I suppose it's human nature to want to belong, to identify with a group of like-minded individuals, but I fear we will never reach a national consensus as long we insist on defining our political activism in ideological terms. While the existence of extremists on either end of the political spectrum cannot be denied, the majority of the electorate cannot be easily or usefully classified. Though most of us tend to self identify as being of a particular political bent, if we assess our values and priorities dispassionately, we find we don't belong in any one category.
Labels divide us into camps, bickering with each other, at a time when we need to form a united front to battle the true threat to our system of government -- professional politicians who work only for the special interests that fund their campaigns. Labels encourage us to argue over short term disagreements instead of working for the long term common good. Labels close the door to debate rather than build bridges to compromise.
It's time for us to stop worrying about who's in "our" tent and start approaching solutions under the umbrella of our common need as fellow Americans. Which is ending our current rule under the whims of secret executive fiat by insisting our government operate in transparency and is held accountable to the people, thus restoring our age old system of checks and balances to its former vital function in our governance. Without that, nothing else we do will matter.
Libby Spencer is a political blogger for The Detroit News who also publishes The Impolitic, a political blog with a pragmatic view and Last One Speaks, a blog devoted to drug policy reform and tales of her misadventures.
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Libby Spencer offers a good deal of good sense to the Unity movement. She says, in part:
"...the true threat to our system of government [is]... politicians who work only for the special interests that fund their campaigns.
"...our government ...[should be] held accountable to the people, to restore our system of checks and balances to its former vital function in our governance. ..."
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Libby is so right -- and her point is the same as Unity's mission: To overcome the power of campaign financing to take the place of "federal policy and law -- that should be created in the national and public interest by lawmakers who have not been bought and paid for by the greedy and the ignorant".
You may make up your own mind on her total message: is it (1) for or against the war? (2) for or against Republican tax cuts? (3) for or against risks to the environment that can only be removed by heavy public and private investment?
The Unity movement is still no match for Moveon.org -- measured by its size or money power. Moveon is not government -- it is not even the Democratic party. It is something like Unity -- or, better stated, we are something like it. We must ask WHAT are our differences (in goals, tasks, and milestones) -- and WHY can we not bridge them?
On the war: Surely we must win and the terrorists must lose (if you want liberty and justice for all).
If this means ending unemployment, poverty, and abuse of ordinary people by mindless systems -- and thereafter building democracy founded on the Golden Rule, then we must invent the ways to do this.
The fact that Marxist Leninist communism failed to achieve utopian goals does not mean that the Golden Rule is wrong!
On Republican tax cuts: They may appear to favor only the rich: but, you should know there is a bonafide Keynesian school (in economic theory -- Abba Lerner's functional finance) that favors all tax cuts that do not precipitate ruinous inflation.
All tax cuts are good IF they end up raising BOTH "investment" and "consumption" of the material products required to end poverty, ignorance and war.
If, in addition to these products, there are additional rewards that Warren Buffet shuns and Donald Trump adores we should defer any decision today that such products ought to be prohibited. The income to buy such products is never significant. It is their production in place of homes, schools, clinics, and other necessities, that must be prevented: Invent a system that produces necessities in peace that way it does in war, and incomes will take care of themnselves.
Incomes (untaxed) will be used for investments not luxuries when the system is working as it should.
When necessary, the law must insist that luxuries carry taxes many times greater than their cost.
On risking the environment: This is never justified in modern times: Every protection we give the environment can be designed ahead of time to raise wages, profits and living standards for the same people who need clean air, water and land.
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John Gelles
Unity-now wiki
My Website
mailto:john.gelles@gmail.com
Human rights and how to pay for them are key to a livable world.
THERE IS A PLACE IN THE CENTER
We hear it said often from our so-called “political experts”, and our politicians in Washington, that there is no room for the center, the mainstream, in politics today. I strongly disagree. The political center actually, is a place of common sense, and that may be the reason why, we average working Americans do not see that in Washington. Unfortunately, for us, the majority of our leaders from both political parties have no common sense. Without basic political common sense, you end up on the extreme side of every issue before the nation, and that is what we have today.
I believe the American people are ready for common sense in their leaders. We have waited much too long for this to happen, perhaps this year, 2024, will be the beginning of that movement. Americans are not comfortable with the old 1960’s style liberalism, nor do they like the sometimes extreme and mean spirited conservatism, that we see too often by those on the other end.
When we think of common sense on the issues of our day, we put before the nation a living wage, for all our people, a real energy plan that once and for all will free us from Arab oil, a fiscal policy in Washington that never spends more then it takes from the people. We believe in a tax system that reduces the tax burden on middle/working class people, the majority of the tax paying public, not the wealthiest in our society. The common sense of the center puts more emphasis on America and Americans first, in all that we do, especially on trade issues, that we have fair trade, not just free trade.
