Definitions
Posted 6/26/17
Posted 6/25/17
COMMENTARY – A Call to Action by Dr. P-J
Corporatized Democrats, Status Quo Democrats, and Progressive Democrats:
A Call to Action
by Dr. P-J
Corporatized Democrats are afforded their positions of power by the good graces of status quo Democrats. Status quo Democrats are not progressive. Status quo Democrats are not part of the resistance.
The distinction of the current progressive movement is that it calls out the destructive power of corporations. Trans-national corporations rule and ruin the lives of ordinary people. Humanity (and other species) are denied rightful access to the commons, to the resources of the biosphere, to, in fact, the future of the human species.
Climate chaos and other destructive exploitation of the earth’s resources risks the diversity of ecosystems that the earth currently supports. There is a black snake, the fossil fuel industry, that must be stopped. Stopping the consumption of carbon is the most essential task of our species, in this moment.
Make no mistake about it. Climate catastrophe is already here and that big piece of Antarctica that’s about to break off isn’t going to makes things better.
I'll say it again: stopping use of carbon is the most essential task of our species at this moment in time. We will only be able to stop the corporations (fossil fuel and other) through the rule of law. Through egregious abuse of the laws of our and other countries, corporations consume the biosphere to create profit for corporations and individuals. Corporations are not human beings, they are algorithms for producing profit.
Algorithms for producing profit have no humanity; they measure out the probability of outcomes and choose those which produce the greatest reward on investment. The price of human life is just another number on a spreadsheet.
Progressive Democrats are taking every action they deem useful to get control of the Democratic Party so that we can quickly change the laws of our country to ensure to a future for our species. Some relatively easy policies include: Carbon Fee and Dividend; tax rebates for retrofit of homes to reduce fossil fuel consumption; and the right of citizens to sell green-sourced power to the grid for the same rate as fossil fuel energy producers.
#NoDAPL!
There is not a more direct path to the power to change the laws of the United States of America than to control the Democratic Party and we are very close to doing that! Bernie Sanders delegates made up 45% of the democratically elected delegates at the convention in Philadelphia in the summer of 2016. Almost half of the party consists of progressive Democrats who understand the science of climate change. Progressive Democrats are not status quo Democrats.
Status quo Democrats trust and rely on corporations; progressive Democrats want to see power taken away from corporations. Progressive Democrats are the future; status quo Democrats are the past.
What to do?
A Call to Action
by Dr. P-J
Corporatized Democrats are afforded their positions of power by the good graces of status quo Democrats. Status quo Democrats are not progressive. Status quo Democrats are not part of the resistance.
The distinction of the current progressive movement is that it calls out the destructive power of corporations. Trans-national corporations rule and ruin the lives of ordinary people. Humanity (and other species) are denied rightful access to the commons, to the resources of the biosphere, to, in fact, the future of the human species.
Climate chaos and other destructive exploitation of the earth’s resources risks the diversity of ecosystems that the earth currently supports. There is a black snake, the fossil fuel industry, that must be stopped. Stopping the consumption of carbon is the most essential task of our species, in this moment.
Make no mistake about it. Climate catastrophe is already here and that big piece of Antarctica that’s about to break off isn’t going to makes things better.
I'll say it again: stopping use of carbon is the most essential task of our species at this moment in time. We will only be able to stop the corporations (fossil fuel and other) through the rule of law. Through egregious abuse of the laws of our and other countries, corporations consume the biosphere to create profit for corporations and individuals. Corporations are not human beings, they are algorithms for producing profit.
Algorithms for producing profit have no humanity; they measure out the probability of outcomes and choose those which produce the greatest reward on investment. The price of human life is just another number on a spreadsheet.
Progressive Democrats are taking every action they deem useful to get control of the Democratic Party so that we can quickly change the laws of our country to ensure to a future for our species. Some relatively easy policies include: Carbon Fee and Dividend; tax rebates for retrofit of homes to reduce fossil fuel consumption; and the right of citizens to sell green-sourced power to the grid for the same rate as fossil fuel energy producers.
#NoDAPL!
There is not a more direct path to the power to change the laws of the United States of America than to control the Democratic Party and we are very close to doing that! Bernie Sanders delegates made up 45% of the democratically elected delegates at the convention in Philadelphia in the summer of 2016. Almost half of the party consists of progressive Democrats who understand the science of climate change. Progressive Democrats are not status quo Democrats.
Status quo Democrats trust and rely on corporations; progressive Democrats want to see power taken away from corporations. Progressive Democrats are the future; status quo Democrats are the past.
What to do?
- Locate potential progressive voters. Get them registered and recruit them to join local active resistance groups like “We Are For America” (WAFA); “Sisters, Misters: Resisters”; and “Protecting Our Democracy”.
- A Resistance Expo (July 22 10-1 River Mill Park) is open to all progressive voices joining in resisting any leadership that fails to put people first. To learn how to participate in the Resistance Expo contact <[email protected]>
- . . . Or join the Fredericksburg Democratic Committee, which meets the second Wednesday of every month at the VFW Hall on Princess Anne at Jefferson Davis. Ask how you can help. Learn how to be a delegate to CD and State Democratic Party Caucuses and Conventions, representing the progressive values of putting people first.
Posted 5/20/17
Definition of a Tootsie Pop Liberal or Progressive Politician
Definition of Progressivism
The Four Pillars of Progressivism based on an article by Rob Walters
The four "basic" pillars of progressive values are freedom, opportunity, responsibility, and cooperation.
