Are We 'Progressives' or 'Regressives'?

Yesterday I read the actual Republican Party Platform as posted online, just for kicks. As I was reading through an endless list of punchy titles (I actually physically recoiled several times), it struck me just how un-American this document seems. So many barely veiled religious references, the discussion of removing essential resources from those most in need, I actually has a visceral reaction to what I was reading. What shocked me most of all was the negative, narrow, limited vision of what America could be.

The third paragraph of the GOP platform 'preamble' states in no uncertain terms the "the American dream is at risk." This is followed by reams of positions that seem to be entirely regressive, not just a matter of maintaining the status quo. For instance, the platform seeks to eradicate abortion access, ban pornography, and return to a traditional judeo-christian definition of marriage as that between a man and a woman exclusively. In the same vein it seeks to reduce taxation on corporations as a means of remaining globally competitive, preventing something the GOP refers to as debt explosion, while at the same time suggesting that it is critical that the United States has a highly trained and skilled workforce. I'm not sure if the GOP missed the memo about the state of the student debt crisis, but they apparently think that highly trained and skilled workers evolve in an education vaccum. Does that even resemble the American anyone wants, knows, or loves? I doubt many dictatorships could top this initial 'wish list'. It seems so backwards that I can only say it is the exact opposite of a progressive way of thinking, it is infact a regressive way of thinking and acting.

Out of fairness, I also looked into the Democratic Party Platform. Here the difference are stark just in the choice of words and the broad range of ideas and issues presented. For instance, the Democratic document speaks of "too many being left out or left behind" in the current political climate. I think all Americans can identify with that sentiment, which is why candidates like Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders hold so much appeal as outsiders. The platform focuses more on ways to help America achieve the so-called 'American Dream', as opposed to stressing that the concept is under attack. With the help of Bernie Sanders guiding the platform in a progressive direction, one at least feels somewhat hopeful when coming away from the document, even if they note (rightly so) that it is still not progressive or proactive enough. It's not that I am all about an exclusively progressive outlook for the Democratic Party of the future, but currently I am caught by just the differences in tone. This is not about the presidential candidates, it's just about the ideas and language in the document as presented. While reading this second document, I came away with a very different feeling.

America is not about one side of the aisle or the other, it's about the very best of ideas coming together. I understand the two-party system, the checks and balances, and that no single party has yet managed to achieve an entirely 'utopian' [if we take their platforms to be a model] society. The red team wins some games, sometimes it is the blue team. The balance is what we see today, it is 'western' culture, this mix of ideals and ideas. However, what happens when this system breaks down? 

What if, let's imagine for a moment,  the blue team uses steroids or other performance enhancing drugs, and the red team does not (or vice versa), would we be ok with that? You can easily see these 'influences' as a matter of the moneyed interest driving candidates to vote against their constituents interests. What if it happened for eight years in a row. America would look very different, as it always does, when a two-term President with a majority house and senate leaves office.

Human Beings are fascinating creatures when you think about the way we form societies. For example, the power of the US Supreme Court is pivotal for shaping policy and precedents. We need to recognize our own limitations, but also give ourselves enough credit for having the bravery to reach higher and be better. This wired-in world is so different from the one that I was met with back in the early 1970s. With information comes knowledge, knowledge bringing empowerment, it gives us a more realistic picture of the actual urgency and priority of issues.

So if we have any one party with an eight year stranglehold on government, eventually a lot on their wish list is brought forward for debate. Let's step away from the American two-party system, and open the doors to other parties, independents like Bernie Sanders, and imagine how remarkable these debates would be if instead of just two teams on the field, we see a round-robin tourney of multiple viewpoints representing the nuanced positions that real people, the voters in this case, care about. That is where ideas like the Brand New Congress hold great appeal for those who can see beyond the two-party system. Even if the small handful of independents or third parties in congress can't sway the vote, at least their positions can be heard and evaluated by the people. That is the America I want to see, the America that the people deserve, and the America that is bound in the living breathing document that is the United States Constitution. So the question we should really be asking is not if we are Democrat or Republican, but are we Progressive or Regressive as a society.

WIN of the WEAK

WIN of the WEAK (Aug. 6/2016)

[I'm hoping to make this a recurring theme as a weekly item. Please weigh in with your thought.]

A count-up of five stories that celebrate 'Progressive Wins' or 'Weak Excuses'; or are just plain full of irony and much needed comic relief.

