I Have a Dream
I’m publishing this series of articles to share and discuss my ruminations on coping with a troubled and messy world. You can “follow” me to never miss an article.
I’m certainly no Martin Luther King, but I too have a Dream. Mine is that this Nation will rise up and reclaim its grip on Sanity. To this end, let me sketch its outlines.
While mine is basically a Liberal Dream, I need to note that it was inspired by a long-time friend of mine who happens to be a Moderate Republican. Indeed, he proposed the creation of a New Party composed of Moderates from both sides of the Political Spectrum. Even though the record of new Parties surviving is not good, I couldn’t wish for it more. In fact, we need it desperately.
Let me start the conversation by laying out what I hope for from a Liberal perspective. In doing so, I’m the first to admit that at times it sounds more Progressive than it does Moderate, which is not my primary intent. But again, it’s only a starting point.
The first and main thing that I hope for is Balanced Tickets for High Political Office. Thus, even though she voted for Trump’s Agenda more often than not, and far more than I like, I’d like to see Liz Cheney partner with someone on the Other Side. If not she, then other Moderate Democrats and Republicans need to come together and to run jointly for High Office.
Let me also lay out my stance on some of the key issues. First and foremost is Abortion. I cannot endorse any Candidate or Platform that does not make a Women’s Right to Choose primary. It’s a make-or-break deal. It’s nonnegotiable.
With regard to Education, I strongly endorse the Rights of Teachers to have a major determining role in what they teach and how. They must be allowed to teach the true History of this country, warts and all. In this regard, Critical Thinking is the centerpiece.
Students must be taught to assess the components in support or non-support of important arguments. Thus, how strong is the Evidence on either side? How was it produced and by whom according to what standards? Indeed, were the strongest standards adhered to? How strong are the parts of the argument? Are they valid? Is the overall Logic of the argument sound? Why, why not? Are Reputable Authorities involved? What makes them “reputable”?
With regard to the Economy, I’m biased in favor of Liberal Economists. I’m thus strongly in favor of raising Tax Rates on the wealthy and corporations. They should help pay in forgiving Student Loan Debt, and not the Working Class who need all the help we can give them in surviving in today’s tough Economic environment. In short, every benefit for the middle and upper classes needs to be coupled with benefits for those less fortunate.
State support for Community Colleges and Public Universities needs to be sharply increased so that it’s more affordable for those who cannot pay for a College Education on their own.
As for crime, I’m solidly against what I regard as Hairbrained proposals for Defunding the Police, and the FBI. Here’s where my Conservative streak is strongest. I believe in getting tough with those who break the Law. The numbers of murders and gun-related crimes Nation-Wide are out of control. Nonetheless, I do not believe that more guns are the solution. It’s like throwing more of a disease at it in the misguided hopes of curing it.
I’m the first to acknowledge that the above reads more like a Liberal Agenda than it does a Moderate one. For this reason, I sincerely invite others to make it more appealing to a broader audience of concerned citizens.
Ian I. Mitroff is credited as being one of the principal founders of the modern field of Crisis Management. He has a BS, MS, and a PhD in Engineering and the Philosophy of Social Systems Science from UC Berkeley. He Is Professor Emeritus from the Marshall School of Business and the Annenberg School of Communication at USC. Currently, he is a Senior Research Affiliate in the Center for Catastrophic Risk Management, UC Berkeley. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Academy of Management. He has published 41 books. His latest is: The Socially Responsible Organization: Lessons from Covid, Springer, New York, 2022.
Photo by Jordan Steranka on Unsplash
