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Justice Democrats (1 Viewer)

NCCommish

Footballguy
I could have put this in the Bernie thread and done some preaching to the choir but I thought you know a lot of stuff here will interest people who may not read that thread so here we are.

The Justice Democrats movement is being spearheaded by online folks like Cenk Uygur and Bernie vets like Saikat Chakrabarti and Zack Exley who were the primary tech guys behind organizing at the local and state levels for Bernie.

The idea is to run candidates at every level that are truly about the people. Anyone who gains the support of JD must go Bernie funding wise refusing the legal bribery and running on a campaign that is crowd funded. This is the only way to get the movement we want in Washington. We must remove money from the equation. Or we all lose regardless of party.

Now I know some don't like Cenk or the Young Turks. Your call but this is bigger than that. If this works we could get back at least one party. Remember there was a time when Liberals were able to scare Nixon into creating the EPA and OSHA. And if Teddy didn't screw it up he would have put us on the road to single payer. And he tried to implement the beginning of a BIG. That's power and they did it because they represented the majority and the majority was in the streets. Well we are getting back into the street now it's time to get back into the capitol. It's time for policy to reflect the people not a few dozen rich guys.

Here's the platform they will be running on:
 

t’s time to face the facts: the Democratic Party is broken and the corporate, establishment wing of the party is responsible. Republicans now hold most state legislatures, most governorships, the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the presidency. So in 2018, hundreds of Justice Democrats will run a unified campaign to replace every corporate-backed member of Congress and rebuild the party from scratch. This is our plan.

Pass a constitutional amendment to put an end to Washington corruption and bring about election reform. Super PACs should be banned, private donations to politicians and campaigns should be banned, and a clean public financing system should be implemented to end the takeover of our government by corporations and billionaires. Americans deserve free and fair elections – free from the corruption of big money donors. The Supreme Court has effectively legalized bribery. It’s time for an Article 5 convention to take our democracy back from the brink of oligarchy. Prior to passing this amendment, all members of the Justice Party should reject billionaire and corporate donations when running for office to show the American people we don’t just talk the talk, we walk the walk. Ranked choice voting should also be implemented to make smaller parties a viable option. All provisions of the voting rights act should be reinstated, and gerrymandering for partisan gain should be banned.

Re-regulate Wall Street and hold white-collar criminals accountable. Despite engaging in systemic fraud and causing a subprime mortgage meltdown and the great recession, you can count the people from Wall Street who are in prison for their crimes on one hand. It’s time to prosecute the criminals, bring back Glass-Steagall, and re-regulate Wall Street to prevent another crash. Prison is not just for the poor and the middle class anymore. We will have cops on Wall Street, not just Main Street.

End billionaire and corporate tax dodging, fix the system to benefit middle-class and poor people. Corporations dodge $450 billion a year in taxes by using offshore tax havens. We should end this injustice, as well as chain the capital gains tax to the income tax, increase the estate tax, and implement the Buffet rule so that no millionaire CEO pays less in taxes than his or her secretary. It’s time for a tax system that benefits the middle-class and the poor, and makes the top 1% and multinational corporations pay their fair share.

Defend free speech and expression. We support the right to express unpopular opinions without fear of censorship. We support free speech on college campuses. The marketplace of ideas should be embraced. A vibrant debate is healthy for democracy, and we should cherish our first amendment. We also support net neutrality for a free and open internet.

Oppose bigotry. We must speak out against racism, sexism, xenophobia, and all forms of bigotry. Non-discrimination protections that currently apply to race, religion, and gender should be expanded to include the LGBTQ community and the atheist community. Making all Americans equal is not asking for special privileges, it’s asking for the rule of law – justice and equality for all as outlined in the United States Constitution.

Make the minimum wage a living wage and tie it to inflation. This is about justice and basic human decency. If you work hard and you work full time you shouldn’t live in poverty.

Ensure universal healthcare as a right. The United States should catch up to every other modern nation and implement a single-payer, medicare-for-all system. There’s no reason we can’t be #1 in the world instead of #37. It’s time to end the destruction of American healthcare by rapacious, price gouging, for-profit, private health insurance middlemen.

Ensure universal education as a right. Educating the citizenry of a nation pays dividends in the long run, with the economy getting back much more than is initially put in. Crushing student debt for higher education would no longer burden young men and women trying to improve their lives through hard work. We should strive to have the best education system in the world.