Freedom includes freedom from excessive influence by the governments and other parties in our private affairs and personal lives, freedom of speech, association, religion, the right to control our own bodies, and make decisions relating to our own personal lives. The freedom to lead satisfying and secure lives supported by basic economic security and opportunity, including adequate income, economic protection, health care and education, and other social policies that enable that freedom.
Opportunity to pursue anything without the barriers of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion (or lack thereof), or disability being an obstacle. It's embracing the rich diversity of our society by ensuring that *everyone* has the equal chance to make the most of their talents and dreams, not just those who have the money, the power, or the "right skin color / religion / gender / sexual preferences. It's making sure that people have the opportunity to seek those chances by ensuring that the basic conditions are present to allow people to be secure enough to fulfill those ambitions; health care, education, a decent job, labor rights, security in retirement, etc.
Responsibility is our obligation to ourselves and each other. We must be personally responsible to do our part to improve our own lives by putting in the work, taking advantage of the educational opportunities, and more difficult to do, embracing honesty and integrity in our actions. Our responsibility to the common good requires a serious commitment to putting the public interest above the interests of the few, and understanding that strong families and communities are the roots of good society. It means being responsible to strive for and achieve greater social justice and economic conditions that benefit society in broad measures. It also requires government to be responsible for being more open and honest, and for the citizenry to be more engaged and participatory (as is the responsibility of the electorate). Governmentally, the responsibility lies in public investments for things like transportation, trade, innovation, a skilled workforce, protection of the individual's ideas by patents and contractual agreements by having courts that protect them, public safety, and the tools that support the creation of wealth and individual prosperity. The responsibility of a progressive taxation system, as that it is a social responsibility for those who have and earn more to help support public investments like schools, transportation, and things that enable economic competition to advance the interests of the society at a whole. That includes being responsible for ecological and social sustainability by protecting our land, water, air, and natural resources coupled with a more aware and "smarter" use of our energy resources and being more responsible in our consumption of goods.
Cooperation is one of the most important social foundations involving our families, our communities, and our civic and faith groups. Having freedom without cooperation leads to a division in society that results in an inability to work together to achieve common goals and improve the lives of all (our current situation, actually). It's a value that demands us all to be open-minded and compassionate towards each other, because we are as responsible for their well-being and prosperity as they are for ours. If we blindly pursue our own needs supremely and solely above those of others, society will gradually deteriorate and crumble. Success does not exist without cooperation.
Now, how do these translate into policy? Policies that work to provide health care, education, labor (including jobs paying a livable wage), and engaging environmental protections are the most basic of progressive policies. Laying the groundwork for basic guaranteed income, that's definitely a progressive ideal to work towards, but there's considerable groundwork that we need laid down. In short, policies that advance the common good, that secure and protect our rights, and help create a high quality of life in home, work, and the community itself are *all* progressive.
The four "basic" pillars of progressive values are freedom, opportunity, responsibility, and cooperation.
Freedom includes freedom from excessive influence by the governments and other parties in our private affairs and personal lives, freedom of speech, association, religion, the right to control our own bodies, and make decisions relating to our own personal lives. The freedom to lead satisfying and secure lives supported by basic economic security and opportunity, including adequate income, economic protection, health care and education, and other social policies that enable that freedom.
Opportunity to pursue anything without the barriers of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion (or lack thereof), or disability being an obstacle. It's embracing the rich diversity of our society by ensuring that *everyone* has the equal chance to make the most of their talents and dreams, not just those who have the money, the power, or the "right skin color / religion / gender / sexual preferences. It's making sure that people have the opportunity to seek those chances by ensuring that the basic conditions are present to allow people to be secure enough to fulfill those ambitions; health care, education, a decent job, labor rights, security in retirement, etc.
Responsibility is our obligation to ourselves and each other. We must be personally responsible to do our part to improve our own lives by putting in the work, taking advantage of the educational opportunities, and more difficult to do, embracing honesty and integrity in our actions. Our responsibility to the common good requires a serious commitment to putting the public interest above the interests of the few, and understanding that strong families and communities are the roots of good society. It means being responsible to strive for and achieve greater social justice and economic conditions that benefit society in broad measures. It also requires government to be responsible for being more open and honest, and for the citizenry to be more engaged and participatory (as is the responsibility of the electorate). Governmentally, the responsibility lies in public investments for things like transportation, trade, innovation, a skilled workforce, protection of the individual's ideas by patents and contractual agreements by having courts that protect them, public safety, and the tools that support the creation of wealth and individual prosperity. The responsibility of a progressive taxation system, as that it is a social responsibility for those who have and earn more to help support public investments like schools, transportation, and things that enable economic competition to advance the interests of the society at a whole. That includes being responsible for ecological and social sustainability by protecting our land, water, air, and natural resources coupled with a more aware and "smarter" use of our energy resources and being more responsible in our consumption of goods.
Cooperation is one of the most important social foundations involving our families, our communities, and our civic and faith groups. Having freedom without cooperation leads to a division in society that results in an inability to work together to achieve common goals and improve the lives of all (our current situation, actually). It's a value that demands us all to be open-minded and compassionate towards each other, because we are as responsible for their well-being and prosperity as they are for ours. If we blindly pursue our own needs supremely and solely above those of others, society will gradually deteriorate and crumble. Success does not exist without cooperation.
Now, how do these translate into policy? Policies that work to provide health care, education, labor (including jobs paying a livable wage), and engaging environmental protections are the most basic of progressive policies. Laying the groundwork for basic guaranteed income, that's definitely a progressive ideal to work towards, but there's considerable groundwork that we need laid down. In short, policies that advance the common good, that secure and protect our rights, and help create a high quality of life in home, work, and the community itself are *all* progressive.