Fiscal responsibility is essential to the long-term strength and prosperity of our country. Steps to reduce the deficit and move toward a balanced budget are steps in the right direction. Economic discussions must include frank discussions of economic externalities. These externalities must be honestly identified and some plan for meeting their costs has to be established. For example, if fracking is being advocated, then the full effects on the environment, along with the consumption of the resource must be accounted for. This may require establishing effective environmental regulations, careful choice of fracking fluids, planning for the restoration of polluted water, restoration of lands, and creation of an annuity to offset the rapid consumption of a nonrenewable natural resource. In addition, the simplistic nature of many prevalent economic models must be acknowledged and corrected. For example, GDP is clearly a poor indicator of wellbeing, and myths about the effects of certain macroeconomic actions, such as trickle down theories, need to be abandoned.
Use the tax code only to raise revenue, not to shape a social or cultural agenda. Simplify the tax code dramatically to include only reasonable definitions of income and a progressive tax rate on that income. This simplification will make taxation transparent and much fairer. At the same time we need to migrate to a system where we tax what we want less of, such as pollution and financial speculation, rather than what we want more of, such as work that create lasting value.
Recognize that tax policy and spending decisions simultaneously
affect macro-economic status such as growth rate, employment rate, inflation, and
the deficit. Only a broad discussion of the many effects of any policy proposal,
rather focusing on only one effect, is a fair representation of that policy.
Government regulations may be good or bad, depending on the protections
they provide and the interest they serve. They are often an effective countermeasure
to economic externalities. For example,
regulations that preserve clean air and water are essential protections against
exploitation of these common
goods by private interests. Move
toward fewer regulations when this can be done safely. Don’t add regulations
that unfairly protect special interests, including various corporate subsidies.
Deciding on the size of government is less important than deciding on the role of government. Certainly legislating restrictions on sexual expression between consenting adults is not a role of government and it certainly is not a role of small government. Reduce even military spending to the level needed to defend our country. Rely more heavily on diplomacy and promoting peace. Don’t use military spending primarily as a mechanism for subsidizing military contracts.
Embrace moral
virtues based on principles that transcend
religious dogma. Promote democracy, not theocracy. Religious dogma is
fundamentally inconsistent among the various religious traditions and is therefore
divisive rather than unifying. When calling
attention to the importance of values, take care to
identify what particular values are being advocated.
Recognize that contraception prevents abortion. Reducing unintended
pregnancies improves woman’s health, strengthens families, and reduces the
incidence of abortions. This is an important common ground. Advocate
birth control.
Promote good faith—the virtue
of honesty. Advancing falsehoods,
distortions, and misleading information is wrong, even if it is used to defend
or promote a strongly held ideology. Increase fidelity to consistently
align what is, what is believed, what is said, and what was said. If promoting
a particular ideology requires compromising the truth, abandon or modify that
ideology.
Because facts define the political center, it is important to
assimilate reality more quickly:
- Denial resists positive change; it certainly is not leadership. When facts challenge a particular worldview, ideology, or agenda, then these conceptual models must assimilate this new information and change to align with reality. When the facts differ from the ideology, go with the facts and abandon that ideology.
- Embrace settled science, especially including the age of the universe, the age of the earth, the history of the dinosaurs, the evolution of the species including humans, and the threat of global warming.
- Acknowledge and plan for reaching limits to ecological growth and limits to economic growth.
- Welcome our increasingly diverse population including Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, homosexuals, Muslims, self-reliant women, and so many others who bring their rich cultural heritage to this country.
- Remain curious and open to new ideas, discoveries, and experiences.
- Recognize false dichotomies as logical fallacies. Pursue solutions on common ground rather than restricting ideas to only one pole or the other.
- Seek simplicity while rejecting simplistic thinking.
