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Edited on Tue May-25-04 09:43 PM by calimary
Doctrine. When the expected howls of outrage began from the limbots of the world, I'd seize my mandate, fresh from the election, to do a huge and ruthless PR push, with LOTS of surrogates (enlisting the good Dr. Dean, among many, AND people like republican Chuck Hagel - who's growing more moderate and reasonable by the day), to help spread the good word. I'd go on EVERY show from Oprah to Letterman to Jon Stewart to help spread the word, taking care to build the appeal and, indeed, the "chic-ness" of it. I'd start working, FIERCELY and RELENTLESSLY to make it cool and hip to be a liberal.
Next, I'd sign an executive order opening up all those sealed presidential records and documents that bushie boy locked away. Reagan's, bush-the-first, and PARTICULARLY bush-the-second. Oh yes, AND the cheney energy task force papers. ALL OUT IN THE OPEN.
Then, I'd build a consensus to prosecute those responsible for the MULTIPLE violations of our Constitution, and all who shat upon it while wrapping themselves in the flag. I'd name the names in the Valerie Plame affair, AND the Chalabi mess, and the Office of Special Plans, and all the other felonious groupings that took us over the cliff.
I'd make a VERY large and noisy deal out of announcing especially to "Old Europe" and our other previously shunned, ridiculed, and ignored allies that The United States of America is UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT. So Let's Talk, Folks! I'd extend that to the Israelis and the Palestinians together, making clear to Israel that we'll talk to 'em any time they want, and help them any way they want, but they'll have to understand that everything we do for them, we have to do something for the Palestinians as well.
Then, I'd make another big-deal extravaganza out of a REAL New American Century, where we have a NEW national goal: weaning ourselves off of oil. I'd make it a new national quest, like Kennedy did, challenging us to go to the moon by the end of the decade. By the end of MY decade, I'd want the US off the oil standard, having pioneered multiple new energy sources and the engines that run on them; the resulting research and development creating many hundreds of thousands of jobs in America, and fresh new markets for those goods that we will once again be manufacturing and producing to sell all over the world, everything from cars to microwave ovens. I'd call for a scientific revolution to get us to a new energy plane. We would thereby cement our leadership in the most positive, creative, and productive way possible, harnessing the best of "Yankee Ingenuity" and the famous "can-do" attitude that we Americans were previously so famous for. It would add "glamour" and another level of chic to our country and what it stands for, and we'd lead the world in this new technological front. I'd call upon all Americans to become Pioneers of the New Century. By the end of my (hopefully) second term, I'd have this country weaned OFF of oil. Time's UP. OVER and OUT! Good-BYE and Good Riddance! OPEC? Take it and stuff it! THAT is what we need to change the balance of power in the Middle East. If nobody needs oil anymore, there goes THEIR power and influence, and their ability to hold the rest of the planet by the nuts. And our industry? First of all, I'd be twisting their arms all over Christendom to bend to my will, and using all my powers of persuasion in the media to further that goal. I'd make them look positively UNAMERICAN if they drag their heels. YES, I would stoop to that. About time that technique was used to further a positive, life-affirming, forward-looking, everybody-wins agenda that's NOT forced down people's throats through the barrel of a gun, or by threatening them with some vaporous boogeyman that's gonna GIT 'em. I'd grant tax breaks and other incentives to companies - without compromising their employees - to retool and redesign, so they could meet this challenge. Face it, the corporate world will simply NOT go for something that isn't somehow in their own selfish, myopic interests. So that would be my job - to figure out a way to show them that THIS IS MOST DEFINITELY in their interests.
I'd encourage the arts, especially my own little personal crusade - making art objects out of recyclables - great kid projects. I'd engage the musicians of our country to do concerts to benefit these causes, and Hollywood to incorporate these themes into their TV and film production. I'd figure out a way to use the Gropenator and Jesse Ventura and other semi-reasonable people from the other side to be my team mates - anybody with the currency of mass personal appeal. I'd get 'em all on my team and do my damnedest to keep them there.
AND I'd incorporate a lot of the excellent ideas mentioned above - like the further securing of the SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE. Plus, I'd encourage research and development of a morning-after pill, and stem-cell research. Plus, if anyone wanted to resume the attempts to legislate a woman's body, I'd immediately bring up the idea of examining corresponding binding legislation that covers the scrotum at the same time. I'd tell 'em to go ahead with whatever they wanna do regarding a woman's private parts, so long as they understand that a man's private parts would be equally and simultaneously regulated as well.
Plus, I'd put somebody like Wesley Clark in charge of the Defense Department, with Max Cleland as his second in command (OR perhaps Cleland - or perhaps John McCain as Defense Secretary and Clark as National Security Advisor). Maybe John Edwards or some such as AG. Dr. Dean as either Secretary of Health and Human Services or Surgeon-General. Bill Clinton either as Secretary of State or our UN Ambassador. However, I might lobby equally hard to make him Secretary-General of the UN. He might do just as much good there. In that case, Jimmy Carter might make a good UN rep or Secretary of State. Robert Kennedy Junior might be interesting as Interior Secretary, with Dennis Kucinich as Energy Secretary. I might be tempted to do something wild like Donald Trump or Bill Gates for Commerce Secretary. Labor Secretary: maybe Ben Cohen? Education Secretary? Maybe Jim Jeffords or Marian Wright Edelman. Not sure. Treasury Secretary - Paul Krugman. And I might tap somebody like Bill Moyers or Garrison Keillor as FCC Chief, with Elliot Spitzer as SEC chair. And, I'd find SOME way to get Richard Clarke and Joseph Wilson back on the company payroll. I think their contributions, perspective, experience, and wisdom would be invaluable. I'd invite somebody sexy like Steven Spielberg or Jeffrey Katzenberg as chairman of the NEA, or maybe I'd make it into a revolving assignment, bestowed upon a different member of the theatrical/musical/literary/artistic community each year. Actually, the more I think about it, somebody like Steve Martin, or Rob Reiner, or Tom Hanks or his wife, Rita Wilson, or maybe Billy Crystal, or some other prominent performer, would be good. Heck - Steve Martin would be absolutely OUTSTANDING.
Plus, I'd recruit most, if not all, of Clinton's Council of Economic Advisors to come back to work. AND I'd offer Ralph Nader a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to redeem himself, by putting him in charge of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
This'd be fun.
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