We Believe

About 2 months ago I stumbled across Jeffrey Feldman's brilliant frameshopisopen.com, and very much took his insights to heart.

I know it's not perfect, and I know I don't have any say in anything that happens here, but I'd like to suggest the following:

1.  Please Read Jeffrey Feldman's Brilliant "Elevator Speech".

   
   

2.  Write your own or learn this one, and live by it.

   
   

3.  Never fail to act from this core of beliefs.

   
   
   

We believe in Democracy and Broad Prosperity.

We believe in Strong Communiites, Smart Government, Fair Markets, Investing in the Future, and Leading By Example.

Every issue, every policy, every position follows from this kind of strong, consistent statement of values.  Below the fold see my brief summary, but never deny that WE ARE THE FUTURE, AND WE BELIEVE.

Democracy

We believe in Democracy.  We believe that every man and woman in this nation deserves an equal voice in the body politic, regardless of race, class, wealth, religion, or political connections.  Every vote needs to count and every vote must be counted.

Broad Prosperity

We believe in Broad Prosperity.  We know that the concentration of wealth and priviledge in the hands of the few turns civil peace into civil war.  We know that the true source of wealth is not technology, not business process, but is generocity.  Every American deserves a fair opportunity through education, and through an equal playing field.  No American should ever be denied the benefits of work or a living wage, nor the security of healthcare, a secure retirement, or protections from unexpected disaster.  Every Man, Woman, and Child deserves the benefits of a healthy and safe natural environment.

Strong Communities

We belive in Strong Communities.  We believe in healthy individuals, that they should be educated, their rights protected by due process, their homes and their privacy secure, they should not be subjected to the abuses of predatory companies, unsafe products or immoral polluters.  We believe in families, that child rearing is a critical role each of us can play in society and nurturing families are our most potent resource.  We believe in strong schools and community participation in the education of our children.  We believe that all honest adults deserve the right to raise their children in the faith and way they choose.

Smart Government

We believe that government has a responsibility to the people of this nation.  Government exists to provide critical services including roads, licenses, laws, education, utilities and infrastructure.  Government exists to protect all of the people from inequity regardless of the power, influence, or wealth of any individual or group.  Government has the responsibility to spend wisely, prosecute graft, eliminate waste, and manage itself effectively without undue debt or surplus.  

Fair Markets

We believe in Fair Markets. The markets, national and international, in which our current economics play are neither fair nor "free".  Our bloated budets give incentives to huge corporate interests, while crushing small and medium farms, small and medium manufacturers distributors and retailers, and indivduals by directing the forces of government, the legal system, and monetary incentives.  Since there are no "free" markets, we must create Fair Markets.

Investing in the Future

We believe in Investing in the Future.  The freeloading billionaires in this nation have robbed the nation of it's promise by manipulating the legal and legislative system to eliminate our progressive tax code.  By starving government, infrastructure, and education, we are in danger of a class-stratified society, which will be the death of America.  We need look no further than the drowned city of New Orleans or our un-armored soldiers in Iraq to see that the "no-Tax" movement is a curse to this nation and must be denied in favor of a return to progressive taxation and perpetual investment in the future of the nation and the world.

Leading by Example

We believe in Leading by Example.  We are the most powerful nation on the planet, economically and militarily, but we cannot claim any leadership position in the world.  Our illititimate wars, our profligate exectuive and legislative branch, and our economic greed ravage this nation and the world.  America must rise again to the challeng and promise of our Enlightened founding.   While our economic might provides us with economic security, that is not an end in itself.  The true end of the American experiment is universal human freedom, and economic security is merely a means to the end of unlimited physical, mental and sprititual freedom.  While our military might provides us with the power to do as we will, we ultimately fail whenever we force others to suffer what they must at our hands.  The true end of the American experiment is universal human freedom and military security is merely a means to the end of unlimited freedom from fear for all mankind.

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Take this as a new manifesto for the American Progressive movement or use it for toilet paper for all I care.  Please, friends, fellow progressives, and any other American with ears to hear, take up the call right now, don't let another minute pass without a clear statement of beliefs at the ready, and don't ever fail to  STAND UP.