The center advocates a foreign policy that knows who are real enemies are in the world, and knows too, who are real Allies and friends are. In this common sense political world we realize that America has the strongest military in the world, and that it must be used wisely, and that placing combat boots on the ground should only be used as a last resort. It also means that we, as Americans cannot, and should not, be the policeman of the world, but rather the guardian of our own land, our borders, our ports, and our coastlines, especially in a time of war.
The political center is where our government creates opportunities for all Americans, but asks for personal responsibility from all its citizens as well. It’s where our government leaves us alone, let’s us be free to choose what we want to do with our own bodies and health, and lets us decide for our own personal safety and security, and doesn’t infringe on our constitutional rights. It’s a place where we advocate the peace through our strength, and we have a military second to none in the world, and where national pride and patriotism, shines in the heart of every American. Those who say there is no center today, in American politics are dead wrong. It’s out there, it’s in the hearts and minds of every American, who loves America like I do. Our leaders and our experts just have not realized this.
Kirk Polizzi
907 N. Santa Fe Ave.
Chillicothe, IL 61523
Home: (309) 274-3540
Work: (815) 925-2341
KDP
2-18-06
Well, you aer guys are right, we have got to work together as a team, stop this party seprating our people.
So many Americans are making good money,and able to et what they desire,but many aren't.
Now with waht our leadership have done to Americans in last three years, si a shame that even God, is mad at.
Especially America, are mad, and that's why we are haivng such , in fighting,and some even turning to killing our own people. Putting more and more peopel into prisons instead making a better life for there families,
Oh, yea, if we would stop the drugs and booze so much, we could help build America back to what it once was,by using the Orginal Constitiutions rules,
Do away with IRS.
It's so heart breaking that we send our young peopel to die for our Constitution but yet we here are not willing to stand up for it,we let the Leadership tell us ,that we need this and that, and knowing it is taking more nad more from your pockets,that more and more people will lost what they got.
Now i hear today, that Mass. State, has went into having doctors for there young kids, asking questions about there moms and dads life style and having them arrested by law.
That is nazi folks, and i thought Mitt Rodney, had done a great thing in that State, when we got the rules changed for for health care for peopel of that state,
People , we have WAKE UP,AND THE ONLY WAY YOU GOING TO TAKE AMERICA BACK, IS TO WORK TOGETHER, USING THIS TOOL i'M WIRTTING ON NOW.CALLED COMPUTER.
IF YOU ARE MAKING MONEY WHERE YOU WON'T NEED THOSE FINANCIAL AND BANKING LOANS, AND HAVE FREEDOM LIKE WE USE TO HAVE, THEN WE HAVE THE MONEY,AND WE CAN START SAVING AND BUILD AMERICA BACK.
So how do you do that, visit my site, and take action to get started NOW.
http://newhopetocopeforyou.com
Now here's the url to learn how to make that end of year ,put more into your pocket and not those IRS bankers, and yes ,the Law is behind you.
Where can you see law, if you knew ,then they would know,and change it.
http://freemoms.com/becky/home
I'll give my life, to prove it is TRUE, BUT LAWYERS AND PA'S never even heard of this Laws, Why, cause , the old fart that got it passed, did not want them to understnad what he had gotten through under there noses.
On the congress and Senate floor in washington, so this is like a war zone, belive, it's truth and God, is controlling things,
So, act now, go to that url and take action today, and spread the word,
Along with that product, there is another one that is as strong as it,but it's for working on free radicals in your body,to keep all of them out of your body, also,. give more energy, I'm 64yrs old,and feel 40.
Well, lets go one step at time folks, and work the comp plan as it should be worked, that everyone will benefit that way, if everyone comes to me, In my back office I will have all the info,about each one that signs up. so we can reach you and walk you through, getting you in line, for best benefits.
I aren't nuts about being a millionaire, I just want America people, have the freedom and health and Fin. of there life time.
Also, I'm following the instruction that our heavenly father told me when I was lying on that table, in comma, and Doctors had gave me up to die. I was getting instructions on what I must do,if I kept living, This is his country folks , we're just visiting unti he calls your number, mean time we must do as he instructs. Read the greatest book ever written, and believe and trust each other like we use to do.
As i said ,every penny i make you will make also.
God Bless America and the People,and our TROOPS, help them , show Irag's and Afgan's there is better life.
Join my Org, and you can enjoy the fruits of God's Blessing.
Sincerely
Tillman Shores
850-387-4598
http://nationalmedicalhealthbenefits.com