My idea of progressive politics is based more on collectivism, not socialism or pure capitalism. Collective capitalism only works with a large and stable (and growing?) middle class. (I guess that’s why I welcome the message of many of today’s politicians who call themselves Socialist-Democrats, especially the ones fighting on behalf of the working middle class, our dwindling unions, and those among us [the working poor] truly struggling to find their way in a society divided between the haves and have nots.)
Today, our economy is being stifled by those who still believe trickle-down economics benefits us all. It has been suggested time and time again that it does not!
As a Democrat, I want a society with a government that is “of the people, by the people, for the people,” as Lincoln* so eloquently proclaimed at Gettysburg.
* Massachusetts Abolitionist Theodore Parker is credited with using a version of the famous phrase before Lincoln. In an 1850 speech, he referred to “a government of all the people, by all the people, for all the people.” William H. Herndon, Lincoln’s law partner, believed he gave Lincoln a copy of a Parker discourse from 1858 that contained the phrase, which Lincoln then adapted for his speech.
Lincoln’s remarks were in response to what? Oh, that’s right, a battle that happened in a war that was fought to end slavery, one of the founding, central flaws of our nation. I know, “states’ rights,” blah blah blah… That argument about the Civil War, I honestly believe, is made to provide cover for the prejudice, bigotry, and racism that provoked the war, and continues to divide much of our nation to this day. (Tell me it doesn’t feel like we’ve taken a step backwards? “A big step backwards, ‘YUGE even, to many people, some would say,” ya know?)
Government has always put a thumb on the scales of (perceived) justice for all. But to think our history is pristine or flawless is utterly ridiculous. Even the founding fathers seemed to admit to those flaws (allowing for Amendments, albeit in a very clunky way. Without a doubt, however, they envisioned a constitutional society, one built on written laws and commonality, not on whims or profit.
Our government has always put a needed thumb on the scales of doing what legislators agree are the best things to move our society forward. (Their role is to debate and agree on legislation, not just to capitulate to majority popular opinion, correct?)
Let me give an example.
I believe the auto industry bailout (which was part of the larger financial bailout by a somewhat bipartisan government) was in all of our interests, because of that industry’s especially “long tail.” That long tail includes all of the related – AND unrelated – businesses that are enabled because of Americans’ demand for cars (and our car-centric society writ large).
OEM companies (parts manufacturers and component suppliers, etc.), of course, need the car industry to be as robust as possible for them to remain viable, competitive, and successful. But so do all of the [affectionately called] “mom & pop” stores that serve the people working in those more directly related businesses. (These would be the doctors, dentists, consultants, therapists, restaurants, grocers, pharmacies, gas stations, theaters, hair salons, spas, clothiers, and general stores that populate and service the communities where the larger employers are situated).
That’s what society is. That’s where community is. That is where commonality lives and breathes and builds the world many of us want to live in.
That is what I mean by collectivism.
I know I can’t control where my taxes go; I can’t do a line-item veto. But I would strongly prefer that my tax dollars be spent on the things that maintain and move our collective community forward. Our whole community. We, the people.
The grifters abusing welfare (or any government program), and doing the MOST damage to our system, time and again prove NOT to be the so-called lazy Cadillac-driving welfare queens of Reagan’s era – although there are people who do take advantage of the system. (Those folks exist, but the stereotype was completely, statistically disproven.) I’m not denying there are low-life scammers around us at all. I just don’t believe our system’s worst offenders are those who are repeatedly being “othered.” Real groups, which have been systematically and stereotypically portrayed by a certain other group (that is simultaneously enriching itself by sowing hate and division).**
The worst abuses (and most costly drain on government resources) come from businesses (insurance fraud, market manipulation) and larger-scale schemers and scammers (typically, wealthy loophole exploiters who threaten litigation at the drop of a phrase. Hmm, what White House occupant could that include? When he was challenged in his debate with Hillary Clinton in 2016 about not paying income taxes, he famously replied, “That makes me smart.“).
Those are the ones abusing our large, chaotic, messy, and overly bureaucratic government systems.
Those are the true WFA (“Waste Fraud Abuse”) villains.
Corporate welfare abuse and evasive tax abuse by corporations and the wealthy are much more deleterious than the few folks who live on our government’s largesse (and who are typically powerless, and all-too-often stereotyped “others” who provoke outrage for taking advantage of government programs intended to protect people from abject poverty and despair).
I know what I want my taxes spent on. It starts with improving our communities and preserving (expanding?) our societal safety nets. Especially, things like Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security, but also pollution regulation, public health, community [economic and housing] development, and financial oversight. Those programs are costly, but they represent a fraction of what our government spends on defense programs (and interest on the debt the defense spending incurs).
I don’t want my taxes spent on more military might and war preparation
I don’t want it spent on fear-mongering. Nor for those promoting divisiveness over petty cultural “issues” that impact people who are simply trying to live their own lives their own way.
Not on masked soldiers, agents, and wannabe militants grabbing people off the street because of the way they look, or because their lot in life has led them to vagrancy, or for any other hateful reason.
And definitely not on “solutions” that favor (require?) authoritarian control.
But what do I know?
I own that I got a “D+” in Philosophy 101 at Penn State back in 1978. The teacher (whose name is long forgotten) apparently didn’t view my thoughts as being very philosophical, especially since I insisted on answering test essay questions by writing about my thoughts on the principles of world affairs, instead of memorizing and repeating the ideas of the “Great Thinkers” he was teaching us about. (I guess we had a philosophical difference on what the class should’ve been about. Boy, did I lose that one — as my scattered thoughts on this website show all too well, I’m afraid.)
I encourage you: Do not fall for the charade. Don’t stand silently as the truly corrupt and wealthy enrich themselves even more at our expense.
(Thought for another post: Warren Buffett once said, “We are living in a time of class warfare, and my class is winning!” I think he said it at least 25 years ago. The oracle of Omaha, right?)
Thanks for reading (if you made it this far).
** – Note about the image accompanying this post: The illustration by Steve Brodner is from a 2013 article in The Atlantic titled “The Return of the Welfare Queen” … I originally asked Gemini to generate an image of a woman throwing money from an ’80s convertible Cadillac Eldorado. I was far from pleased with the multiple failed attempts to produce the image that was pictured in my head to accompany this post. I gave up trying to correct my AI image generator (for now) and settled for The Atlantic’s illustration. It is reproduced here without first requesting permission.