End unnecessary wars and nation building. The United States maintains 800 military bases worldwide at a cost of $100 billion a year, this is money that can be spent at home creating jobs, rebuilding infrastructure, and investing in the future of the people. The disastrous war in Iraq cost trillions, the war in Afghanistan is 15 years in with no end in sight, and we’re currently bombing 7 different countries. We spend more on our military than the next 8 countries combined. Despite countless lives lost and destroyed, terrorism has only gotten worse. It’s time to end the wars and the perverse monetary-incentive structure that makes politicians flippant about sending young men and women to die. Unilateral U.S. military force should only be used as a last resort to defend the nation. The current budget could be cut drastically if we used our department of defense for what it was intended – defending us, instead of waging interventionist wars.

End the failed war on drugs. The goal is legalization, taxation, and regulation. Prohibition only makes drug cartels more powerful, increases crime, and makes drugs more dangerous due to lack of enforced safety standards. What you put in your body is your own business, and your right. A free society should allow individuals to make their own choices about their bodies. While most users are recreational and moderate, rehabilitation and treatment should be available for people struggling with addiction. Additionally, those serving time for non-violent drug offenses should be pardoned.

Create the new new deal. Our infrastructure gets a grade of D from the Society of Civil Engineers. The government should invest billions in rebuilding our crumbling roads, bridges, schools, levees, airports etc. There’s no reason why we can’t have the world’s #1 infrastructure.

Create the renewable energy revolution. Scientists are sounding the alarm on climate change. In order to avoid the worst case scenario and a dystopian future we need a massive green revolution. It’s time to drastically and immediately move away from fossil fuels and develop the technologies of the future. This will be a giant boon to both the private and public sector, as well as a necessary response to a global crisis. We can and we must be #1 in sustainable energy production in the world.

Block the TPP and all outsourcing deals that will further damage the middle-class. As a result of NAFTA, CAFTA, PNTR with China and the WTO, Americans have lost millions of decent paying jobs. It’s time to end the race to the bottom and renegotiate these rigged deals that only benefit elites. We should not sacrifice our sovereignty, the only people who are allowed to make laws for the United States should be the American people, not multinational corporations.

End Constitutional overreaches. Ban the NSA from bulk data-collection and warrantless spying. Shut down Guantanamo Bay and all extrajudicial prisons. Prosecute torturers and those who violated the Geneva Conventions, Nuremberg Tribunal, International law and US law. Return habeas corpus and due process. We shouldn’t be leading from behind on human rights, we must be the home of liberty. We should practice the values we preach.

Ban arming human rights violators. We recently gave Saudi Arabia billions in weapons and watched the civilian death toll in their vicious bombing campaign in Yemen tick up. We continue sending Egypt arms as they violently crack down on peaceful protesters. Israel received $38 billion in aid and promptly announced new settlements. The first step to peace is not enabling nations who regularly violate international law. We must be bold enough to stand up to human rights violators who aren’t just our enemies, but our allies. We don’t weaken our allies by holding them accountable, we strengthen them.

Enact common-sense gun regulation. 92% of Americans want expanded background checks, 54% want a ban on assault weapons, and 54% want a ban on high capacity magazines. This should be implemented along with a federal gun buyback program to cut down on the 300+ million firearms in circulation. Over 30,000 Americans die every year from gun violence, including over 10,000 homicides. The time to act is now to address this public health crisis.

Ensure paid vacation time, sick time, maternity leave, childcare. The United States is one of just three countries in the world that doesn’t offer paid maternity leave, the others being Oman and Papua New Guinea. We are the only industrialized nation that doesn’t offer paid vacation time. This should be changed immediately.

Abolish the death penalty. Humans are fallible, we’ll never get the right answer 100% of the time. 4% of the people on death row are not guilty of a crime and have been wrongly convicted. A system that puts innocent people to death is indefensible and should be reformed. We want justice for the American people but killing innocent people on death row is the exact opposite.
So if that interests you you can go to justicedemocrats.com and sign up, maybe donate, maybe volunteer. Maybe you know someone who has these values and would make a good Congressman for example but they just know they don't want to climb into the cesspool to raise money. Well here's a chance to not get in the mud and still serve the people. So nominate them.

It's time for there to be two parties again and it's past time for one of them to represent people who don't have billions. Let's do it.

 
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I've believed for a while that the solution to desires for change is not voter turnout but running more and better candidates believing in reform.

