Understanding why we need Progressive Ideas

There isn't much more a dividing issue than the economy right now, and the republican primaries.  They really go together don't they, the economy stupid! This is where we are going to see everything revolve around during this years political races.  I don't feel that we have much room at this time to make an unforced error, we already sacrificed one in the midterm elections.  They way out is to use progressive ideas that has verifiable data showing its the right decision.  Using historical data is the only way to really make futuristic projections, you can only use what you know to make decisions for the future.  So it makes sense that the more you know the better right?  I am looking to explain how we can find our way out of the current economic/political gridlock.  There are several issues that need to be resolved before we, as a country, can move forward the way our Founders would be proud of.  First off, the way our elections are setup, not really in a democratic way if only the rich can make it in.  The Founders wanted a knowledgeable electorate, who understood how things worked and the common issues of the day.  They wanted to use logic and science to solve our problems and to think outside the box.  They wanted to have fair and statesmen like conduct during elections and especially during a term in public office. Always serving the populace as a whole and not corporate or individual requests.

The move in modern times to create a system where the richest candidate has the most chance for winning.  Is exactly the problem that needs to be fixed, there should be no donations for political campaigns.  This will enable us to get rid of the lobbing influence in the democratic process. The Citizens United was only meant for corporations ability to donate to candidates.  This is creating a very lopsided election, and only allows the very rich or corporate shells to be elected to office.  This is why we don't have politics that takes care of ALL Americans but one that caters only to the very rich.  How can we, the American People, compete with the billions that come from corporations?  We can't afford to send lobbyists to Washington, we thought that was what we were doing when voting!  The only way to level that field is to either continue our Occupy movement and fight for Progressive ideas and move forward with them, or get Congress to repeal Citizens United and create real Campaign Reform.  Only the American People can change our view of how life should be, only We The People have the ability to motivate our friends and family.  We have to start to move and shake things up, and just keep on keeping on.  We need fighters in the trenches fighting for us, the poor and forgotten.  We need people to stand up, like they are doing, WITHOUT VIOLENCE!  We need to show the world why we are the greatest nation, we can, together, make changes that give us a reason to hold our heads high!  Why have we waged war on the poor?  Why have we forgotten our neighbors and friends?  Why do we continue to allow this predjustice and ignorance to find roots in a Union that was meant to grow and progress in a Humanitarian way?  Now that we are here we can let historians find all that out, we need to find a way to move forward.

We have a possibility for greater learning; and therefore a better citizen who understands how government impacts their life and can make informed decisions by learning/reading the current issues.  We can make some decisions that take our hindsight and use it to make a better Union, and yes the Constitution was meant to be a living document that would change over time.  We need a nation of education, a nation that cares for its youth.  A nation that prides itself on its knowledge, not its best rapper or sports player.  WE have to change who we see as role models.  Let us push for a better education system, one more aligned with what works.  Let us push for retraining for those whose jobs will never come back.  Lets tell Washington to stop bickering and get something done for the people.  Only through re-education and retraining can we  make the step out of poverty and give the poor something to be proud of themselves for.  The more knowledge we have, as a people, the better we can take the future; the better we can MAKE the future.  However, this all depends on what happens in the private sector.  Companies need to start making investments, need to start hiring.  We need a public sector that does lots of R&D(research and development) in new technologies of the future.

The Department of Defense is what provided our technological advancements in the private sector.  If we didn't have an R&D department, which gets almost nothing in budgeting, in the government we wouldn't be where we are today.  The world would be very different if we didn't create these technologies, the public sector created and then gave it to the private sector for use.  The private sector always makes advancements or creates new ideas with these new technologies that come from DARPA(Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency).  We need to double down on R&D, we need to double down on Education.  We have to not forget where our advancement came from, the public sector doesn't do much R&D.  This is because it is costly, like Solyndra, to try and create new advancements in technology.  The reason why Solyndra died was because of China's move to take our technology and make it dirt cheep.  R&D is risky, we should never look at failure in R&D as anything but a new way to NOT do things.  Lets not forget Thomas Edison, who found 10,000 ways NOT to make an incandescent light bulb.  Imagine if he had to deal with today's conservatives!  We may not have light at night, save for fire!  The greatest thing about R&D is that when you create something that works you create a new industry, which means JOBS!

The Republicans took the elections of 2010 by saying they were going to fight for jobs.  What exactly have they done?  Not much on that front, but they had plenty of time to do witch hunts and fight about who gets Tax Breaks; which they believe is only for the rich (or job creators as they call them).  Now, think about this.  We have had these breaks since the Bush era, have they created any jobs?  Nope, actually it has caused the greatest wealth distribution in history.  It has moved the money from the poor to the rich, not the other way around.  It, of course, isn't all due to these Bush Tax cuts but shows exactly how conservatives think.   If they want to cry Class Warfare, we should SCREAM that back at them.  We are the ones who have to fight every day to find work and keep a roof over our heads.  We are the ones who work our fingers to the bone with very little to show for it.  We are the ones to have to pay 30% in taxes while the rich EVADE taxes and pay as little as 13 or 14%.  How can they say they are working for us?  How can they say that they have our lives in mind?  How can they say they are working for Jobs?  There are several bills that the President has been asking Congress to pass for OVER a YEAR and some TWO YEARS!  Like the Infrastructure Bank, which is a great idea and has conservative roots.  It can break the gridlock on how infrastructure projects get started and funded.  Why has this not been passed?  Why do we continue to wait to rebuild our country?  We the People have the right to know why these guys(republican and democrat) can't work together to get our country into the 21st century?  We have to get involved and VOTE, read and learn the issues.  Ask people to explain themselves on the positions they hold, no need to be ugly about it; as the saying goes, "We can agree to disagree", but we can have that conversation.  We may end up changing some minds or providing some REAL DATA to show or prove a point and educate some people.  Let us create an atmosphere of conversation and ideas, only then can we create new policies that will be best for all.

Let us move our own lives forward, create new blogs and new companies.  Let us show the way through actions.  The rich may have us over a barrel now but give us some time to build our businesses and lives.  We can show them that we can live and progress without them, lets make them a product of a bygone time.  Let them defend their stale ideas while we CREATE new ways to do things.  One good thing, we do not have to wait to act the right way.  We can make the changes in our own lives and have that be an example.   We have only ourselves to blame if we decide to do nothing, but we have everything to gain if we take control of our own lives.  Do not lose heart!  There are lots of us out there building businesses and trying to create a new business model.  Not one based on the CEO, but one based on what makes the business prosper - the human capital - the workers.  Let us hold ourselves accountable first, then take that pride and strength and REQUIRE our elected officials be the same.  There are lots of other items that merits a post, but that will have to wait for now.  I really wanted to get this idea out that we can prosper as Americans, that progressive ideas are what led to the Internet and Microchip.  Progressive ideas will have to be what leads us out of this
catastrophic downturn.

Thanks for reading this far!
Go out there and build something!