Obama and the Democrats have come sweeping in. Now what? All those fundamental liberal democratic rights which we have been fighting to maintain throughout these past dark years of GOP dominance are now suddenly of much lesser urgency for activists.
Obama and the Democrats have already agreed to the following policies:
- Prevent the militarization of outer space.
- Prudent withdrawl from Iraq
- Expand public service opportunities
- United States Public Service Academy
- Carbon Tax
- Ease Transition to Single-Payer Health Insurance
- Legalize and Fund Stem Cell Research
- Protect NASA funding for basic research
- Close Gitmo and End Torture
- End Warrant-less Wiretapping
- Repeal PATRIOT Act
- Repeal Bush’s cuts on the Estate Tax and upper tax brackets
- Re-regulate the financial markets
- Limit the power of lobbyists and special interests
- Government transparency
- Protect Abortion Rights
- Class-based, not race-based, Affirmative Action
- Negotiate international environmental agreements (but not Kyoto,
unfortunately)
Should we continue to rail about the same old stuff? Or just give up? NO!
I have compiled a list of issues which activists should pursue, some of which are taken from Charlie Stross’s list. However, my list is ranked by priority. We want to prioritize issues of high utility, attainability, and obscurity. Feel free to add your own issues and rank them accordingly, or critique this ranking method.
—————
U = Utility (1-10)
A = Attainability (1-10)
O = Obscurity (1-10)
—————
Prizes for Technology Commons (U=9 A=6 O=8) 23
Competition and rewarding innovation are the bedrocks of technological advancement under capitalism. However, some urgent areas are in need of a boost, such as fuel efficiency, biotechnology, alternative energy, and space technology. There have already been successful prizes through NASA and DARPA for robot cars and space elevators, why not ramp up and extend this idea? The X Prize Foundation is another good example of such an endeavor. Unfortunately, all of these competitions did not require the resulting technological breakthroughs to be open to all through the Public Domain, despite the public funding. Why not start a billion dollar prize for energy efficient motors, instead of paying vastly more down the road to bailout our environment?
Create a similar prize for Cultured Meat, considering that the UN shows that the meat industry is more harmful on the environment than all of our cars put together. (PETA already made a million dollar prize, but it is not nearly enough, and doesn’t specify Public Domain)
Tax breaks for PC vendors who distribute Open Source software (U=6 A=8 O=9) 23
Open Source software is the vanguard of the new revolutionary decentralized mode of production which will characterize post-scarcity society. The sooner it becomes the dominant platform for desktop users, in addition to its current stronghold in the server sector, then this new model will become much more broadly understood. This will in turn decrease transaction costs and technology costs making society more productive, since we will have even better software than before, yet pay no money for the software itself.
Georgist Land Value Taxes (U=8 A=5 O=9) 22
The property tax is a crucial policy for boosting innovation and preventing land from going to waste, but it needs to be a tax upon the land itself and not improvements. As property taxes now stand, they discourage land improvement. A georgist land value tax would make hoarding land in unproductive ways unprofitable, thus boosting the efficiency of land distribution. It also limits the amount of hardship rent places on labor and productivity, and allows for a collective benefit from land, which is a common resource. This policy would likely entail increasing the proportion of taxation coming from property taxes, lowering other taxes, and would be a fair way of funding a Basic Income.
Stronger Overtime Laws (U=8 A=7 O=6) 21
A good combination with the Basic Income. As productivity increases, we should all share in the fruits by reduced labor.
Basic Income (U=10 A=3 O=8) 21
The single highest-utility government policy that could be enacted. A Basic Income helps promote a post-scarcity society. It invigorates civil society and frees us from wage slavery. It also removes the perverse incentives created by need-based welfare. It also obsoletes the current pay-as-you go Social Security set up. Could be paid for through some of the other policies recommended here which cut spending or boost tax revenue. All citizens over the age of 18 and all immigrants who have resided for longer than 10 years should receive the Basic Income.(Obscurity increasing as the Palin “spread the wealth” issue fades from memory)
Intellectual Property Tax (U=9 A=3 O=8) 20
All revenues from Intellectual Property must pay a fee to register with the government, and then must pay a flat tax upon all revenue from that intellectual property. If the government is going to defend one’s state-sponsored monopoly, one must expect to pay for this privilege. Clearly this would change copyrights from an opt-out to an opt-in system. Also, this must be coupled with Intellectual Property reform to get rid of ridiculous “business method” patents, algorithm patents, obvious patents, and other such abuses of the system.
