Dean vs Revolutionaries
Friday, October 24th, 2003Been thinking about a run for public office at some point, despite my dismal performance in my last campaign. I had considered a number of possible parties, including the Greens and the Libertarians (which share more commonalities than either would like to admit–and no, I didn’t say “librarians”), but the party that comes the closest is probably the revolutionary party.
So, as an exercise, I figured I would line up my current choice as a candidate, Dean, with the Revolutionary platform. He actually does better than I would have expected. What the revolutionaries and some of the other candidates forget is that in a democracy you have to win a majority of the votes, and the majority is rarely right. The best you can hope for is someone who hits at the minds of the thinkers and the guts of the feelers equally well.
So, without further ado, I give you the blow-by-blow:
| Revolutionary Platform | Howard Dean |
| 1. Convert to clean energy now by promoting research and environmentally-friendly practices. |
Dean has come out clearly behind clean energy promotion. This is one of the major planks in his platform. |
| 2. End of the "War on Drugs," including the immediate repeal of all prohibitions on Cannibis, followed by a more rational policy toward other drugs. |
Dean has advocated more funding for a War on Drugs. He has, however, promised an open mind on the issue of medical marijuana. |
| 3. Repeal twice as many laws as we pass. | Dean is a big one for local/state control. I doubt he would differ with this in spirit, though he might in letter. |
| 4. End corporate welfare and require corporate information to be open to the public. |
While he has used the recent scandals as fodder for his tax plans, he has not made a clear indication of what he would do to stop similar problems in the future. |
| 5. Radical simplification of the tax system, end of income tax for first $100,000 |
Recommends that tax cuts to the top 2% of earners be repealed, but moderate regarding taxes beyond this. |
| 6. No ownership of genetic information | Would like to see a clear position on ownership of pharma-research and genome data. |
| 7. Pardon all non-violent prisoners convicted of victimless crimes. Dismantle prison-industrial complex. |
Need to hear more on this. Suggests that spending on education–especially in early childhood–can offset later spending on prisons. |
| 8. Defend civil liberties, have ACLU and EFF members in the DoJ. |
His take on gay civil unions has been widely applauded, but it is not yet clear how he falls on civil liberties more generally. "As President, I will lead the war on terror in a way that protects civil rights and civil liberties while protecting our safety. I will ensure that the United States is not merely a military or economic leader in world affairs, but a moral leader as well." |
| 9. Stop the War on Youth, no "zero-tolerance" prison schools. |
Advocates, as in many areas, local control of the schools. Not clear where the "local" is–but local communities are often the perpetrators of this sort of nonsense. |
| 10. Advocate a global minimum wage and environmental minimums; limit corporate ownership of intellectual property. |
Dean raised the minimum wage in Vermont twice as governor. "Dean will also support an International Right to Know Law, which would require US based multinational corporations to disclose information regarding their environmental, human rights, and labor practices abroad." |
| 11. Stop policing the world, decrease defense spending by 30% |
He has called for more multi-lateralism, and a shifting of the defense budget, but has not at all called for a reduction of that budget. |
| 12. Emphasize human rights in international affairs. | "I believe that the United States has a special role to play in world affairs. We have long been an inspiration to all those around the world seeking democracy, freedom and opportunity." Speaks widely about shaping a new global opinion by behaving morally. |
| 13. Close down the CIA and totally reform national intelligence. | "As President, Howard Dean will increase our intelligence, police and military special forces capabilities abroad to thwart and disrupt terrorist operations." He does, however, hope to deal with the "root causes" of terrorism: hatred of American policy. |
| 14. Reasonable environmental policies rather than profits. | Again, Dean has spoken at length about his plan for the environment. |
| 15. Federally-funded birth control clinics. | While strongly pro-choice, I don’t know that he goes this far. |
| 16. Allow "autonomous zones" for those who opt out of the system. |
Er… no word on this one. |
| 17. Re-establish social services to at least pre-Reagan levels. |
At least within the health field, the good doctor has suggested one of He has also pushed the "success by six" plan to visit the homes |
| 18. Examine alternative value-systems, money-systems. | No word here. |
| 19. Fund a "Manhatten Project Toward Utopia" | No clear statement on federal research funding. |
| 20. Victory over horseshit: cuban embargo, landmine treaty, funding for international birth control, [and I'll add in one here: nonsense about "traditional marriage"] |
While he is generally no-nonsense, he has been called to task by other More specifically, he favors lifting sanctions on Cuba (while holding |
Sources: Dean for America, The
Golden Path, Issues
2004, 20 Point Platform
