Reply #18: I am compelled to start my reply with a quote ......

[Stinky The Clown]

..... from you ..... in your reply, above:

Based only on the insane meanderings of my own mind, I would like to see us start with a 50% cut in the military budget. I would like to see real campaign finance reform and publically financed campaigns. I would like to see a real progressive party that obliterates the failing remnants of American imperialism and demands a foreign policy that reflects our values as a people rather than the greed of special interests. I would like to see us recognize that our security derives not from killing machines but from how we conduct ourselves in the world. I would like to teach others that our security is heavily dependent on our own infrastructure right here in the US. I would like people to understand that patriotism is not embodied in fighting and war and weapons but rather in caring about each and every American and their fate on this planet. We will never be secure if we continue to follow the path we're on. The US today has a military budget larger than the rest of the world combined. If that hasn't made us "safe", what will? Perhaps we need to look at paths that go beyond the narrowness of spending.

Your notion of relativity in budgeting is a good one. With that in mind, but looking through equally insane mind's eyes (mine), I'd like to see us start with a defense budget cut greater than 50%. We can probably do very nicely with no new weapons or weapon systems for the next 5 ... 8 ..... 10 years.

I have long felt that virtually all our **reasonable** needs can be met by cutting defense spending, taxing the rich (maybe even to a greater extent than would be the case if we just roll back the bush tax cuts), and taxing the corporations as business entities, not people.

I guess this notion comes from the fact that Clinton had us on a surplus path. We need to get back to that simply as a starting point. After that, we need SERIOUS **leadership** to set the national priorities.

Single Payer Health Care

Reduced Carbon Footprint

Energy Independence

Those are my starters.

Close afoot are:

Public campaign funding

Eliminate corporate personhood & criminalize campaign/political donations