Boost Estate Tax (U=7 A=6 O=6) 19
Estate taxes prevent the inter-generational centralization of wealth. Taxes are horrible, but if someone has to be taxed, rich dead people are surely at the top of the list. Even Warren Buffet, the richest man in the world, recognizes this. There was a time when there were whole countries controlled by a class that existed purely through inherited wealth, rather than productive activity. This was known as the aristocracy. Let it remain in the dustbin of history. This requires going further than just repealing Bush’s cuts.
Stop Subsidizing Unsustainable Agriculture (U=9 A=3 O=6) 18
The subsidized corn industry in the US is harming the economies of other countries, resulting in food crises, and diverting the use of perfectly good food towards the production of horribly unsustainable “biofuels.” Furthermore, it is keeping unhealthy fast foods at artificially low prices since most of it contains corn syrup or corn-fed animal products.
Ethical Consumerism in Government (U=7 A=5 O=5) 17
The government has enormous buying power as a virtual monopsony. Why not use this to mandate strict energy efficiency standards and promote sustainable modes of production and alternative energy. All newly purchased government vehicles, even aircraft, should meet very strict fuel standards. All government computers should use Open Source software and all government agencies should release all information in open formats. Strong human rights standards for employees must be met for all government suppliers and contractors. Healthier foods in all publicly owned facilities is also urgent.
Cut Military Spending (U=8 A=6 O=3) 17
The United States accounts for 50% of all military expenditure, and most of it goes toward bloated and useless programs like SDI. These expenses could be cut in half, freeing up enormous amounts of money for social programs and infrastructure which are currently decaying from lack of funding.
Single-Payer Healthcare Insurance System (with vouchers) (U=9 A=5 O=2) 16
The collective bargaining power of government can reduce medical costs considerably and also immensely reduce the paperwork mess that is the US medical system. Canada has proved vastly superior to us in both those respects, and is considered to actually be saving money through their system. By taking profit out of the equation, this will this stop insurance companies from denying coverage for any reason or no reason at all. This will also encourage preventative treatment, since it would save the government money. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
Accounting for Externalities (U=4 A=7 O=4) 15
The most-discussed untaxed externality is currently CO2. Many have proposed a Carbon Tax, or more convoluted schemes that amount to the same thing. A Carbon Tax would be a great idea, and Obama has actually agreed to this, but there are many other examples. Simple policies like taxing plastic bags, say a nickel a bag, could cut down immensely on the unsustainable packaging that is used. If a single-payer healthcare system is enacted, “sin taxes” upon cigarettes would be seen as more justifiable, and other taxes upon alcohol and so forth could be considered. If marijuana was legalized, the same could be true for that.
Prosecute White Collar Criminals (U=6 A=5 O=4) 15
All predatory lenders, insider traders, fraudsters, corrupt bureaucrats, and those who improperly funneled bailout money should be put on trial and imprisoned.
The End of Poverty (U=10 A=2 O=2) 14
Cost-effective and decentralized solutions for eliminating extreme poverty like vitamins, iodized salt, condoms, and mosquito nets are at the top of the list for those interested in alleviating extreme poverty and suffering. Other good ideas like the LifeStraw are being put forth. The Democrats actually have talked about this and consulted with Jeffrey Sachs and other experts. Furthermore, there is tons of non-profit attention given to this. Yet, considering the low commitment to previous “Millenium Goals” perhaps more activist prodding is required, though compared with other goals, which can indirectly aid this goal, activist resources might be best utilized elsewhere.
Legalize Pot (U=5 A=2 O=3) 10
The time has come. The war on pot is a horrible waste of resources, prison space, border patrol, and so forth. Let it become a regulated industry like tobacco that can generate taxes and legal economic activity, as opposed to breeding an outlaw culture. Considering the low but increasing attainability, I think this is more of a long term goal.
Prosecute War Criminals (U=4 A=3 O=2) 9
All warmongers and torturers should be put on trial and imprisoned. This includes Bush. If we don’t…. talk about a Moral Hazard. It would be worse than Ford’s pardon of Nixon. Yet, the amount of persistent pressure needed, in light of strong special interests pushing the other way, is immense. Perhaps other policies which attack the root of special interest power would be more effective.
————
We certainly still need to keep tabs on the policies which the Democrats have already agreed to, and perhaps the next good project would be to calculate the likelihood each of these Democrat promises will be kept, and the amount of pressure that needs to be consistently maintained. Given limited activist resources, knowing this information is urgent.
IEET Blog