General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhat to do in America if the Democrats win:
I stole this from someone on Reddit, and I don't know how to give proper credit. The only thing I would add to his list is to eliminate the filibuster.
First, immediately reverse every executive order that Donald Trump has put into place. Make it a full day of signing new executive orders.
Second. Immediately announce a series of judges for consideration for for new slots on the Supreme Court. These judges must be interviewed and approved within the first 6 to 8 months of the Biden administration. The GOP is claiming that 40 days is enough to confirm justices, so that means 160 days should be enough for these four.
Third. Immediately re-enter the Paris climate accord, and re-institute the Iran deal. In addition move swiftly to repair relations with allies that Trump alienated.
Fourth. Establish a task force that goes aggressively after every state that has created impediments to voting rights. The department of justice needs to create a task force that has no mercy in striking down anti-voting laws and/or putting them up if necessary before the newly constructed 13 Member Supreme Court with four newly appointed liberal judges.
Fifth. Establish and lock down full protection for women's rights to their own body, including abortion. Establish that federal funds can support this effort and create severe jail time penalties for any public official who tries to thwart the right of a woman to control her own body.
Sixth. Immediately reverse the Trump tax giveaway to corporations and claw back as much of the tax give away as possible. Create strict penalties for any corporation that causes an American to lose his or her job to outsourcing. Re-institute the consumer protection agency and populate it with officials who will aggressively prosecute corporations who violate the trust of the American consumer. Jail terms for severe violators.
Seven. Immediately legislate to aggressively turn America into a carbon neutral nation by 2040.
Eight. Move the American Embassy in Israel back to where it was before Trump moved it
Nine. Establish a special agency to oversee the security of our election system, including severe penalties for all Russian officials who have been prior involved in attacking our democracy. The same penalties should apply to any other nation that attempts to interfere with our democracy by corrupting our voting process.
10. Condemn China's mistreatment of its Uighur population and the actions that it has taken in Hong Kong. At the same time, remove China's most favored nation status and reestablish American ties with allies in the far pacific regions.
11. Establish free public education at the post secondary level at public institutions in every state. Move quickly to eliminate or reduce all current student debt. Pay for this by increased taxation of the super-rich and corporations.
12. Create a special department within the department of justice to investigate crimes committed during the Trump administration. Prosecute those crimes aggressively and make sure that anyone who has violated criminal laws be prosecuted and jailed for them. This includes Donald Trump, any member of his adult family or administration or public official or member of Congress who committed illegal acts in an effort to upend our democracy.
13. Immediately move toward increasing the health and viability of our universal healthcare system with a goal to making it completely functional and free for all citizens. Put legislation into place that's so integrates this system with our public health care that it will be impossible to dismantle. Create further legislation that pays close attention about how to regularly make it more efficient while continuing to serve Americans with the best healthcare possible, over time.
14. Create a voluntary "youth force" to employ young persons after high school that helps them to find ways to serve our domestic needs and at the same time give them appropriate background in training for new jobs. I am in slight favor of making something like this compulsory.
15. Immediately create a task force to look into universal basic income to be distributed to every American for life upon birth. Put Andrew Yang in charge of this effort. As well, legislation to register every American as a registered voter upon birth and again, make it a Federal crime to interfere or delay voting rights.
16. Immediately work toward a moratorium on all evictions and work with treasury to give retroactive payments for all who have remained unemployed since the pandemic started. This will result in a massive cash infusion into our economy and literally rescue tens of millions of people and our nation from eminent financial collapse. Institute harsh jail time penalties for any bank or person who abuses the system.
Note. The only two items that are highest in order of priority are numbers 1 and 16. All of this must be put into action within the first 24 months If the Democrats win it all this coming November. Much of it will not be able to be completed by then, but the part dealing with the supreme court, financial rescue, guarantee of voting rights, solidifying election security, and two or three others should be completed before the next midterm election.
Unless the courts are expanded, America will die a slow death because things like voting rights, effective measures to counter climate change, women's rights, etc. etc. etc. will continue to be struck down by this radically right wing extremist Supreme Court.
Unless the court is expanded, none of the foregoing progressive changes in a Biden controlled administration or any administration that follows will hold.
Edit. I forgot to add that once the new SCOTUS of 13 members is put into place, immediate legislation should be passed that neuters the Citizens United decision back in 2014. And,an immediate end to private contributions to federal elections should be put in place. We should also, by law, shorten the election season to one year before the election. It is absurd and ridiculous and divisive for us to be engaging in electoral politics 24 or 30 months before an election takes place.
Another change I forgot to mention was an immediate task force to look into breaking up Amazon, Google, Facebook, Apple, or any other company that seeks to create a monopoly And/or corrupt our democracy in service of private profit. In addition, an immediate replacement of current law should bring net neutrality back with solid legislation to prevent its reversal. Universal and free access to the Internet should be provided for all who cannot afford it, with new laws put into place to make sure that American privacy is protected on the network.
In all of this I want to see serious criminal penalties with jail time attached for any corporate executive who breaks these new laws.
Edit 2. Immediate legislation to create statehood for Washington DC and Puerto Rico.
Edit 3. Full legalization of marijuana and a well-funded effort towards drug education - including all hard drugs, pharmaceuticals, alcohol, and tobacco.
Immediate citizenship for all DACA persons.
End incarceration at the border and shore up the immigration courts will more judges and counselors.
Start a Marshall Plan for Central and South America, targeted at the poorest nations. Begin a cooperative venture that ends gang terrorism south of the border.
END ALL private prisons in America and invest in serious rehab for those in jail.
Massively increase mental health funding,
Immediate legislation put into place that eliminates electoral college through an amendment change. I know this won't be possible right away but someone needs to start the ball rolling. It takes a 2/3 majority of the states to approve this, but we need to get it on the books
Edit 4. Ranked-choice voting
soothsayer
(38,601 posts)Rice4VP
(1,235 posts)Summon all governors to the WH for a COVID path forward.
Tribalceltic
(1,000 posts)#1 Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton
#2 Michelle Obama
others?
msongs
(67,193 posts)former9thward
(31,802 posts)Tribalceltic
(1,000 posts)But imagine the heads explodiing!
BigmanPigman
(51,430 posts)Investigate and hold hearings on his Covid mass murders.
Sanctions and worse for Putin...permanently get rid of Putin!
former9thward
(31,802 posts)Nuclear war?
Thekaspervote
(32,606 posts)onetexan
(12,994 posts)grant asylum & reunite all the children w their parents &families.
Somewhere in there add prosecute the Con.
rickford66
(5,498 posts)Declare Corporations cannot be treated as people or businesses depending upon circumstance. One or the other. If "people", it can be convicted of murder and essentially executed (dissolved) or have a limited "life expectancy". If a "business", all officers are responsible for fines. They can't be passed on as a business expense and therefore be a tax deduction.
edit: I should have added, great starting list
VarryOn
(2,343 posts)nothing on guns?
The next chance we get the requisite power, this country needs to be absolutely transformed! And we need to be quick about it! Some states will likely end up leaving the Union. They just done need to let the door knock them in the ass on the way out!