 
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I've believed for a while that the solution to desires for change are not voter turnout but running more and better candidates believing in reform.
I think doing that will lead to better voter turnout. Why should I turn out to choose between Republican lite and full flavored Republican? Neither represents me and neither does **** for me.

 
And if you don't like this because of the personalities that's fine. Do it yourself. Become involved. Become a ward captain for example. Or campaign for someone you think is better than the largely bought and paid for whores we have now. But no matter your political persusasion you must know this system is broken. It isn't serving you. It isn't serving the best interest of this country. Make some change starting with you.

 
If they can keep this from getting hijacked by whackjobs like the Tea Party did, I wish you luck.

 
This populist move liberals are taking against free trade saddens me.  I'm pretty much for the rest of the platform although they get a little too torches-and-pitchforky against big business.

 
This populist move liberals are taking against free trade saddens me.  I'm pretty much for the rest of the platform although they get a little too torches-and-pitchforky against big business.
When we start doing more to help those who are ruined by these huge trade deals I'll be on board for them. But when they essentially mean we take profitable companies with productive workers and we incentivize them to move to dirt poor countries so they can make a few more bucks off the people they just dumped, that has to stop.

 
I don't believe any of it is pie in the sky. It's all pretty reasonable and doable.
except this part

Pass a constitutional amendment to put an end to Washington corruption and bring about election reform. Super PACs should be banned, private donations to politicians and campaigns should be banned, and a clean public financing system should be implemented to end the takeover of our government by corporations and billionaires. Americans deserve free and fair elections – free from the corruption of big money donors. The Supreme Court has effectively legalized bribery. It’s time for an Article 5 convention to take our democracy back from the brink of oligarchy. Prior to passing this amendment, all members of the Justice Party should reject billionaire and corporate donations when running for office to show the American people we don’t just talk the talk, we walk the walk. Ranked choice voting should also be implemented to make smaller parties a viable option. All provisions of the voting rights act should be reinstated, and gerrymandering for partisan gain should be banned.


you are asking/expecting these people to basically end the way they earn their (very nice) living on their own and go back to the days when civil servants were simply 'wards' of their district. 

It will never happen, no matter how much protesting. I don't see a point in time when the majority of the sitting politicians go "you know what, you're right, we all suck and we are gonna change that."

 

 
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I think maternity leave makes sense . Paid sick & vacation doesn't seem feasible 
Why isn't something every other industrialized nation in the world has doable here? We are the richest country the planet has ever known. Our corporations enjoy record profits year over year. And we can't do what every other advanced country does? I have to disagree. There may currently not be the political will but it is doable.

 
except this part

you are asking/expecting these people to basically end the way they earn their (very nice) living on their own and go back to the days when civil servants were simply 'wards' of their district. 

It will never happen, no matter how much protesting. I don't see a point in time when the majority of the sitting politicians go "you know what, you're right, we all suck and we are gonna change that."

 
That's why this movement is about getting the guys attached to the teat out. You're right the sitting pols aren't going to change unless it comes from political survival. That's where we have to get them.

 
This movement rings hollow coming from the people on the left who campaigned against Hillary all the way up until November 8.  Not sure you realize what a heap of #### we're in.  

 
Trump ran as a populist. Let's see what he delivers.
This is the only thing that hurts - I expected the rest, because America always gets the president it deserves.

The progession of progressivism - from the brick & mortar violent interventions of early labor struggles, thru Marxist/Leninist/Trotskyite dabbles w Socialism/Communism, Hoovervilles and economic justice, social activism, civil rights, counter-culture, folk songs & freak shows, was supposed to be paid off (according to a triumverate of midwestern Senators Harold Hughes, and pre-candidate Gene McCarthy & George McGovern) with a swell of electoral liberalism that made America the beacon of peace & prosperity we hoped it would be. But the Vietnam War & resulting protests consumed that movement and polarized American society and it was the reactionaries who got the populist victory, almost 50 yrs later.

I applaud attempts to Tea Party the left. Don't have much expectation, because 1) the thing the right never understands is that moderate & leftist America - all defined as equal enemies when they are not - seldom wants to gather and make rules and charge dues and know precisely what everyone stands for and 2) most of the people who identify with an actual left these days are as dazzlingly reactive & ridiculous as their opposition. But justice is justice, and the means of it must be won - diligently & vigilantly - from those who would defeat it for personal interest & gain. Party on, Garths!

 
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Protectionism + wage controls is such a gross policy mix. If they ditch the anti-trade rhetoric and adopt UBI I'd be more or less behind the rest of the platform.

