025 original author unknown)

Getting the Democratic national infrastructure moving forward at something other than its current less than glacial pace and divorcing the party from the control of consultants and pundits who have cost us two winnable Presidential elections in the last 10 years is important, probably essential, but it isn’t enough. We must also have some principles to guide not just national elections, but every time we have a chance to go up for a vote that affirms the direction we’re taking. A plurality of eligible voters hasn’t come out in any election since at least the turn of the century and the long-term direction of our civil and political society will be determined by which set of governing ideals gets their support.

Along with the basics like life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness which are too often taken for granted, we must make clear our commitment to equality under the law for everyone, no exceptions. The economic distortion that results from our current system of taxation and exemption must end and, moving forward, everyone should be taxed appropriately to their ability to pay based on the Cost of Thriving index with people under the lower limit having no income tax liability and those over the limit paying more as their income increased. There should be no exemptions or exclusions, since the basis for those has been covered by the CoT floor. Healthcare, as a basic human need, should be treated as a right and covered universally. Education including technical, trade, and professional, should be available to all and payment deferred until the graduate is employed and able to repay the cost based on actual instead of presumptive income. Much of this can be accomplished using existing systems and programs, some of which may, if they are true duplicates, be eliminated as redundant.

The criminal “justice” system including the courts must necessarily by reformed, maybe completely rebuilt, with term limits for all judges, elimination of criminal penalties for victimless crimes and effective enforcement of the speedy trial called for under the Constitution. The devil, of course, is in the details of how this is accomplished, but without a starting point, we’ll find ourselves wandering the same circular path to nowhere or meandering down the fascist road to serfdom that the current administration seems bent on following.