WIN of the WEAK: Netflix Accidentally Put Aziz Ansari Subtitles on a Nature Documentary and the Results Are Amazing

Source: Imgur

This small gaffe on the part of Netflix is almost entirely harmless and says an awful lot about what is going on with millennials and progressives in one hilarious moment. By combining the power of online entertainment as opposed to the entire television lineup of commercial media, a BBC Nature documentary showing an individual that is engaged and at the minimum curious about life on the planet, and the introduction of comic-relief by a talented comedian who also happens to be one of the first brown comedian to achieve a wide - and much deserved - level of acclaim, this situation is so full of WIN. Or maybe I am reading too much into a technical glitch.

Number Two: WEAK Donald J. Trump Brought to Heel by the GOP, Instead of being Disavowed

While I watched in mild surprise as Donald Trump read from a prepared list of talking points leading to his clear endorsements of high ranking Republicans, Speaker of the House Sen.Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) and Sen, John McCain (R-Arizona), I felt that that the Republicans were missing the larger picture, that this last ditch effort was just delaying the inevitable. If the GOP actually holds to its own platform and traditional christian values to have value, the continual embrace of a man like Donald Trump are not only destroying the Republican Party, but also reckless and highly un-American. Anyone left with any moral compass needs to do what is most difficult but most necessary for the sanctity of life in America. Perhaps that is the real take-away.

Number Three: WIN Most Americans Ages 18-30 Say Neither Political Party Represents Them, Poll Shows

A GenForward Poll out this week indicates that young millennials in particular are choosing issues over party loyalties by saying that neither the Republicans nor the Democrats represent their values. Specifically, only 28 percent of young adults overall are saying the two parties do a good job of representing the American people.This is a huge signal to the Progressive movement that it's future is in increasingly secure hands. When the issues and the realities facing the most people are the driving force behind policy creation, as opposed to a top-down approach, the movement moves forward and we see actual change in the priorities of politicians and corporations.

Number Four: WIN* GOP Convention Scared this Veteran more than Afghanistan

I call this op-ed by Christopher Carey a WIN for one very simple reason. It clearly presents precisely the problem facing every veteran, military serviceperson, or military family in America at this moment in history. These people are American patriots who respect the office of Commander in Chief of the United States. Their respect for this office is hinged upon the belief that the person calling the shots needs to fully understand the supreme responsibility of the office and can respond in the nuanced ways to threats while simultaneously minimizing the cost of human lives, American lives. It is the lives of all Americans that are on the line, and that is not something a man who has been on the front lines doing the very hard job of protecting home and humanity wants in the hands of a nihilistic narcissist like Donald J. Trump. These are the most powerful checks and hits that will drive voters away from a Trump candidacy and into examining other options up and down ticket.

[*Let me officially state that I deeply respect the service of this veteran and abhor any situation that would place such a fear into the heart of anyone.]

Number Five: WIN Team Refugees is an Elegant Political Statement that Cannot be Ignored

This Summer at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, there is a new team in the mix. Not a specific region, country, or state, but rather an example of the actual faces and the plight of the modern refugee. A picture in sharp contrast to that currently volleyed about in the political arena. While close to home Trump continues to paint the picture of refugees and immigrants, whether fleeing climate disaster, war, or political and economic shifts, as criminals and rapists. It is the very best foil for Trump's arguments and it is making it's presence felt on the world stage. This small team of 10 athletes was assembled by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and includes members from diverse backgrounds including South Sudan, Syria, Ethiopia, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. While I am not naive to the the very real potential that these athletes might be exploited for nefarious purposes, I can't help but be hopeful that if even one person comes to see their brother, sister, son, or daughter among these athletes, the progressive world becomes a richer place indeed. I will be watching with interest to see how the mainstream media and the IOC portray these athletes in the coming days.

Bernie Sanders Has Brought Us Closer to "One Day"

Bernie Sanders will be talked about by future generations the same way people talk about Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., Eleanor Roosevelt, and other transformative figures in history. I believe this, and I am teaching my young nieces and nephew about how inspiring Bernie is. Bernie Sanders, his delegates, supporters, and each person that donated their time, talents, and passion to get Bernie's message out to the world have started a progressive revolution and reengaged countless numbers of disaffected voters. Our "One Day" will come, I believe in humanity, and Bernie is bringing us closer to that dream because he is such a decent man.

Matisyahu has been a curiosity to me since I first caught a performance on a random late-night show some time in 2006. Here was a man who was clearly comfortable with his personal beliefs, and who wrote songs that reverberated in my heart. It had nothing to do with his religion, he was saying things that I needed to hear, thing that matter to all of us. It is rare for someone coming from a traditionally close-knit Orthodox Jewish upbringing to move into public life, it is more rare when he sings, beatboxes, and has a remarkable reggae sensibility. Whatever personal journey Matisyahu is on at the moment, his music has always been remarkable.

