Under reported issues in the campaign
ILLUSTRATED: Here are some issues over the horizon that will need to be discussed.
Iraq: It is clear that the next president will have a tremendous moral decision very early on: the decision to remove the US Army from the chaos we helped create. On the other hand, if we were to stay, there ought to be a massive tax increase to offset other foreign and domestic policies. We cannot keep borrowing from foreigners as the dollar is tanking. The media ought to be discussing this since it will bedevil the next president.
The success of the surge is a misnomer. The surge (which by definition is temporary, ending in the spring) has been brilliantly executed to reduce violence. However we will lose critical mass in the spring and the violence will flare up. There has been no oil revenue deal thus no political deal in this Pax Iraq time frame. For the "get out now crowd" they must answer "then what?" For the "we need to stick it out" crowd, they need to answer "how much?"
Domestic Intelligence: A lot of talk, if not action, has been about emergency response and integrating agencies at each level of government. That is after a terror attack. What about before an attack? The FBI is creating a National Security Branch, after they have finally realized that detective work and intelligence gathering are different disciplines. The NYPD and the LAPD are way ahead of the rest of the country in gathering intelligence at the local level. I think an issue for Democrats is to support states in coordinating all intelligence gathering in their states. Not all cities have the size to specialize in something so sophisticated. Having oversight would also help secure civil liberties.
Capping Carbon Emissions: We need to do this. Period. A discussion has to be held regarding the massive job dislocations that will happen.
Long term care: This is not covered by Medicare. It's doubtful that there could ever be an employer based system since these are usually retirees. The government may have to help organize an economical way to care for the elderly who are living longer. To win over conservatives, mention how it is economically efficient to promote healthy communities, and not have people drain down their own nest eggs.
Medical privacy: By the end of the next president's first term, we will be able to buy our genetic map for $1,000, so I was told by a molecular biologist. This is helpful for personalizing our own care, but very harmful if insurance companies or employers got their hands on it. Even conservatives would support government protections for this, from corporate power.
Education: We are simply not producing enough from our education system. If the system was good enough, we would not need H1B visas. The federal government has the resources to raise the teaching profession. The federal government may not be the most efficient at administering schools, but it's money can alter the job market for young people to enter teaching.
Iraq: It is clear that the next president will have a tremendous moral decision very early on: the decision to remove the US Army from the chaos we helped create. On the other hand, if we were to stay, there ought to be a massive tax increase to offset other foreign and domestic policies. We cannot keep borrowing from foreigners as the dollar is tanking. The media ought to be discussing this since it will bedevil the next president.
The success of the surge is a misnomer. The surge (which by definition is temporary, ending in the spring) has been brilliantly executed to reduce violence. However we will lose critical mass in the spring and the violence will flare up. There has been no oil revenue deal thus no political deal in this Pax Iraq time frame. For the "get out now crowd" they must answer "then what?" For the "we need to stick it out" crowd, they need to answer "how much?"
Domestic Intelligence: A lot of talk, if not action, has been about emergency response and integrating agencies at each level of government. That is after a terror attack. What about before an attack? The FBI is creating a National Security Branch, after they have finally realized that detective work and intelligence gathering are different disciplines. The NYPD and the LAPD are way ahead of the rest of the country in gathering intelligence at the local level. I think an issue for Democrats is to support states in coordinating all intelligence gathering in their states. Not all cities have the size to specialize in something so sophisticated. Having oversight would also help secure civil liberties.
Capping Carbon Emissions: We need to do this. Period. A discussion has to be held regarding the massive job dislocations that will happen.
Long term care: This is not covered by Medicare. It's doubtful that there could ever be an employer based system since these are usually retirees. The government may have to help organize an economical way to care for the elderly who are living longer. To win over conservatives, mention how it is economically efficient to promote healthy communities, and not have people drain down their own nest eggs.
Medical privacy: By the end of the next president's first term, we will be able to buy our genetic map for $1,000, so I was told by a molecular biologist. This is helpful for personalizing our own care, but very harmful if insurance companies or employers got their hands on it. Even conservatives would support government protections for this, from corporate power.
Education: We are simply not producing enough from our education system. If the system was good enough, we would not need H1B visas. The federal government has the resources to raise the teaching profession. The federal government may not be the most efficient at administering schools, but it's money can alter the job market for young people to enter teaching.
posted by Teka Thomas at 10:59 PM
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