One way out of the collapse

[Fovea]

Start decomissioning military units and using the saving (immense) to create a new WPA.
Implement a transaction tax on all commercial financial transactions.
Bring the margainal tax rate to Eisenhower levels.


Set the new WPA to the following Keynesian tasks.
100% domestic content down to the steel.

1. high speed rail system nationwide linked to all commuter intra urban rail systems.

2. convert all public buildings to high levels of energy efficiency.

3. build solar and wind power stations like a new T.V.A.

4. Start recycling services on a massive scale.

Restore tariffs and tax the shit out of outsourcers and utilizers of H1B visas.

[drm604]

1. Interesting ideas.

What do you think the chances are of any of it occurring? Is anyone of any importance suggesting such things?

[Blue Meany]

2. It would have to start with an honest discussion of where we are

and what our options are. Even Obama hasn't done this on critical issues, such as the economy, the environment or health care; he has kept his proposals within the political mainstream. Unfortunately, this will not get us where we have to go, though I am hopeful that with a big Dem win we might begin some national discussions about these issues, along the lines of the discussion on Social Security in the 1980s. The media could lead on this, but I doubt that they will, so I think we are going to have to have real political leadership that engages in voter education so that it will be clear that we have to make some radical changes--single payer health care, massive govt. spending on transportation and green energy infrastructure, significatly higher taxes for the wealthy, a devaluing of the dollar, restructuring of international trade agreements, a less unilateral interventionist foreign policy, and a smaller military--if we are going to pull ourselves out of this mess.

[drm604]

3. I keep hoping that Obama is staying within the political mainstream in order to get elected

but that he will have more radical proposals once he gets in.

[Blue Meany]

4. Me too, or that once he gets power he will be inspired to use

it to help people, as LBJ did with Civil Rights legislation and the Great Society programs. Although he does not have the network of relationships in Congress that LBJ did, I think a landslide victory will give him a strong mandate. The problem is that like Bill Clinton, he is someone who is willing to compromise to get something done. That "reasonableness" may get in the way of bringing effective change, but it could work in his favor if he use his mandate and the bully-pulpit to render "reasonable" things like a single-payer health plan in order to prevent the economy from being sucked down by one greedy sector. If can restore respect to the notion of a "reasonable profit" and associate shame with excessive profit, that could itself be transformative.

[drm604]

10. Look at the radical steps the Republicans are currently taking.

Buying commercial paper, taking stakes in banks, etc. goes against everything they preach but their beliefs have been smacked down hard by reality. Even Greenspan has admitted being wrong about some things.

I'm thinking that circumstances may force the new administration to take some very radical steps, and they may not even get a lot of resistance from the Republicans.

[Fovea]

13. I think 2009 is going to be a year

of crisis and blowback.

Not from terrorists, but from globalist buccaneers.
From OPEC.
From the forces of Global capitalism fighting renewed nationalism.
From the wingnut right.

By next fall, America could be deep, deep blue.

[galileoreloaded]

5. Too late. n/t

[lonestarnot]

7. Nope not.

[ColbertWatcher]

6. The military units are not where the budget gets disappeared, that honor goes to ...

... the contractors.

Get rid of those first.

[Fovea]

11. Both contractors and Troops require funding

and the way the military now runs, it would be quite difficult to draw down one leg.

America will fare best in the near to middle future with the standing army being small.
All that the military consumes does not buy us as effective security as 1/10,000 th spent on
smart diplomacy.

[lonestarnot]

8. You left out that $13 bil a month on the WAR/occupation! End the war occupation bastards!

[HughBeaumont]

9. And tax the shit out of the rich.

We do need to bring 21st century-friendly manufacturing and infrastructure jobs to this country in a HUGE way. It's PAST time to do this. We have wasted hulks of auto factories idled, outdated grids, inadequate public transportation and too much money concentrated in professions that benefit the extremely wealthy (like, for instance, war, drugs, insurance and finance).

Not everyone is meant for college and people here are great with their hands. Plus there'd be pride in knowing they contributed to making a difference in updating America.

[Fovea]

12. I agree 100 percent

You see it clearly!

[lynettebro440]

14. Just don't do anything close to what we have been doing

in the last 35 years and anything else will be great....but great ideas there.