What do I Stand for?

Many of my readers may think that I am a closet Democrat.  They would be wrong, as for decades national Democrats have been nearly as corrupt as national Republicans.  A pox on both their houses!  Well, then, a closet liberal.  Closer, as many of my political positions are liberal ones.  Nevertheless, I have worn the conservative badge in my life; but we have needed progress more than tradition these last 40 or more years, especially as regards to equal rights for previously marginalized members of our greater society.  But I am not a liberal by today’s standards, or yesterday’s, close as I may be.  I have held, and still do, positions that would shock most Americans, positions that are not liberal or conservative.  For example, I want EVERY wage earner paying some federal income taxes; I do not like the idea of exempting so much income (via the Trump tax cut) that low wage earners pay nothing into the system, they become what may have lost Mitt Romney the presidency in 2012, "dependent" "victims."  If given the choice of who or what to kill – an eagle, falcon, tiger, lion, etc., or a human who is about to shoot one of these endangered creatures – without hesitation, I say kill the human (and I don’t care what the extenuating circumstances are, I have no sympathy whatever for savage humans who kill members of an endangered species for sport or kicks [hunters don't kill endangered species]).  And I care more about people in need than anyone who is financially healthy.  These are not personal preferences, these are political choices (I may have a wealthy friend who I like more than a homeless man, but I want government helping out the homeless dude, before my buddy).

Are there principles that explain ALL my political choices?  I think there are.  Unlike most people or most Americans, I do NOT vote my economic interest or my religious values, I do not vote what is good for me.  Read my piece on John Rawls for a discussion about how I think.  My first question is “does this political position benefit a needy person or a wealthy person?"  Always the needy, the wealthy can look out after himself.  More important than helping a needy person is helping my community.  More important than that is helping my nation.  More important than that is helping humanity.  More important than that is helping the world (includes other life forms not human – animal or vegetable).  The planet can look out for itself (so far!).  Where am I in this hierarchical list?  I am the guy who defines “good for,” “benefit,” “needy,” “help,” and “the world.”  And I care about the future more than the present (differing with most folks on this).  All of which explains why all my top issues are planetary (see this).

The stupidest thing that former speaker Paul Ryan ever said was: “we (Republicans) don’t want equality of outcomes, we want equality of opportunity.”  Why is this stupid?  Because no Republican for the past 25 years has sponsored any legislation that would tend to greater equality of opportunity.  I confess I do come down harder on Republicans than Democrats, but the reason is that they grab the microphone every chance they get and they aren't bashful about selling their snake oil, while Democrats seem to think that being quiet or just boasting of not being Republican is a winning strategy (and it is hard to write a whole essay attacking what is not spoken).

What triggered my wanting to examine myself and be extra clear with you about what I stand for is this: having just written a piece about reforming the Electoral College, I seem to have suggested a scheme that will be very hard on Democrats running for president.  In the 2000 and 2016 presidential elections, Democrats won the popular vote but lost the Electoral College (and the election).  My ideas about reform would have produced the same Republican winners, except that the Republican’s victory would have been even more decisive.  Going forward, given my scheme, close races for the presidency will always go to Republicans, as they are much more strong than Democrats in communities and states nationwide.  Republicans have made a point of working hard to win local and state elections across the nation (especially in cases where their political positions are totally nuts).  For "the Party of the People" to do less (to routinely ignore local races) speaks volumes.  I am not sympathetic to the political party with solutions that most Americans embrace that can’t seem to win elections – because they don’t care enough.

The King is dead, long live the King.