Just Imagine | Critical Analysis |Axisoflogic.com

With all the concern over the triumph of 'moral values' over common sense and decency, it seems appropriate for progressives to present their alternatives to a nation, society and world governed by destructive, self-serving values. What would you propose? What kind of nation, society or world would you like to contribute to? Just imagine: the principles and their consequences.

For examples consider these principles:

The needs of the poor take precedence over the desires of the well-to-do
Rights of the powerless take precedence over the whims of the powerful.
Minorities shall not be suppressed or persecuted by majorities.
Compassion and mercy shall take precedence over vengeance and retaliation.
Peacemaking, not war, as an instrument of national foreign policy.
Equal justice for all, not just the well-to-do, with costs borne by society as a whole.

Imagine a government:

dedicated to the benefit of all the people, NOT just the well-to-do, their corporations, and their means of wealth accumulation and sequestration;
whose commitment is to protect the weak, the poor, those unable to defend themselves from the depredations of the strong, the wealthy and the aggressive;
whose objective is to provide a level playing-field for all, both to enable and to encourage its citizens, to the best of their ability, to become active, constructive, creative members of the national society;
but whose obligation is to provide an adequate minimal standard of food, shelter, health care and education for all, regardless of their means to pay;
that understands and accepts our only shelter, security, and chance for peace, is NOT military conquest, occupation, or subjugation of those with whom we disagree, but rather a dedication and commitment to equality and justice for all, both at home and abroad;
that nurtures and protects the environment from rape at the hands of exploiters - private, personal or corporate;
that aims to become a worldwide model, and standard, for constructive participation in international relations, rather than the currently reviled and hated laughing-stock;
that so abhors dishonesty, deceit, misrepresentation, and obfustication that it informs the public of difficult, unhappy truths, trusting in their intelligence and maturity to absorb and deal appropriately with the facts, however unpleasant.

Imagine an economy organized after F. D. Roosevelt's Economic Bill of Rights, first proposed 60 years ago, in which everyone has the right:

to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;
to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;
of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return that will give him and his family a decent living;
of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;
of every family to a decent home;
to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;
to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;
to a good education.

Consider a society:

in which cooperation for the general good is thought, learnt and valued more than malicious, malevolent competition for the betterment of a few at the expense of others;
whose citizens are sufficiently well-educated to detect and repudiate lies, deceit and deceptions, public and private, to reject the disguising of unpleasant realities behind wishful fantasies;
that expects and demands the preseveration of the environment;
in which the costs of government are willingly underwritten in the form of taxes by the citizenry as their due for the benefits they receive, but are borne proportionately more by the wealthy, the most able to pay, who profit most from governmental decisions and actions;
that regards such choices as religion � which or whether to practice -, sexual preference and child bearing - whether and when -, as inviolably private and personal, beyond the reach and control of government.

Envision a world in which:

nations care for other nations' and their peoples' welfare as they do their own, as a good citizen does one's neighbor's family;
no nation or people has the right to impose its way on another, and any nation that attempts to do so is sequestered, isolated from and shunned by all others of the world community;
every peoples are regarded as equal members of the world community, deserving of, entitled to and provided the same minimum standards of food, shelter, health care and education;
resort to war is despised and banned as a childish atavism, a regression to unacceptable, uncivilized behavior by nations ethically, emotionally, morally and intellectually impoverished by defective leadership.

As conservatives market bigotry, hate, prejudice and authoritarianism disguised as bargain-basement �moral� values, might progressives respond with visions for a future that do justice to all and our common humanity? Consider the alternatives.

Just imagine.

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Biography and additional articles by
Axis Columnist John N. Cooper