Your Thoughts Exactly

I am such a nice guy, that I am going to give the Democrats my political platform before I can even use it to run for the House, which I am planning on doing by age 30. The biggest issue to people today is security, whether security from evil terrorists who want to kill us while we are driving to Starbucks in our SUV’s or security with regards to future economic welfare. The Democratic Party should focus on fusing the needs of people for security with the positive traditional ideals associated with their history: equal opportunity, championing the cause of the less powerful, and protecting personal freedom. The central message should be one of protecting people’s security for the future. I would run on three main party policy objectives

Objective 1: International Security. The biggest short-term threat to the United States is terrorism, in terms of who is most likely to cause casualties on U.S. soil within the next five years. Moreover the terrorist threat is what resonates most with the American people right now. The Democratic strategy should be two pronged: 1) focusing on Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda as the primary enemy, as they have attacked the U.S. successfully, 2) Reminding everyone that diverting forces to Iraq is diverting forces away from the main threat. If the Democrats are able to get into power before capturing Bin Laden, and then capture him, that would alleviate concerns of their weakness on terrorism.
While attention would have to be paid to terrorist threats, international security for the future requires stricter monitoring of the rest of the world. The Middle East has a lot of oil, but it houses fewer threats to U.S. hegemony than any region of the world besides Africa. We are wasting our time and resources rebuilding two fourth rate countries, and losing focus on more important strategic areas like East Asia. The rise of China is of great importance, and while the Chinese military isn’t even strong enough to take over Taiwan, they will be soon. The Democrats should formulate a world diplomacy plan for each region. I would advocate maintaining relations with Europe as an important, although fading part of the world, taking a more active role in intra-Asia politics to keep Asian regionalism from strengthening, and trying to increase regional ties with the rest of the Americas by championing the rapidly growing Hispanic character of the United States. Overall I would like to see a shift in the perception of the U.S. from a “North Atlantic” state to an “American” state.

Objective 2: Health Security. Tens of millions of people do not have healthcare. The Democrats should focus on providing universal healthcare coverage. Almost every other major Western country has universal healthcare, despite the fact that many of these countries spend less of a total percentage of their GDP on healthcare than we do. More importantly, frame healthcare as a matter of security: security to new parents, security for the uninsured of underinsured, security for those moving into old age, likely to have greater health problems. Say things like “As the Democratic Party in the 21st century, we believe every person should be secure in knowing that we will be there when you have health problems.” What can the Republicans say to that without sounding unconcerned with the needs of populace?

Objective 3: The security of our future. The federal government needs to take a more active role in education, through providing schools with aid to hire teachers, making the job a more attractive position. There also needs to be a revision of the curriculum requirements to be more in line with the 21st century world. In addition, I propose a 2 year Civil Service requirement following completion of high school, which will be rewarded with grants for higher education. The Civil Service would require one year of aid the U.S., in a different part of the country than one’s own. Thus rural farm boys would be sent to help with poor urban development, and rich yuppie children would be sent to works projects in rural Louisiana. This would help bring future generations together by exposing them to different parts of our country. The second year could be spent in the U.S., or preferably, abroad, providing aid in third world countries.

On issues such as the environment, frame Democrats responses within the “security of the future,” value ideal. Environmental protections are important for the security of the future. Fiscal responsibility (raising rich people’s taxes to help pay a giant debt) is important for future economic security.

On social issues, focus on the equal opportunity and the future. Gay Marriage amendments contradict the values of the Democratic Party and are holdovers of the close-mindedness of the past, not the open-mindedness of the future.

So there is your platform Dems. Now get cracking.