You're Welcome
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
Posted on 08/10/2005 3:45:10 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
The time has come to rise above partisan politics. As Americans, as citizens of planet Earth, we face problems that must be solved now and cannot be solved by one political party.
We need to transform our economy away from carbon-based fuels; take care of global warming; stop pumping toxins into our environment; halt nuclear proliferation: fix our health care system; institute real election reform; and eliminate our budget deficit.
These goals can only be achieved through the formation of a national coalition for political reconciliation. I'm not talking about something like the coalition of moderate Republicans and conservative Democrats that came together to break the deadlock over judicial nominees.
I'm not talking about a rush to the center.
Democrats need to unite with progressives to the left of the Democratic Party and they need to unite with moderate Republicans to attempt to isolate and neutralize the far-right, ultraconservative Republicans who dominate today's political landscape.
Democrats would have to take the lead. They would need to reach out to the left and the right. The idea, as I see it, is that by building this coalition, a quasi-parliamentary government could be created. In the absence of a true multiparty system, this coalition would need to behave as if such a system actually exists in America.
A Democratic president would need to build a wider, more inclusive government, with some Cabinet posts held by progressives and some by Republicans. Perhaps to make this work, a Democrat might have to include a Republican on the presidential ticket. I don't know which Republican might be the right choice to run on the same ticket with a Democrat, but I have to figure there is somebody appropriate out there - and I'm not talking about John McCain.
Ralph Nader, the Green Party, even the Wobblies, must be invited to the table rather than be treated like the enemy.
Understandably, the reconciliation coalition would face many challenges.
First and foremost, this coalition must possess one very simple guiding principle: participants must not be forced to give up any of their core values. For instance, restricting a woman's right to choose is not open for discussion or negotiation.
Second, Democrats must be able to sell the idea to moderate Republicans and convince them of the dangers of continuing alliances with the far right, despite the intoxicating aspect of the power such alliances bring.
Third, and maybe most important, Democrats need to rethink the way they view progressives. Progressives who usually vote Democrat are not necessarily Democrats. All too often, Democrats take progressives for granted, counting on their votes only to advance anti-progressive agendas once seated in office.
This hostility toward the left must stop. In response to the failure of John Kerry's candidacy, New Republic ran a column urging Democrats to distance themselves from leftists who actually worked very hard to get Kerry elected. This urge to purge must be curbed.
The Democratic Party should do more to encourage the kind of groundswell participation that we saw last fall. This is imperative if Democrats ever want to win back the White House, let alone solve problems that threaten our very existence.
Earlier this year, we saw Dane County Democrats take on Progressive Dane and it was not pretty. The level of rancor was appalling and unnecessary. In the aftermath of the City Council election, which saw Progressive Dane lose one seat, Democrats seemed a bit too pleased with the result.
The stakes are too high for this kind of sectarianism. I would go so far to say that we, as a species, are at a crossroads. Essentially, and this is the science fiction writer in me speaking, we are at a stage where we will determine whether we truly deserve to survive. We can continue as we have, slowly circling the drain as we extinguish ourselves, or we can choose to advance and evolve.
It's up to us to decide. Be it survival or extinction, it's our choice and no one else's. I hope wisdom will prevail and save the day before it is too late.
The only things you find in the center of the road are dead animals and yellow stripes!
So the point of this article is: The Left is losing to the Right, so let's go more to the Left.
Sounds like this guy has a future at the DNC.
In other words, they have to lie their asses off.
Are they talking about freepers here?
Are we the "far-right, ultraconservative Republicans who dominate today's political landscape"? I hope so.
Is this testing the waters for "Hildabeast/Mcstain 2008"?
You're Welcome
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
The rest of the article is about nothing but partisan politics. The notion that there is a body of "moderate" Republicans out there whose core values are congruent with those of Nader progressives is delusional. I do read a number of clueless liberals who insist that the Republican party, nay, the entire country, is controlled by a sinister cabal of right-wing religious fanatics. This is one of those comfortable fables that ensures that its holders will forever remain in a befuddled minority status. I've stopped even trying to talk them out of it, it's like telling a little kid that there's no Santa Claus.
I've got a better headline. "Nations biggest problems trancend fallen man's ability to solve them. Only hope is for the Bride of Christ (the second Eve) to clean up the mess made by the first Eve."
So what's the point of the alliance that you're suggesting, if not to regain power? Are you asking moderate Republicans to give up the sure power that they already have for the chance to join the Left in a risky power-sharing scheme?
-PJ
"...transform our economy away from carbon-based fuels; take care of global warming; stop pumping toxins into our environment; halt nuclear proliferation: fix our health care system; institute real election reform; and eliminate our budget deficit..."
Sure sounds like a DEMOCRAT Political Platform to me. Nice try but NO SOUP FOR YOU.
AND have rainbows and cinnamon buns come out of everyones ass when they fart.
It is time to rise above partisan politics by doing all the things MY party wants!
When one starts to read this piece, in it's entirety, it APPEARS TO initially get off on a 'middleground' approach to solving some of our problems.
Please note I said "APPEARS TO". That is until one gets to this little paragraph where the writer's disengenuity is revealed as in one fell swoop he encourages a concilliatory cooperation from all political segments...EXCEPT FOR the "far right, ultraconservative Republicans" ilk. Conservatives revolt! You were not even included. How unthoughtful of the writer.
"Democrats need to unite with progressives to the left of the Democratic Party and they need to unite with moderate Republicans to attempt to isolate and neutralize the far-right, ultraconservative Republicans who dominate today's political landscape."
It goes without saying that here he has revealed himself as one innoculated with an agenda. These lefties always drop in one of their codewords, unbeknownced to them, as it becomes habit. This tine the notable one is "progressive". Progressive in demon-RAT speak means he who is a true believer in the left-wing agenda for this Nation. The word itself, outside of political parlance, has a meaning that is indicative of ONE WHO FAVORS PROGRESS. The lefties; however, have bastardized the meaning to give it a slight alteration, in their own subtle style, as ONE WHO FAVORS THEIR AGENDA AND CALLS IT PROGRESS! This, dear hearts, is a hill of a different bean. A metaphorical analogy close to the compost heap of liberal politics seemed quite apropos and accurate.
Without saying so he cast that bunch of right-wingers(which many of we FREEpers fall into,..for shame!) as the 'lepers' among us who would contaminate everything and everyone in our spheres of influence.
Since that article was on an Internet site I shall copy this comment, in it's entirety, and send the author an open challenge to come here and defend the position he has staked out in that unaltered excerpt I included above.
Hopefully, he shall pick up the mantle of challenge as I will take "Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy" glee in hoisting him by his own petard.
One thing that should be pointed out - the world is NOT going to abandon carbon-based fuels anytime soon. Even the darling miracle fuels of the Greenies, biodiesel and ethanol, are at their foundation carbon-based, and are at best only higher-priced alternatives to petroleum.
One NON-carbon-based fuel is nuclear power, but to mention the application of this technology as an alternative power source to a Greenie, is to send them screaming into the night. Therefore, back to carbon-based fuels.
More public mental masturbation from Fred Schepartz.
I'm just feelin' the love. Don't you?
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