What Does It Mean
A look back at 2017
Remember 2017. Donald Trump’s first year and the Republicans had 2 agenda items. The first was a huge tax cut which long term gave massive tax breaks to the wealthy. Here in the near future the tax breaks for the middle class go away.
The second item was health care and the replacement for Obamacare.
Obamacare Healthcare Debate…
In 2016 Donald Trump promised to replace Obamacare with a great new plan. After the election republicans controlled both chambers of Congress and after quickly passing the tax cut package they set to work on health care.
Funny thing happened. The problem was to replace Obamacare with something better. They couldn’t do it. Turned out Obamacare was pretty good. It actually is still available in many states including Mitch McConnell’s home state of Kentucky.
Now let’s look at 2021.
The Democrats by narrow margins control both houses of Congress and the White House. They quickly passed a COVID relief bill. The next bill is a massive infrastructure along with a reconciliation bill which encompasses most of Joe Biden’s agenda. The infrastructure bill has bipartisan support, but is being held hostage by progressive Democrats wanting to pass the reconciliation bill before passing the infrastructure bill.
There is a major difference in this situation then in 2017.
The Democrats are not trying to undo old legislation.
That makes compromise easier. It will take time, but I expect the Democrats to be successful. I can’t imagine a situation where Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema don’t give on the reconciliation bill. Do I think the final bill will be $3.5 trillion. The progressives will have to give up something. I would suggest time to reduce the costs.
There are a lot of reasons for this.
These programs will be popular. In the future if the Republicans gain control, it will put them in the position of ending a popular program. Long term that will not be a good policy.
Taxes.
The other issue which is in the reconciliation bill is a wealth tax. It is long overdue. No employer or investor should be making 100 times what the minimum wage employee is making and paying taxes at a rate similar to the low wage earning employee. While this disparity is hard to correct, a wealth tax will begin to correct this problem.
It should be noted that both the last two Republican administrations did little to reduce the deficit spending and did not feel balancing the budget was important. The last 3 Democratic administrations have all attempted to balance the budget.
Definition of Liberal
So while the Republicans talk a good game, they are all bluster and lack substance. The Republicans for decades have practice a politics which attempts to paint their opponents in uncomplimentary terms. Have Democrats slung the mud, no question. But the Republicans have created a vocabulary which has stuck.
Liberal
The definition of liberal is as found with a Google search is
adjective
- willing to respect or accept behavior or opinions different from one’s own; open to new ideas
- relating to or denoting a political and social philosophy that promotes individual rights, civil liberties, democracy, and free enterprise
noun
- a supporter of policies that are socially progressive and promote social welfare.
- a supporter of a political and social philosophy that promotes individual rights, civil liberties, democracy, and free enterprise.
Conservative
The definition of conservative is as found with a Google search is:
adjective
- averese to change or innovation and holding traditional values
- (in a political context) favoring free enterprise, private ownership, and socially traditional ideas
noun
- a person who is averse to change and holds traditional values
- a person favoring free enterprise, private ownership, and socially traditional ideas.
So Liberal or Conservative.
I chose to be a liberal. My belief is that as a nation we will never progress by making the same mistakes we did in the past. New ideas while not always better begin the framework for the future. An example is Obamacare. It took Congress over 50 years to develop a health care system. While it was not perfect, it did work for many.
The Republicans wish to throw out Obamacare and begin another 50 year struggle for health care reform. The Democrats wish to correct the mistakes made in Obamacare.
Capitalism or Socialism.
Should as a society we support a totally free enterprise system or should there be governmental controls and support systems? In this I support a mixture. There are many good governmental systems. Until Louis DeJoy, the postal system was an example of a mostly well run service.
I like being able to put a letter in a mailbox and have it arrive at a destination in a timely fashion. Did some get lost or misdirected. Yes, but for the most part the mail got there on time.
Another example is public education, which provides the masses the opportunity to improve their future. Do some students get left behind or not take advantage of the opportunity. Yes, but an education system which stresses learning to open minds to possibilities is essential to a democracy.
Our future citizens need to see the difference between fact and fiction.
The final example I’d like to point to is the Texas power situation which cost lives. A state wide power grid, run using capitalistic principles led to a failure which cost lives. Capitalism is all about profit. That includes delaying maintenance to save costs and using cheaper materials. It also led to price gouging based on a limited supply.
Might not a power grid using a more socialistic approach provide for a more dependable source of power?
So Liberal and Socialism
The republicans have been able to define liberal and socialism in a negative light. For me I want a democracy. There are situations where capitalism works. There are others, if “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.”
This quote is the beginning of the preamble of the Constitution. It is the perfect mission statement for our democracy. In interpreting the constitution all the articles and amendments should be viewed in the light of the preamble. Every type of legislation should reflect the mission statement.
The very preamble states we formed this government to promote the common good. As a country we have basic needs to provide a life and opportunity. We have tried capitalism, and in many cases this has failed us. It is time to return to our roots and embrace socialism for these basic needs.
So Democrats
Get to work for the American People. What is right for us is that both the reconciliation bill and the infrastructure bill gets passed.
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