 
You think free college education is doable?
Yeah I do. It wasn't that long ago that state colleges in this country were virtually free. Some were free. Heck California was free until just about 30 years ago and as late as the mid-90s it was less than 5000 a year it's now over 20000. What changed? We diverted tax dollars to other priorities. Not just in California but nationally largely as part of the almighty tax cut. And still we could do it. But our priorities are completely out of whack. No one ever asks how we'll afford that bomb.

 
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Protectionism + wage controls is such a gross policy mix. If they ditch the anti-trade rhetoric and adopt UBI I'd be more or less behind the rest of the platform.
Not anti-trade. Anti screwing over American workers. Make it so these trade deals come with investments in communities and workers to offset the losses. Make it so they have adequate environmental protections. Make it so that we don't give up our sovereignty. Then we can talk. Until then they are just giveaways to a handful of people while everyone else just gets bent over.

 
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Investing in America will always outsense affording the resultant problems. That is the progress the Great Divide interrupted.

 
President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed executive actions to advance approval of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines.
Yep - no difference between Repubs and Dems.  

 
I was mocked by the Dem establishment types here when I said it was a matter of time before the fracture in the dem party got big enough to fire off the liberal version of the GOP "tea party".  

 
Not anti-freeze. Anti screwing over American workers. Make it so these trade deals come with investments in communities and workers to offset the losses. Make it so they have adequate environmental protections. Make it so that we don't give up our sovereignty. Then we can talk. Until then they are just giveaways to a handful of people while everyone else just gets bent over.
I'm all for addressing the uneven distributional effects of trade but would prefer to do it by simply addressing the distribution, and not adopting policies that hurt all American consumers (the main beneficiaries of trade) in an attempt to help targeted groups of labor that are just likely to be automated out of the economy as they are to be displaced by foreign workers. 

 
Protectionism + wage controls is such a gross policy mix. If they ditch the anti-trade rhetoric and adopt UBI I'd be more or less behind the rest of the platform.
and I'm not sure this is a fair label either.  It seems to me, we should be all in on as "free" of a trade deal as possible as long as it is benefiting the individuals.  The problem is, and always has been, that the deals aren't individual focused.  They are business focused.  This requires the businesses to "do the right thing" with regard to their worker bees.  That hasn't been happening.  They are doing the right thing for their bottom lines and stock holders.  That leaves the worker bees in the cold.  People are clearly tired of being left in the cold.

Legislation seems to be the only way to get to that point.  Good luck having the politicians biting the hands feeding them.

 
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Those of us in the center are being pushed out of the way as both political parties chase the extremes. This is another example of that phenomenon. 

 
I was mocked by the Dem establishment types here when I said it was a matter of time before the fracture in the dem party got big enough to fire off the liberal version of the GOP "tea party".  
I don't recall mocking you, but I did disagree with you on this. I was wrong. I also saw this division coming, but not for many years down the road.

 
You think free college education is doable?
Why wouldn't it be? Plenty of Republicans ran with a platform of increased military spending and upper class tax cuts over the next 10 years that would far outweigh the cost of free tuition over that same period. 

If they think we can afford that stuff then why can't a candidate that is not going to spend that money spend half as much on tuition? 

 
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Those of us in the center are being pushed out of the way as both political parties chase the extremes. This is another example of that phenomenon. 
Actually those policies listed still have majority support of the American people. Jizt like.They sis when Bernie ran on them. They are not extreme they are very much mainstream main street policies. It's you who isn't quite as center as he thinks.

 
and I'm not sure this is a fair label either.  It seems to me, we should be all in on as "free" of a trade deal as possible as long as it is benefiting the individuals.  The problem is, and always has been, that the deals aren't individual focused.  They are business focused.  This requires the businesses to "do the right thing" with regard to their worker bees.  That hasn't been happening.  They are doing the right thing for their bottom lines and stock holders.  That leaves the worker bees in the cold.  People are clearly tired of being left in the cold.
You and NC are correct, anti-trade isn't the right way to phrase that. In my opinion though "fair" trade is basically a way of saying - "we won't accept these benefits of the trade deal unless we get these other set of benefits or you (trading partner) don't agree to other things that are probably better for you in the long run anyway."

