The Filibuster

David Tannenbaum
Jul 10, 2017 · 4 min read

A Fairer Future

My fellow Democrats, our party is at a crossroads. In the wake of bruising defeats at the ballot box, intense debates swirl around what path we should follow to redemption. One internal faction seeks to pull our policies to the far left of the political spectrum, while another asserts that we Democrats should resurrect a moderate mantra from a bygone area and stand in the proverbial center. And by no means are these the only opinions being offered with seemingly every leading luminary in the party providing their own recipe for victory.

I write to you today because I find the ideological dishes being offered unsatisfying, and I am hungry for a new approach.

This approach should be guided by one simple goal — establishing a ‘Fairer Future’ for the American people. As I survey the countless challenges facing this great country, I see at the root of them all a common theme — a lack of equity, a lack of justice, in short a lack of fairness.

I see it when a middle class family fears foreclosure, while Wall St. speculators reap prolific profits. And yet, I also see it when our financial system must contend with outdated tax codes and regulations, while our foreign competitors gain a market edge.

I see it when young African-American men are given instruction on how to conduct themselves with the police, while such lessons are absent in the instructions for many white young men. And yet, I also see it when a police officer puts their life on the line every day, trying to protect their community, while they face violent targeted threats.

I see it when immigrants simply desiring a better life in America are demonized as murderers and thugs, and I see it when a laid off factory worker rightly or wrongly feels that these illegal immigrants stole his or her job.

I see it when the health care of millions of Americans is threatened, when health systems can no longer afford to offer services in a county, and when life-saving drugs can only be afforded by a wealthy few.

These, by no means, are the only cases where I see this absence of fairness. Rather, they are just a peek into the serious challenges we face as a nation. In the face of these trials, I often hear despondent remarks noting the impossibility of change, the endemic nature of the difficulties, and concern for the strength our democratic system.

I reject such pitiful lamentations. Yes, the challenges are grave, but we have faced and conquered equally, if not more serious threats before. And so often in our modern history it has been the Democratic Party that has led the fight.

To create a fairer future for the American people, we need a new platform for our party.

Our party will invest in the American worker through infrastructure projects, an all of the above energy approach, and vocational training.

Our party will advocate for fair trade deals that open markets to American goods, while providing trade adjustment assistance to workers who must find new, though often higher paying, jobs.

Our party will defend the middle class and seek to bolster its ranks by maintaining tax breaks and exemptions. We must also make the tough decisions and work across party lines to reform Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security in order to ensure that these indispensable programs remain solvent for this generation, and the many generations yet to come.

Our party will take on student debt reform, working with states and institutions so that all Americans have the opportunity to acquire a great education without being drowned by loans.

Our party will fight climate change by reasserting our commitment to the Paris Climate deal, and with a Carbon-tax that will be paired with tax breaks for businesses.

Our party will continue to champion gender and LGBTQ equality.

Our party will ensure that America remains a leader on the world stage, utilizing both our hard and soft power tools to protect our national security interests.

Our party will champion criminal justice reform, more robust supply side tactics to fight the scourge of drugs, and support for both police officers and community leaders who simply want safe, vibrant, and just communities.

Our party will reduce federal and financial regulations where prudent, maintain where necessary, and seek to create business conditions that allow companies to grow and profit, but not at the expense of the American people.

Our party will stand for these ideals, and more, and it will include members of all faiths, all ethnicities, all genders, all races, and hopefully even all parties. The Democratic Party has always been the party of progress, the party that has led America in some of its darkest moments and into some of its brightest days. By working together, finding compromise, listening to the other side, and following a philosophy of practical idealism we can become the party of change once again, and help guide the American people into a fairer future.