A visionary, a bold thinker, a compassionate soul
We need more people like Agatha Bacelar right about now.
A young politico on his process.
I am an idealist, a one-time candidate for mayor of Madison, Wisconsin, and a supporter of Agatha Bacelar for California’s twelfth congressional district (San Francisco).
Why do I support Agatha? Because she is a visionary, a bold thinker, and a compassionate soul — and we could use more of those right about now.
The challenges which our country faces are numerous; the eroding of the middle class, the skyrocketing cost of healthcare and price of pharmaceuticals, and the looming threat of the climate crisis, and we need to embrace solutions which match their breadth and scope. Establishment Democrats such as Nancy Pelosi and others who cling to outdated political and economic norms stand in the way of the rapid changes which are needed at this critical juncture in history. That is why it is imperative that Progressives such as Agatha and other first-time candidates running for election in 2020 succeed. If there was ever a time in the history of the United States, excepting the Revolution of 1776, in which a sweeping re-ordering of the political landscape was needed, it would be now.
When democracy doesn’t represent 100%, time for an upgrade
Speaking of revolutionary, Agatha has one of the most comprehensive and inspirational platforms in terms of Technology and Democracy which is currently on offer from any Congressional candidate. Her proposal to upgrade democracy to the digital era with tactics like ethical technology, ranked choice voting and liquid democracy, represent secure and inclusive ways of inserting the will of the people into the political sphere beyond the ballot box and endless media chatter — a truly 21st Century proposal. Given the technology we possess today, which allows us to send and receive mind-boggling amounts of data across the planet in seconds, we should all be wondering why we are still allowing our politics to crawl along at an 18th-century pace, using 15th century technology. Agatha’s democracy activism with Democracy Earth Foundation is the background we need in a congressional candidate to upgrade our democracy to the 21st century.
Liquid democracy is a combination of representative democracy and direct democracy, using today’s technologies to empower voters by allowing them to vote item-by-item on referendums, bills, etc. before lawmakers take them to the floor. Alternately, voters can pledge their individual votes to delegates who will vote on their behalf; typically, experts in policy or practice who voters know will faithfully represent them (because they are themselves voters, not politicians). Using a digital platform, voters would be able to weigh in on agendas and proposals without giving up significant amounts of their time to be physically present at legislative sessions. Many people already regularly use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other platforms to receive political news and information in real-time — so why not a secure app that allows we the people to actively, rather than passively, participate? One might imagine a raft of proposals with deadline-countdowns attached which appear in their daily news feed or a reddit-style platform where voters and experts can offer opinions backed up by sources and studies that can be made immediately available for vetting.
The tech and communications infrastructure that would be necessary for a Liquid Democracy to work at scale is already in place, with 297 million Americans (90% of the population) online, making the implementation of a liquid democracy possible in a single presidential term. It could be done even faster if introduced in partnership with some of the large companies such as Google and Microsoft which already have billion-dollar contracts with the U.S. government. Partnerships with these companies — or even their transition to public ownership — would not only allow us to streamline innovative ways of participatory democracy but, even more importantly, streamline energy and commerce in such a way that we are able to begin meeting the goals for carbon emissions set by the Paris Agreement (and significantly better ones).
Climate, climate, climate
The Green New Deal is an issue in which Agatha sets herself apart from other candidates. She acknowledges that putting the full weight of our government behind the Green New Deal is a necessity and that doing so will require us to re-think the relationship between tech, industry, and government. She has spoken about the need to mobilize our resources on a massive scale in order to reduce emissions and modernize our energy infrastructure, and she has spoken about how tech can help us get there. That is to say, she recognizes the need for a horizontal strategy which takes into account the massive data processing and logistics infrastructure which will be necessary if we are to make a real go at the GND. She is also willing to name a source of funding for it that many are not — our bloated military budget.
An end to endless war
This brings me to the part of Agatha’s platform that I find truly inspiring: her commitment to peace and justice beyond our borders. She has been outspoken throughout her campaign about our need to extricate ourselves from endless wars and to redirect our resources to serve the American people. Ending America’s aggressive foreign policy and providing U.S. citizens with comprehensive healthcare are ideas which have broad support among voters whether they identify as Republicans, Democrats or Independents, and I believe that it makes sense to invest our tax dollars in rebuilding our country rather than destroying others’. Though there are no accurate estimates of the cost of a Green New Deal — the deal itself at this time is not a formal policy, but rather a nonbinding resolution — the cost of failing to pass a GND is nothing less than the destruction of our planet.
So, how do we begin to address this crisis? First, we must agree that failure to act is not an option. Second, we must be willing to reimagine what is possible, to let go of the idea that we aren’t capable of coming together as a country and as a global community to overcome this threat. And finally, we must support the people who are willing to solve these problems. This means electing people like Agatha Bacelar. That is why I support her campaign for California’s twelfth congressional district and why you should too.
~Christopher Daly