That's not to say it wouldn't be better if say China was more open with their markets as part of our agreements, but I don't think it's worth giving up the massive benefits to our economy that we get from trading with China to force them to do so. As I said up above, I agree that we haven't done enough to address the distributional problems that have come along with globalization and technology (two sides of the same coin really). I'd just prefer we address that as part of more general redistribution --> Universal Basic Income, Universal Health Coverage, Education, etc. 

 
I don't recall mocking you, but I did disagree with you on this. I was wrong. I also saw this division coming, but not for many years down the road.
This division has always been there, and anti-intellectualism on the left is just as dangerous as it is on the right.  

NCC and I agree on 99% of the issues. I disagree strongly with his purity tests and his demonization of incremental progress.   

 
Actually those policies listed still have majority support of the American people. Jizt like.They sis when Bernie ran on them. They are not extreme they are very much mainstream main street policies. It's you who isn't quite as center as he thinks.
Whether I'm center or not (that's all relative I suppose) I'm still being pushed out by both parties.

And as I wrote the other day, I am attracted to Bernie, recently, and next time I might vote for him or someone like him. We'll see. But that doesn't mean I want you to pull a Tea Party in reverse and primary everybody who disagrees with you, because I can see that's where this is heading.

 
Still don't like the idea of free college education. It's not fair, imo, to those paid for it already and I think it lowers the value of all degrees because degrees would now be easier to obtain. There would be a lot of things to be considered to make it okay in my eyes.

 
I'm all for addressing the uneven distributional effects of trade but would prefer to do it by simply addressing the distribution, and not adopting policies that hurt all American consumers (the main beneficiaries of trade) in an attempt to help targeted groups of labor that are just likely to be automated out of the economy as they are to be displaced by foreign workers. 
What's that benefit again? Cheap crap made by workers who have to be practically imprisoned? Have to have suicide prevention fences but up so they don't jump to their death? And that those prison camp factories kill.whole towns here? That benefit? Or maybe it's the relatively small number of people who get extraordinarily rich while around 50% of this country is unable to cover a 500.00 emergency. I'll pay more for a shirt made here by Americans. 

 
Whether I'm center or not (that's all relative I suppose) I'm still being pushed out by both parties.

And as I wrote the other day, I am attracted to Bernie, recently, and next time I might vote for him or someone like him. We'll see. But that doesn't mean I want you to pull a Tea Party in reverse and primary everybody who disagrees with you, because I can see that's where this is heading.
So instead we should vote for people who have no intention of doing what we want? Sorry not happening. The Clinton's and their blue dogs got their turn and they certainly pushed out liberals. While destroying the party along the way. They failed miserably. They didn't protect workers, they didn't protect the poor, they protected Wall Street. The wheel turns and now someone else is pushing. And it's well overdue.

 
Still don't like the idea of free college education. It's not fair, imo, to those paid for it already and I think it lowers the value of all degrees because degrees would now be easier to obtain. There would be a lot of things to be considered to make it okay in my eyes.
I would hope we could do some.kind.of loan forgiveness. But to stand in the way of something good for someone because it wasn't available to you isn't a good look

 
This division has always been there, and anti-intellectualism on the left is just as dangerous as it is on the right.  

NCC and I agree on 99% of the issues. I disagree strongly with his purity tests and his demonization of incremental progress.   
Incremental change is the ultimate statement of privilege. As far as purity goes it's simple. Do you vote for your donors or for main street? That's pretty close to it for.politicians. For journalists it's are you truthful or a mouthpiece? I have no patience for parrots.

 
What's that benefit again? Cheap crap made by workers who have to be practically imprisoned? Have to have suicide prevention fences but up so they don't jump to their death? And that those prison camp factories kill.whole towns here? That benefit? Or maybe it's the relatively small number of people who get extraordinarily rich while around 50% of this country is unable to cover a 500.00 emergency. I'll pay more for a shirt made here by Americans. 
You are really underselling the degree to which average Americans benefit from trade w/China. Have a smart phone? Guess why we can pretty much all afford them? Big screen TV? Same. Families that have multiple kids they need to buy clothes for? Think they want to pay 50-100% more for everything they buy? It's also not just a handful of people who have jobs or have become extraordinarily rich through trade. 

I'm obviously not going to broadly defend Chinese labor policy but standards of living have gone up significantly in China and absolute poverty has fallen precipitously.  This is largely a direct result of globalism and is true of most developing economies in the world. 

 
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two-to-four year public service option followed by future tax exemption (actually, a strong, punitive tax penalty for opting out) and free bachelor's education has always been one of my favorite public proposals.

 

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