Reply #153: What's your alternative?

[Meliorist]

I'm hoping that I can say a few things here; while I wouldn't call myself a Democrat, it would be far more difficult to call myself a Republican; I have some libertarian leanings, but many differences with them as well; so maybe I should state some things that make up my worldview, and let you decide if I can post here, on this subject.

I am 51 years old; I marched for civil rights in the '60's, and got a busted head and a faceful of mace for my efforts. I marched against the draft; I organized the first student's rights organization in my school at the age of 15; I was a member of the Parking Meter chapter of the Yippies; I was also a White Panther member. I lived in a commune for a while, in the early '70's; I have been involved in alternative energy source research since the late '70's. I have studied economics and history to both great breadth and depth; I've read Adam Smith, Marx, von Mises, and Galbraith; in short, I am a person interested in creating a future that holds a promise for all people to live in a world that is more peaceful, cleaner, offers more equitable opportunities for every person, regardless or race, creed, color, religion, or national origin; I believe that your private life is your business, not anyone else's; and I don't believe in corporate welfare, or the fiction that a corporate entity can hold individual rights.

I want to deal with realities, not fantasies. I want changes in our polity to be made that will offer some potential chance of improving the lot of all people, and not favor any group, whatever their declared virtues, or lack thereof.

I favor drug legalization; a woman's (and a man's) right to control their own body; personal privacy; a rational solution to the health care situation (though I haven't a clue about what that may be); and I insist on a basic respect for the individual.

Regarding intelligence, I am in the upper .1 of 1% in terms of IQ; I don't mistake that potential for any personal superiority over others, save in certain specialized areas of problem solving.

I hope this makes my personal views somewhat clear; if anyone cares to question them, I'm quite receptive to any discussion on them.

Now, to the point of this post; I have read this thread in its entirety, and have found statements that ranged from laughable ( the original post) to profound; unfortunately, the bulk of them fall into the category of "Those who don't agree with me are simply either misinformed, uninformed, or incapable of sentient thought." Quite childish, in fact; if you didn't agree with me, you're just a cootie breath and a poopie head.

In what way does this indicate any faith in democracy? What specific Democratic ideal does this attitude support? How do you resolve the stated ideal of representing the people against the forces that would deny them their basic human rights with such utter contempt and disdain for those self-same individuals?

And even more to the point, just what alternatives do you actually offer? Many of you claim to be progressives; many claim to be concerned with truth and justice in the world; but the vast majority of the ideas I see espoused here are simple retreads of old, hackneyed, provably failed policies of times past.

Is there no hope for any original ideas; ones that can address the obvious problems present in the world, and not resort to the failures that most of the "solutions" presented herein have proven to be?

The failure to conceive of new ways to solve our problems is at the root of the disdain and contempt that the mass of the citizenry hold the Democrats-and the Republicans-in today. They bought that horse once, and failed to check it's teeth; they won't be fooled again. The would rather go with someone like Ahnuld who at least makes them feel good about themselves than a hack like Davis who has proven his contempt for them; and when they hear or read people like many of you stating that they aren't competent to make decisions in their own lives, what really surprises you when they they won't support you to make those decisions for them.

I am not satisfied with Bush; while I can find sufficient reason to support the Iraq invasion, on pragmatic grounds, I am quite disgusted with the crony capitalism that has become evident. I find that he has few answers that make good sense on domestic policy; yet I hear no better ideas emerging from the Democrats. And this deeply concerns me.

I consider it a very bad thing that there is no credible opposition to the Rep's; and I find the current crop of Dem candidates almost laughably contemptible in their lack of new ideas. If this is the best they can offer, then we're stuck with Bush for another four years, and, frankly, four more years of the party of Ashcroft concerns me deeply. Ashcroft has almost as much contempt for the Bill of Rights as Reno did; and that strikes fear in me for this country.

So, what do you offer to get my vote? More of the same old tired ideas? Or can you offer me something that brings hope? That's what needs to be done if the Democratic Party is not to become a relic of the past; dumped into the trashbin of history.

I sincerely hope for some civil and insightful replies to this post. I have a great deal of respect for those who, like yourselves, obviously care about the problems that exist. At the same time, your contempt for those who don't agree with your solutions, and your apparent inability to respond in any other fashion than to denigrate them, does not bode well for any potential solutions to arise from within your ranks. A general failure to examine and reasses the reasons for the disrespect that the "common people" hold many of your ideas and politicians in does not indicate that there is a high possibility for renewal of the Democratic party.

Idealistic rigidity is a guarantee of eventual tyranny; as is an inability to posess and hold to firm principles. Resolve that tension in your party, and you stand a good chance for future success. Fail to do so, and become one with the dinosaurs.