I am not a religious person, I have no problem with people who are, who believe in a god or a higher power, that is the beauty of living in a democracy. I do not find prayer to be an answer to real scientific problems, I don't think it solves financial disasters, nor do I feel it is an absolute good. We know too much of the history of organized religion, and any ''holy scripture' can be manipulated to justify the most vicious and violent atrocities. I believe in the golden rule, that humans are overwhelmingly decent and good, and that we have more in common than not. I believe that positivity can overcome tremendous odds. I believe in the power of inspirational voices. When someone I know is hurting, I send them my most positive energy, my support, and my love, because to me those things are real.

I recently was sent a link to a video of an adorable young musical couple, YoNina, baby in arms, doing an acapella version of Matisyahu's "One Day" in a Carpool Karaoke moment [don't freak out, they were in a parked vehicle]. The words of the song really resonated with me as if I had never heard them before. I heard a song of peace, love, hope, and unity - and I thought of Bernie Sanders. Bernie, I want thank you for bringing us all closer to "One Day". We can get to that day, but only if we continue to make our voices heard. Matisyahu says it succinctly in this song. "One day this all will change, Treat people the same, Stop with the violence, Down with the hate".

Dear Bernie Sanders Supporters & Progressives Everywhere

Dear America,

As a Canadian looking on, let me first say that I adore Bernie Sanders, he is my conscious and my heart in human form, and it hurts to see that anyone would think he was such a threat to the Democrats and democracy that they had to stoop so low to undermine his campaign. They Democratic Party has destroyed itself, and that is not a bad thing, but in the immediate future, we need to prevent Trump from happening. I say this with full love and respect to all my fellow Bernie supporters, you have been wronged, but your hours of work, your financial investment on behalf of his campaign, and your passion have not been for nothing.

Bernie Sanders has got people woke to a Progressive movement that we need more than ever. While people feel that they cannot in good conscious vote for Hillary Clinton, I fully understand and would be in your same boat. But while the United States of America may survive a Trump presidency, the environment and the disenfranchised can not. Do whatever you need to do to be right with your conscious, yes, but don't hand over the position of the highest office in your country to a man who is divisive, a fraud, a bully, and thinks climate change is a hoax. He will make the world far less safe and livable for future generations around the world.

The so freshly abused and humiliated Bernie Sanders supporters need time to grieve the loss of a beautiful thing that united so many for all the right reasons. Grief is different for each and every one of us, but most importantly, we need to recognise that it takes time to move through the stages of grief when we are ready. Some may never be ready to vote for Hillary Clinton, and that is OK with me. But we must hold the Democrats to their promises to Bernie, his supporters, and to the left-leaning additions in the new Democratic Party Platform. Vote for Progressives you have vetted up and down the ticket, take back the house and senate from those who refuse to represent the people, and never let the movement Bernie Sanders brought to the people of world end until the work is done. We are better than Trump or Clinton, we are better than an out of touch government, but we can't stop now. If those fighting to end segregation had given up after their biggest setbacks, we would still be fighting for the most basic human rights in American today.

So yes, beloved Bernie supporters, you have done amazing things, you have worked harder than others will ever realise, your time and financial investments have not been wasted on me or the millions of people you have reached with your message and movement, in both the US and worldwide. I grieve with you, I stand with you, I still hope with you that real change can happen in my lifetime. I see you, your hopes and dreams, your right to quality affordable health care and debt free education, a sustainable clean environment, to a livable minimum wage, to giving a hand up and not a hand out, to freedom of religion, a right to practise cultural traditions with pride and not fear, to reform your for-profit prisons and to decriminalise addiction, to stop throwing money at a 'military solution' that solves nothing, to give everyone access to automatic voter registration, to bring back the opportunity and promise of the country you are trying really hard to love and make better. 

I see the pain you are in, the abuse you have taken, and the humiliation of the very best example of true humanity, Bernie Sanders. Grieve this moment, the world grieves with you, and then get mad as heck, and never accept anything less than your conscious will allow. The time for making bargains with the DNC is over, a new movement has been born, and you need to raise this Progressive baby to be a part of the American political landscape from this point forward. Be it Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Green Party, or a new Progressive party founded on the movement a truly great man, Bernie Sanders, has sacrificed and fought for his whole life. 

When the grief and despair ends, and you are ready to fight once more, do it for Bernie, for all his supporters, for future generations, for those who cannot fight for themselves, for the Progressives around the world that Bernie has inspired, and for those not yet awake.

Sincerely,
The International Progressive Community You Have Inspired