Thanks for your last post Matt. It was an interesting read and I can tell you put a lot of thought into it.
I'm curious about your above quote from your post. My question is: What issues would a left wing politician support? and be against? What would their stance be on the current issues that were discussed at the Democratic debates: gun control, immigration, climate change, minimum wages, global trade, health care, abortion rights, civil rights, nuclear proliferation and anything else they talked about.
The first thing I'd mention is the priorities. Anti-war would be at the top of my list. Health care for all. Ending homelessness would be near the top, and I could argue for the other side, "You don't want those bums lowering your property costs". For example, if we guarantee housing for all (as well as the basics I mentioned along with education), we could be do away with a minimum wage. Maybe I'm discussing left-winged populism mixed with my ideas, but I might be considerate a moderate over immigration. There's 330 million people in the US for one, but I've read enough to believe that the wages of the working-class would remain stagnant. Yes, I've read stats that illegal immigrants commit less crime, but there's no record of those who do commit crime. If any one of us breaks the law, we get into trouble. Speaking of which, this for-profit prison system must end (Kamala)..
I also disagree with a few candidates and I'd give even rich people the same benefits. Because the minute someone decides to cut education for all, the rich would be fine anyway. I also think it sets a good example that we want educated people, because no man is an island. K-12 is covered in the US, what's so radical about K-16? Americans will never be able to compete in this global world when all the 1st world countries offer higher education (along with some 2nd world countries). They'd pay higher taxes, and we'd close so many loopholes. I'd also prefer to bail out the public, as opposed to corporate bail-outs.
I hate the idea of nuclear weapons, but those aren't kitchen table issues, and I don't think the world wants to blow it all up - there's no beneficiaries. I support Civil Rights, but I don't support affirmative action anymore. I think it only creates resentment, especially among minority groups within the working-class.
I was very anti-gun living in European countries, Australia, etc., but there are more guns than Americans, and so if one has the idea that everyone is armed, I can see why some would buy a gun, despite not wanting to. I know these mass shootings are horrible, but I wouldn't want some Patriot-Act lite. Especially when they blame mental illness and video games, ruining it for everyone else. As well as a loss of privacy.
When it comes to climate change, I'm mostly interested in clean water and air. I still think people need food before we tackle something like climate change, which would need a lot of cooperation and change, but I think using solar, hydro, windmills would be good, and then use other forms to make up "when the wind doesn't blow" like Trump likes to say. Speaking of Trump, he signed Criminal Justice reform, where Clinton did the opposite with Biden's help, as well as cutting welfare for so many to give that money (small amount) compared to helping big business.
I'm pro-abortion, and I think it shouldn't be an issue. I believe people have a right to their body. Every decision will have its consequences, and they'll have to deal with it.
I was pissed to hear Bill Maher (who I liked in the late 90s) but he's a phony. He actually wished for America to have a recession. "Its worth it", he said, thinking it would help someone beat Trump. Again, out of touch. Maybe HE can afford it, but the working people who are struggling is going to ditch him because of their own personal circumstances.
Unfortunately, so much talk is over issues that affect 1%, not that they aren't important, but when people are dying due to lack of health care, I'll stick with that first. I got so tired of all this toilet talk, but no worries, I'll install 7 toilets in my 500 sq. foot rented house. They KNOW you can't legislate kindness and understanding, so they keep throwing racism and identity politics in general to win over demographics, while doing nothing for them in reality.
I'm also big on Free Speech, and really can't stand all these anti-war voices being shut down, or any dissenting voices on the right. For many reasons. I want to try and understand them, see how their mind works, but its not about me. When you ban someone on Google/YouTube, Facebook, etc., there is no other public square. Millions of people won't even have a chance to judge. You can't have freedom and expect perfection. I also think as a result of all these bans and domain closures, millions of people who identify with the El Paso shooter's philosophy will say "See, they are shutting us down", which might backfire. I'm not as big on isms as I am with results. I don't like group think, and I think we have to do what is best for ourselves and those around us. What worked 50 years ago cannot work today because we lived in a different society. I've heard of automation dividends, and it sounds like a good idea. I also think as a result of this, people would cooperate, maybe have more respect for their fellow man, as blaming each other for the social ills. I also can't stand when partisans cheer certain outcomes because it makes "the other guy" look bad, when in fact, we ALL live in this country, and "bad things" affect everyone.