On national security?
The safer the people of the world feel, the safer we are. I would emphasize investment in sustainable development, sustainable health care and poverty amelioration throughout the under-served world. I would take as my models Cuban Health Care, the Gramin Bank, the Zapatista experiments in Democracy, etc. We could get the funding by shrinking the military and heavily taxing the profane profits that the corporations and the rich are taking out from their economic exploitation of the earth.
http://www.bankersindia.net/bankexpo/bankexpo.htm?banks/smgb/display.htmhttp://www.eco.utexas.edu/faculty/Cleaver/zapsincyber.htmlhttp://www.radio4all.org/aia/dec_directdemocracy.htmlMilitary spending?
AN EXTREME WASTE!!! We don't need a fuckin' giant military. A small force for contingencies would be all that's necessary. The remaining $500B + could be used for number one above.
Middle east affairs?
Demand that Israel negotiate in good faith with the Palestinians or they don't get the $3 Billion a year from us that props up their theocratic dictatorship. The REAL problem in the Middle East is the U.S. propping up the Israeli govt. as a proxy military force in the region for the purpose of attempting to control the supply of mid-east oil. Demanding an equitable solution to two peoples with a claim to the territory with dignity and safety for both peoples would ELIMINATE the main impediment to peace in the region. The other main solution would be to start eliminating our dependence on oil.
Globalization?
See number one above. Globalized trade is inevitable...BUT...trade without worker and environmental protections is DEATH for the entire world economy. Tax the SHIT out of the bastards who are making exorbitant profits from their rape and pillage of the earth to use for number 1 above.
Gun ownership?
Hand guns OUTLAWED. Long guns for hunting, property defense (in rural areas) and a well regulated militia registered and heavily regulated.
Women's rights?
All people have certain inalienable rights. Women, along with "minority" races and creeds have traditionally been denied their basic rights in this country by the ruling class. This cannot be allowed to continue.
In addition, The basic woman's right of what happens to and within their own bodies is territory that the government has NO right to legislate about.
Fairness to gays?
See previous. All people have rights. The government has no business determining who you love or how you do it. Nor does the government have the right to discriminate in favor of heterosexual unions whatever they're called and against other family formations. Currently they do.
The role of religion in society v government?
In government -- NONE!
In society, let the marketplace decide without ANY government promotion of or interference with any persons' religious ideas. The government should also remain completely neutral about religion or NON-religion. Any hint or suggestion of favoritism of one religious theory over another is FORBIDDEN in all cases.
In addition, it's very easy for them to discriminate against those of us who DON'T believe in any "god". Fuck that! We'll be a real democracy when a black, female, lesbian atheist can be elected president.
Neocons?
A symptom of the disease. The disease is that government is Big Brother and has the right to tell you how to believe, which children you MUST have and how you should be allowed to love. Fuck 'em.
A women’s right to chose?
See womans' rights above.
The environment?
Should be protected against the inevitable, immoral drives of the capitalists.
How do we respond the ideas of a group like the PNAC?
They are fascist and wrong. They are counter-productive and make us less safe. If one lived in a neighborhood and one well-armed neighbor kept on coming into other people's houses and taking things at the point of the gun, we'd have him arrested. That's the basic message of this slime...We can take anything we want 'cause we can and "must". That's sociopath thinking.
How many think tanks do we have?
Quite a few and growing. Just a couple: Center for American Progress and the Rockridge Institute. Lies need a lot of justification and hot air to sustain them, the truth just doesn't need that much help.
Who is our pre-eminent voice today, Dr. Dean?
As far as slightly left-of-center capitalists go, we could do worse at the moment.
Are there neo-liberals and paleo-liberals?
No???
Kucinich, Miller (George) - neo-liberals. Landreau, Lieberman - paleo-liberals? Aw, stupid question (no offense). Labels are bullshit -- it's what you do not what you say that counts.
Where do we stand on unions?
Workers Union COULD be the only way to counter the power of the tiny percentage of the population that controls (currently) what's happening in the work place. Most unions are structured the same way that the corporations are and therefore their "leaders" find more common ground with the bosses than with the workers. A grass roots one big union approach will be the only true deterrent to the ruling class in the future if we can get one to reach critical mass. Again see the thinking of the Zapatistas -- withholding obedience to the "established order". Think about it.
-Are they weakened, if so why?
They became the same kind of bullshit hierarchies that the corporations are. The leaders who weren't killed were co-opted and bought out by the bosses and then sold out the workers for a few bucks for a little while.
There you go...some stray thoughts on the subjects.
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